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When did seatbelts become mandatory in Wisconsin?

Settle an argument, please! I say that seatbelts became mandatory in Wisconsin sometime in the 80s, but my brother swears that it was way more recent than that—like in the past 20 years or something. Who’s right? When did Wisconsin make seatbelts mandatory?

avatar
Amber Reed · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Well, this is one of the most wholesome family arguments we’ve ever encountered.
Seatbelts first became mandatory in
Wisconsin
on December 1, 1987. However, your brother’s argument has a grain of truth to it. Initially,
Wisconsin’s seatbelt law
was one of secondary enforcement, meaning that you couldn’t be pulled over simply for not buckling up.
On June 30, 2009, the Wisconsin seatbelt law was changed to primary enforcement, which is probably what your brother is thinking of. This means that if a law enforcement officer sees you driving without your seatbelt, you’re fair game for a traffic stop.
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