Chapter VIII — Control Of Traffic
Section 129 — Wearing of protective headgear
Written and checked byManju Shekhar· Motor Law & Compliance· Updated 25 July 2026
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988)
Text of the section
Wearing of protective headgear.—Every person driving or riding (otherwise than in a side car, on a motor cycle of any class or description) shall, while in a public place, wear 2[protective headgear conforming to the standards of Bureau of Indian Standards]: Provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to a person who is a Sikh, if he is, while driving or riding on the motor cycle, in a public place, wearing a turban: Provided further that the State Government may, by such rules, provide for such exceptions as it may think fit. Explanation.—”Protective headgear” means a helmet which,— (a) by virtue of its shape, material and construction, could reasonably be expected to afford to the person driving or riding on a motor cycle a degree of protection from injury in the event of an accident; and (b) is securely fastened to the head of the wearer by means of straps or other fastenings provided on the headgear.
Reproduced from the India Code text of the Act. Bracketed superscript numerals are the official footnote markers for earlier amendments.
Amended by the 2019 Amendment Act
For section 129 of the principal Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely:— ‘129. Every person, above four years of age, driving or riding or being carried on a motorcycle of any class or description shall, while in a public place, wear protective headgear conforming to such standards as may be prescribed by the Central Government: Provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to a person who is a Sikh, if, while driving or riding on the motorcycle, in a public place, he is wearing a turban: Provided further that the Central Government may by rules provide for measures for the safety of children below four years of age riding or being carried on a motorcycle. Explanation.— “Protective headgear” means a helmet which,— (a) by virtue of its shape, material and construction, could reasonably be expected to afford to the person driving or riding on a motorcycle a degree of protection from injury in the event of an accident; and (b) is securely fastened to the head of the wearer by means of straps or other fastenings provided on the headgear.’.
This is the amending instruction from the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 32 of 2019), quoted verbatim. Read it together with the text above — the consolidated version is the section as it reads once these changes are applied.
Before you rely on this. The base text above is the Act as consolidated by the India Code, which predates the 2019 amendment; 2019 and 2026 changes are shown separately rather than merged in. Later amendments may also apply. For anything official, read the current text on the e-Gazette or the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways site.
All sections
Browse the full arrangement of sections.
Violations & penalties
What each offence costs in practice.