Motorcycle Eyewear Laws
Even though the reasons to wear motorcycle glasses while riding is obvious, there are motorcycle eyewear laws that require eye protection while riding. Motorcycle eyewear protects your eyes from wind, dirt, debris and other dangerous objects. Just a small speck of dirt can virtually blind you. Harsh winds can dry out your eyes, leaving them red and irritated. When your eyes dry out, they will begin to tear. If your tears have a high salt content, your eyes will sting and will be tough to stay open. If you can’t see the road, riding a motorcycle can be extremely dangerous.
It is important to choose Polycarbonate or Trivex lenses when purchasing motorycycle eyewear. All BikerArmour, Wiley X and 7 eye motorcycle sunglasses feature polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonate is a shatter proof, impact resistant material. Helmet visors and compact discs are made of polycarbonate, so we know how tough polycarbonate is. The material is virtually unbreakable. Trivex is also shatter proof. Trivex lenses are a higher grade lenses that have higher lens clarity.
ANSI z87.1 Requirements
Polycarbonate lenses can also be safety rated by the American National Standards Institute, or the ANSI. The standard for safety for eye wear is known as ANSI Z87.1. For glasses to be Z87.1 rated, they have to meet a specific set of standards at the time the glasses or sunglasses are manufactured. These standards establishes the criteria foor using, testing, marking, choosing and maintaining eye protection to prevent or minimize injuries from eye hazards.
If you are really interested in reading about the specifics of ANSI z87.1, please read this: https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/sites/default/files/TVC_ANSI_Z87-1_2015_Overview_v2.pdf.
ALL lenses that are ANSI Z87.1 safety rated are stamped with some letters on the top left corner of the lens (from wearer’s perspective). Sometimes it will say Z87.1 and sometimes it won’t. There are some other letters that may appear random, but these letters are actually the initials of the optical laboratory that cut the lenses. These engraved letters is really the only way to visually tell if your lenses are ANSI safety rated or not.
Not All Motorcycle Eyewear Needs to be ANSI Z87.1 Rated
It is important to note that NOT all motorcycle sunglasses are ANSI Z87.1 safety rated. Just because the sunglasses are not safety rated does not mean they are not safe to wear on your motorcycle. Most glasses are safety rated because most companies that require safety glasses to be worn at work must follow the rules and standards of the ANSI. Before you purchase a pair of biker glasses, make sure the lenses are made of polycarbonate or trivex (trivex is only available in prescription eyewear), and make sure the glasses are from a trusted supplier like Bikershades.com.
States Require Motorcycle Eyewear by Law
Most states require bikers wear eye protection at all times while riding the motorcycle. However, this does not mean the glasses have to be safety rated. As far as we can tell, the only state that requires bikers wear eyewear that is ANSI Z87.1 rated is New York. We have heard from multiple bikers in New York that they have received citations if they are not wearing the proper eyewear. NYPD will actually request you to take off your glasses so they can inspect them. If they don’t see the safety rating engraving, the will issue a citation, no questions asked. We will continue to do more research to see if other cities require ANSI Z87.1 Safety Rated eyewear. If you live in a state that requires the ANSI certification, please tell us in the comments below.
| State | Helmet Laws | Eyewear Laws | Noise Laws | Passenger Age Requirement Laws | Daytime Use of Headlights Laws | Lane Splitting Laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Not Required by Law | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Alaska | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen which is 15″ or higher above handlebars | Not Required by Law | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Arizona | Required by law under 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required; no cutout, bypass, or similar device | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Arkansas | Required by law for under the age of 21 | Required by law | Not Required by Law | Prohibits passengers under age 8. | Required by state law | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| California | Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Muffler required; no cutout, bypass, or similar device | No Restrictions | Required for vehicles manufactured during or after 1978 | Legal |
| Colorado | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law | Required | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Connecticut | Required by law under age 18; required for instructional permit holders | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required, baffles required, no cut-outs or straight pipes | No Restrictions | Required for vehicles manufactured during or after 1980 | Illegal |
| Delaware | Required by law under age 19 | Required by law | Required | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Florida | Required by law for under the age of 21 (with a minimum of $10,000 in medical insurance) | Required by law | Muffler required, modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Georgia | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Not Required | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Hawaii | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required, modifications to increase sound level prohibited | Prohibits passengers under age 7 | No Restriction | Illegal |
| Idaho | Required by law under age 18 | Not Required by Law | Muffler required, no cut-outs, and modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Illinois | Not Required | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required, modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Indiana | Required by law under age 18, required for instructional permit holders | Required by law under age 18 | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Required for vehicles manufactured during or after 1956 | Illegal |
| Iowa | Not Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Not Required by Law | No Restrictions | Required for vehicles manufactured during or after 1977 | Illegal |
| Kansas | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required, cutouts and bypasses prohibited | No Restrictions | Required for vehicles manufactured during or after 1978 | Illegal |
| Kentucky | Required by law for under the age of 21; required for instructional permit holders | Required by law | Muffler required, no cut-outs, and modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Louisiana | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Required | Prohibited under 5 years of age. Child must be properly seated. Helmet required; | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Maine | Required by law under age 18; required for instructional permit holders | Not Required by Law | Required | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Maryland | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required, modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | No Restriction | Illegal |
| Massachusetts | Required by Law | Required by law for instructional permit holders unless equipped with windscreen | Required | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Michigan | Required by law for under the age 21 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen; Required at speeds over 35 mph | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Minnesota | Required by law under age 18; required for instructional permit holders | Required by law | Muffler required, modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Mississippi | Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Missouri | Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Required | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Montana | Required by law under age 18 | Not Required by Law | Required | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Nebraska | Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Nevada | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required, cutouts and bypasses prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| New Hampshire | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| New Jersey | Required by law; reflectorization required | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Not Required by Law | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| New Mexico | Required by law under age of 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Not Required by Law | Required, cut-outs prohibited | Modulating headlight permitted | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| New York | Required by Law | Required by law Must be ANSI Z87.1 rated |
Muffler required, no straight pipes or removal of baffles; modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| North Carolina | Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| North Dakota | Required by law under age 18 | Not Required by Law | Muffler required, cutouts and bypasses prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Ohio | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Oklahoma | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required or any other effective noise-suppressing system in constant operation | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Oregon | Required by law | Not Required by Law | Required | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Pennsylvania | Required by law under age 21 | Required by law | Muffler required, modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Required for vehicles manufactured during or after 1986 | Illegal |
| Rhode Island | Required by law under age 21 | Required by law | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | No Restriction | Illegal |
| South Carolina | Required by law under age 21 | Required by law under age 21, unless equipped with windscreen | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| South Dakota | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Tennessee | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Texas | Required by law under age 21 | Not Required by Law | Not Required by Law | Prohibits passengers under age 5, unless seated in a sidecar attached to the motorcycle | Required for vehicles manufactured during or after 1975 | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Utah | Required by law under age 18 | Required by law by Law | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Vermont | Required by law; reflectorization required | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Not Required by Law | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Virginia | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Required | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| Washington | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Required | Prohibits passenger under age 5 | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Washington DC | Required by Law | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen | Muffler required, modifications to increase sound level prohibited | No Restrictions | Modulating headlight permitted | Illegal |
| West Virginia | Required by law; reflectorization required | Required by law | Required | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Not mentioned/not specifically prohibited |
| Wisconsin | Required by law under age 18; required for instructional permit holders | Required by law unless equipped with windscreen which is 15″ or higher above handlebars | Required, cut-outs prohibited | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
| Wyoming | Required by law under age 18 | Not Required by Law | Not Required by Law | No Restrictions | Required by state law | Illegal |
