Vehicle · Motorcycle helmets
Motorcycle Helmet Law in Michigan
Who has to wear a motorcycle helmet in Michigan, the age rule and any insurance or training exemption, and the penalty for riding without one. Cited to the statute.
What the helmet law requires in Michigan
Who the rule covers, the exemption test if there is one, and any related gear the law still requires.
Michigan repealed its universal helmet law in 2012, and the adult exemption in MCL 257.658(5) turns on insurance and experience figures that can change. Confirm the current coverage amount and conditions before relying on them.
| What the law requires | What it means |
|---|---|
| Default rule | MCL 257.658(4) provides that except as provided in subsection (5), a person operating or riding on a motorcycle shall wear a crash helmet. The exemption is drafted as a carve-out from a universal rule, so a rider who cannot prove the conditions must wear the helmet. |
| Operator experience prong | Under MCL 257.658(5)(a) the operator must either have held a motorcycle endorsement for not less than two years or have passed a motorcycle safety course conducted under section 811a or 811b. This is an either or, not a both. |
| Operator insurance prong | The experience prong is not enough on its own. Subsection (5)(a) also requires the operator to satisfy the medical benefits security requirement in subdivision (c). |
| Insurance amount, solo | Under MCL 257.658(5)(c)(i) a motorcycle operator without a rider needs first-party medical benefits security of not less than $20,000.00, as provided in section 3103 of the insurance code, MCL 500.3103. |
| Insurance amount, two up | Under MCL 257.658(5)(c)(ii) a motorcycle operator with a rider needs not less than $20,000.00 per person per occurrence. If the rider has security of not less than $20,000.00, then the operator only needs security of not less than $20,000.00. |
| Passenger, easier test | A passenger 21 or older does not need any endorsement or safety course. Under MCL 257.658(5)(b) the passenger is exempt if the passenger or the operator satisfies the subdivision (c) coverage requirement, so the operator’s coverage can carry the passenger. |
| Mopeds and electric skateboards | A separate and lower threshold sits in the same subsection. MCL 257.658(4) requires a crash helmet for a person under nineteen operating a moped on a public thoroughfare, and for a person under nineteen operating an electric skateboard. |
| Who is exempt | What it means |
|---|---|
| Autocycle with a qualifying roof | MCL 257.658(7) provides that the crash helmet requirements do not apply to a person operating or riding in an autocycle if the vehicle has a roof that meets or exceeds standards for a crash helmet. Autocycle occupants must instead wear seat belts on a public highway. |
| Nobody under 21 | The whole of subsection (5) applies only to a person 21 years of age or older. A twenty year old with years of riding and full coverage still must wear a helmet. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps to ride within the helmet law in Michigan. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Wear a helmet if you are under 21
Anyone under 21 operating or riding on a motorcycle must wear a crash helmet, with no way out. The same is true for a rider under nineteen on a moped or electric skateboard.
- Meet both tests before you skip a helmet
If you are 21 or older and want to ride bare-headed, you need at least two years with a motorcycle endorsement or a completed state safety course, and at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits security.
- Cover your passenger
A passenger 21 or older is exempt only if the passenger or you carry the required medical benefits security. For a passenger the endorsement and course tests do not apply, but the coverage must be in place.
- Keep your coverage current
The exemption depends on medical benefits security under MCL 500.3103 staying in effect. If the coverage lapses, the helmet becomes mandatory again.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Age, insurance, and training exemptions have specific proof requirements, so confirm your situation against the statute.
What riders in Michigan get wrong about helmets
Michigan repealed its universal helmet law in 2012, so the answer is now conditional. MCL 257.658(4) still makes a crash helmet the default for everyone operating or riding on a motorcycle, but MCL 257.658(5) opens a narrow exemption for riders 21 or older. For an operator the exemption has two parts that must both be met. The operator needs either a motorcycle endorsement held for at least two years or a completed state safety course under section 811a or 811b, and the operator also needs first-party medical benefits security of at least $20,000 under MCL 500.3103. For a passenger 21 or older the test is easier, because only the coverage requirement applies and the operator’s coverage can satisfy it. Anyone under 21 must wear a helmet with no way out, and a separate rule requires a crash helmet for a person under nineteen on a moped or an electric skateboard. Michigan names no federal standard. Under MCL 257.658(6) helmets are approved by the department of state police rather than by reference to the Department of Transportation. The statute writes in no proof of compliance mechanism, so nothing requires a rider to carry a certificate of the endorsement, course, or coverage. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Common questions
Do you have to wear a helmet on a motorcycle in Michigan?
By default, yes. MCL 257.658(4) requires a crash helmet unless the rider meets the conditions in subsection (5). A rider 21 or older can go without one by meeting an experience or course test and carrying at least $20,000 in medical benefits security.
When can an adult ride without a helmet in Michigan?
A rider 21 or older may skip the helmet if they have held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years or passed a state safety course, and also carry first-party medical benefits security of at least $20,000 under MCL 257.658(5).
Do passengers need a helmet in Michigan?
A passenger under 21 always needs a helmet. A passenger 21 or older is exempt only if the passenger or the operator carries the required $20,000 in medical benefits security under MCL 257.658(5)(b).
How much insurance do you need to ride without a helmet in Michigan?
At least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits security under MCL 257.658(5)(c), as provided in MCL 500.3103. With a rider it is $20,000 per person per occurrence, with a set off if the rider carries their own $20,000.
What helmet standard does Michigan use?
Michigan does not name FMVSS 218. Under MCL 257.658(6) crash helmets are approved by the department of state police under rules it promulgates, and the statute never references the Department of Transportation.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.