Seat-belt laws in Ohio dictate that the driver and passengers seated in the front seat must wear a seat-belt. Passengers between the ages of 8 and 15 must always be belted, no matter where they are seated in the vehicle. Passengers 16 and older are not required to wear a seat-belt in the back seat in Ohio.
Studies show that people are far more likely to be injured or die in a car crash if they are not wearing a seat-belt. Be safe and buckle up!
What are the seat-belt laws in Ohio?
The driver and passengers seated in the front seat are required by Ohio law to wear a seat-belt. Passengers between the ages of 8 and 15 need to wear a seat-belt at all times, no matter where they are seated in the vehicle.
Passengers older than the age of 16 are not legally required to wear seat-belts in the back seat. However, for safety’s sake, it’s wise to wear a seat-belt at all times.
Key Takeaway All front-seat passengers are required by law to wear a seat-belt in Ohio. Kids between the ages of 8 and 15 must be belted at all times.
What happens if you break the seat-belt laws in Ohio?
Breaking the Ohio seat-belt law will result in a $30 fine for the driver, plus $20 for the passenger. In Ohio, drivers are not responsible for ensuring their passengers are belted.
In Ohio, breaking the seat-belt law is considered a nonmoving violation. This means that you won’t get any points on your driving record like you would for a speeding ticket.
A police officer is not allowed to pull you over in Ohio if they spot a seat-belt violation, as it’s considered a secondary offense. But you can still receive a ticket for breaking the Ohio seat-belt law if you get pulled over for another reason.
Key TakeawayBreaking the Ohio seat-belt law will result in a $30 fine if you’re the driver and a $20 fine if you’re a passenger.
Could it impact my driving record?
Breaking the Ohio seat-belt law is unlikely to impact your driving record. Since breaking this law is considered a nonmoving violation in Ohio, you will not receive driver’s license points on your driving record.
It will show up on your driver abstract, however, which means that your insurance company will probably find out about it.
Could it impact my insurance?
Possibly. Seat-belt tickets won’t affect your car insurance in most states. You might see a very slight change in your premiums.
However, your insurance company will definitely notice if you wrack up a ton of seat-belt tickets. This could trigger a larger increase in your premiums.
Bonnie Stinson is an insurance writer with 8+ years of experience as a content writer. They specialize in making complex topics like insurance and technology easy to understand. Bonnie has written over 1,300 articles to help people become confident car owners, from how to choose the right car and build a car insurance policy to dealing with stressful situations like car accidents and unexpected repairs. Before joining Jerry’s editorial team, Bonnie worked as a digital media strategist and user experience researcher, producing content for Furnishr, STACKEDD Magazine, InfinityCore Health, and the global non-profit Giraffe Heroes.
Kathleen Flear is an expert insurance writer and editor who heads up Jerry’s editorial team as director of content. Kathleen empowers drivers to make smart car ownership decisions through best-in-class articles on insurance, loans, and maintenance. Prior to joining Jerry in 2021, Kathleen served as managing editor for a team of SEO content marketing professionals at Article-Writing.co and worked as a freelance writer and editor for a range of digital publications, including Chicago Literati magazine and Golden Words. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Queen’s University, and a master’s degree in creative writing and fiction from Sierra Nevada University.
