If you are 18 or older, you don’t have to wear a seatbelt in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the only state in the US where adults are not required to buckle up.

NH child seat laws

New Hampshire has a seatbelt law requiring those under 18 to wear a safety belt when driving or riding in a car. It also mandates that that passengers under age seven must be fastened by a child restraint system—such as a booster seat—with specific rules spelled out by the federal government. The provision doesn’t apply if the child is 57 inches tall or taller.

N H seat belt statistics According to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA), states with stronger seat belt laws generally have higher rates of usage than those with weaker or no laws. New Hampshire’s adult seat belt usage was actually the lowest in the U.S. in 2018, averaging 76.4%. The national average is 89.6%. Additional New Hampshire seat belt use facts: Female drivers are 10% more likely to wear seat belts than male drivers.

Pickup drivers are 20% less likely to wear a seat belt than SUV or van drivers.

Even in the absence of a seat belt law New Hampshire’s 2017 motor vehicle fatality rate was 7.6 per 100,000 people. That fatality rate is lower than the U.S. average of 11.4 per 100,000.

History of seat belt law in NH

Most recently, a bill to institute a seat belt law in New Hampshire was tabled in 2018.

Before that, the last serious attempt to institute a seat belt law in New Hampshire took place in 2009, when the House passed HB 383, sponsored by Rep. Sally Kelly. It was defeated in the Senate by a 16-8 vote.

Federal laws

The federal government strongly encourages states to pass primary or secondary seat belt laws but does not require it, citing statistics that show higher rates of fatalities among non-restrained drivers.