Author: Jason Waechter | Date: April 23, 2025 | Category: Motorcycle Laws
Michigan law does not require every motorcycle operator to wear a helmet, but helmet use still depends on age, experience, insurance requirements, passenger rules, and the exact riding situation. Riders should verify current legal requirements before relying on older summaries or casual advice.
After a crash, helmet use can become part of an insurance or injury discussion. That does not mean a rider should be blamed automatically. The facts, injury mechanics, medical records, and applicable law all matter.
If helmet use is being raised after a crash, start with a full claim review from a Michigan motorcycle accident lawyer before giving a recorded statement or accepting an insurer’s explanation.
Helmet use can become part of an insurance or injury discussion after a motorcycle crash, but it does not automatically decide who was at fault or what the claim is worth. Preserve the helmet, gear, photos, medical records, and crash details.
Everything Motorcyclists Need To Know About Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law.
Here we provide an overview of the Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law.
The Michigan motorcycle helmet law primarily requires both operators and riders to wear a crash helmet on their head. However, if you are 21 or older and meet specific insurance and licensing criteria, you have the option to ride without a helmet. Riders under 21, however, must wear a helmet.
Yes, Michigan has a motorcycle helmet law. It mandates that both operators and passengers under the age of 21 must wear a helmet. Nonetheless, if operators and riders aged 21 or older fulfill certain licensing and insurance requirements, they are exempt from wearing a crash helmet.
In Michigan, the general rule under the motorcycle helmet law is that all motorcyclists, whether operating or riding, must wear a crash helmet on their head (MCL 257.658(4)).
When is protective headgear not required for operators under the Michigan motorcycle helmet law? If an operator is 21 years or older, they can legally ride a motorcycle without a crash helmet on their head as long as they meet the following conditions:
Riders who are 21 years or older can legally ride without a crash helmet in Michigan if they meet one of the following conditions:
Violating the helmet law in Michigan results in being deemed “responsible for a civil infraction” (MCL 257.656(1)). Notably, no points are added to the motorcyclist’s driver’s license (MCL 257.320a(2)).
Furthermore, violating the Michigan motorcycle helmet law does not disqualify an otherwise eligible motorcyclist from receiving No-Fault benefits (See MCL 500.3113(b)).
For nearly four decades leading up to 2012, Michigan law mandated that all motorcyclists, regardless of age or insurance coverage, wear crash helmets “on his or her head.”
On March 24, 2011, legislation was introduced to repeal the Michigan motorcycle helmet law. During the consideration of this bill, the House Fiscal Agency reported the rationale behind the proposed repeal:
“Proponents say, the easing of the helmet requirement will have a positive effect on the state’s economy. The current law discourages out-of-state motorcyclists from traveling to Michigan. Changes to the state’s helmet laws are likely to increase tourism spending, as well as increase the sales of vehicles and accessories.”
Concerning the potential risks of the repeal, the House Fiscal Agency also noted:
“Insurance industry representatives in previous sessions have testified that an unhelmeted rider is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury compared to a rider with a helmet and helmets are 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries (citing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics). They say that motorcyclists impose disproportionate costs on the state’s No-Fault insurance system, particularly the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association.”
“Hospital officials have said that an unhelmeted rider is 37 percent more likely to need ambulance services, be admitted to a hospital as an inpatient, have higher hospital costs, need neurosurgery, intensive care, and rehabilitation, be permanently impaired, and need long-term care.”
(Source: House Fiscal Agency, Legislative Analysis, Senate Bill 291 (Enacted as Public Act 98 of 2012), 11/1/2011)
Ultimately, the Legislature passed the repeal of the law, which the governor approved.
Enacted as Public Act 98 of 2012, the repeal of the Michigan motorcycle helmet law became effective on April 13, 2012.
According to NHTSA estimates, protective headgear saved the lives of 1,872 motorcyclists nationwide in 2017 and could have saved an additional 749 lives if all motorcyclists had been wearing helmets.
Additionally, NHTSA reports that protective headgear saved 46 lives in Michigan in 2017 and could have saved 27 more if 100% of motorcyclists had worn helmets.
(Sources: NHTSA, “Traffic Safety Facts – Motorcycles – 2017 Data,” published August 2019; NHTSA, “Traffic Safety Facts – Lives and Costs Saved by Motorcycle Helmets, 2017” – published December 2019)
[Note: Data for 2017 is the most current available.]
Wear goggles even if no helmet
Whenever you operate your motorcycle on a public highway in Michigan at speeds exceeding 35 mph and your bike lacks a windshield, you must wear shatter-proof goggles, eyeglasses, or a face shield to protect your eyes from insects, airborne debris, highway surface water, and other hazards (MCL 257.708a). This rule applies regardless of whether you are wearing a crash helmet or not.
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