Does Washington Have an “Under 14″ Law?

Before your son or daughter gets on their bike, to ride to school or with friends, make sure they wear a bike helmet. 

Are there states in America that require kids to wear a helmet?

New York State requires children to wear a safe helmet if they are under 14.

'In New York State, all bicyclists under the age of 14 years old are required to wear safety-certified bicycle helmets when they are operators or passengers on bicycles (Sec. 1238(5)). Children aged 1 to 4 must wear certified bicycle helmets and ride in specially designed child safety seats' - New York DOT

 

Some counties in New York go above and beyond with bike safety and helmet requirements. Rockland and Erie counties require everyone to wear an approved bike helmet while riding bicycles on county property.

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Do You Need to Wear a Bicycle Helmet in Washington?

There isn’t a Washington law requiring cyclists to wear helmets in our state.  Some cities and counties do make it mandatory. King County had a mandatory helmet law until early 2022.

Washington Does Have Safety Requirements

Washington residents are not required to wear a certified bike helmet - but cyclists are expected to have the working safety equipment on their bicycles. *

• Your bicycle must have a working brake.

• Upon nightfall, Washington cyclists should have: 1) A rear red reflector that is visible up to 600 feet, 2) A front headlight with a white light - visible up to 500 feet