Alabama Motorcycle Helmet Law

This list of Alabama motorcycle helmet laws is a reference only and you should always refer to the Alabama D.O.T. for current requirements.  Please e-mail us if you believe our Alabama motorcycle helmet law information is out of date or otherwise incorrect.

Alabama has full motorcycle helmet laws for all motorcycle riders!

Alabama law requires anyone who operates or rides on a motorcycle to wear protective headgear specifically designed for motorcycle riders and passengers. The law requires the motorcycle helmet to have a hard exterior shell of non-shatterable material that resists impact and penetration. The motorcycle helmet must also have a firmly secured shock absorbent cradle for the head that is designed to support the motorcycle helmet and maintain separation between the head and outer shell. The padding of the motorcycle helmet must be impact-resistant, absorbent, and of substantial thickness in all areas where the head is in close proximity with or may contact the outer shell. Additionally, the Motorcycle helmet must have a permanently attached adjustable chin strap that holds it securely in place. The law requires all drivers and passengers to have the chin strap secured while the bike is in motion. The motorcycle helmet need not have a visor, but, if it does, the visor must be flexible or of the snap-on type, and it cannot be more than one-quarter inch above the surface or exterior shell. The only exception to Alabama's helmet law is for those who ride in a sidecar with an enclosed cab.

STATUTE: Alabama no longer issues such a list as the U.S. Department of Transportation has adopted standards for helmets at 49 CFR 571.218, which would apply in Alabama. All helmets are required to have a DOT sticker.
"No person shall operate or ride upon a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle unless he is wearing protective headgear which complies with standards established by section 32-12-41."

FINE: The in Alabama for violating the helmet law is $90.

STANDARDS: Title 32. Motor Vehicles and Traffic; Chapter 12. Motorcycles and Motor-driven Cycles; Article 3. Motorcycle Helmets; Section 41 Specifications: 
"The protective helmet shall meet the following specifications:

"(1) Design. -- One which is specifically designed for motorcycle riders and motorcycle passenger use.
"(2) Exterior shell. -- A hard exterior shell of nonshatterable material, resistant to impact and penetration.
"(3) Cradle. -- A firmly secured shock absorbent cradle for the head designed to support the helmet and maintain separation between the head and outer shell. Materials used in this portion of protective helmet shall be of durable quality and with characteristics that will not undergo appreciable alteration under the influence of aging or of the circumstances of use to which the helmet is normally subjected. Materials commonly known to cause skin irritation or disease shall not be used for these parts of the assembly which come in contact with the skin.
"(4) Padding. -- Impact-resistant, absorbent padding or cushioning material of substantial thickness in all areas where the head is in close proximity with or may contact the outer shell.
"(5) Chin strap. -- A permanently attached adjustable chin strap that will hold the motorcycle helmet securely in place. A rider must at all times, while a motorized vehicle is in motion, have a chin strap firmly in place on or under the chin.
"(6) Visor. -- Not required, but, if the motorcycle helmet is so equipped, the visor must be flexible or of a snap on type; however, no external projections shall be more than one-quarter inch above surface of the exterior shell."
Title 32. Motor Vehicles and Traffic; Chapter 12. Motorcycles and Motor-driven Cycles; Article 5A. Rules of the Road; Article 11. Motorcycles; Section 245 . . . approval of headgear . . . (d)

"The director of public safety is hereby authorized to approve or disapprove protective headgear, and to issue and enforce regulations establishing standards and specifications for the approval thereof. The director of public safety shall publish lists of all protective headgear which have been approved by him."

State Funded Rider Education 
Available for all eligible applicants. 

Daytime Use Of Headlight 
Modulating headlight permitted 

Passenger Seat 
Required if carrying a passenger 

Passenger Footrests 
Required if carrying a passenger 

Mirror 
Required by law 

65 MPH Speed Limit 
In effect on designated rural interstate highway