Wyoming Motorcycle Helmet Laws

Minors under 18 must have a securely fastened motorcycle helmet in Wyoming.
Written by Cassandra Hamilton
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
background
The law in Wyoming states that any minor riding on a motorcycle must have protective headgear securely fastened on their head. Adults 18 and over are not required to wear protective headgear.
 Around 14% of all traffic fatalities in 2019 are attributed to motorcycle accidents by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). States began passing motorcycle helmet laws in the 1960s to help lower these statistics.
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Do you have to wear a motorcycle helmet in Wyoming?

If you are under 18 years of age in Wyoming, you must wear a motorcycle helmet while operating or riding on a motorcycle.
 The law permits adults to decide whether they should wear a helmet or not. In addition, the law only applies to motorcyclists who are riding on public roads.

Exceptions to Wyoming’s motorcycle helmet law

Wyoming makes an exception for adults. Adults in Wyoming can determine whether or not they should wear a helmet. Minors are exempt from this law if they drive or ride a motorcycle used on private property.
 The law also allows an exception for mopeds. The state of Wyoming does not consider mopeds to be motorcycles. Wyoming defines a moped as a vehicle that has:
  • 2 or 3 wheels
  • Foot pedals that permit acceleration
  • An automatic transmission
  • Cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cubic centimeters
  • No more than two brake horsepower
  • A maximum speed of 30 mph
The law also allows an exemption for operators of motorcycles participating in an officially authorized parade.

Penalties for breaking Wyoming’s motorcycle helmet law

If you are found guilty of violating Wyoming’s motorcycle helmet law, you will be subject to a fine. Fines vary and depend on the municipality.

Why it’s important to wear a motorcycle helmet

There are many more consequences to not wearing a motorcycle helmet in Wyoming beyond a fine. The history of motorcycle helmets and recent motorcycle accident statistics are more than enough to demonstrate the true cost of declining to wear a helmet.
T.E. Lawrence, a British army officer and diplomat who you may know as “Lawrence of Arabia,” died at 46 years old in 1935
after a motorcycle accident
. This notorious accident inspired neurologist Hugh Cairns to launch groundbreaking research on how motorcycle helmets could help prevent deaths like Lawrence’s.
The NHTSA estimates that in the United States, hundreds of lives are saved by motorcycle helmet laws each year. States without universal motorcycle helmet laws see a lot of motorcyclists without helmets die in accidents—as many as 57%. Compare that to deaths in states with universal helmet laws, where the reported statistic is just 9%.   
Despite Wyoming’s lax motorcycle helmet laws, you can avoid becoming just another number by wearing a helmet when you drive or ride on a motorcycle, regardless of your age.
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