Vietnam made helmets compulsory nationwide in December 2007 through Government Resolution 32/2007/NQ-CP, and the rule has only tightened since.
Who must wear a helmet
Article 33(2) of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (No. 36/2024/QH15) requires it for motorbike and moped riders, and Article 31(3) covers motorised pedal bicycles:
- Riders and passengers of two-wheel and three-wheel motorbikes
- Riders and passengers of mopeds (xe gắn máy), including electric mopeds
- Riders and passengers of motorised pedal bicycles (xe đạp máy, including pedal electric bikes)
The helmet must meet the national technical standard and be fastened correctly — an unstrapped helmet is treated as not wearing one. There is no age exemption: children carried on a motorbike must wear a standard helmet too. The fine for carrying an unhelmeted passenger does not apply when transporting a sick person to hospital, a child under 6, or a person being escorted for a legal violation.
Helmet quality
The law assigns the Ministry of Science and Technology to issue the national technical standard for motorbike helmets. Cheap novelty helmets without certification offer little protection and do not satisfy the standard. If you rent, check that the helmet provided is a real, undamaged helmet with a working strap; if it is not, ask for another.
The fine
Under Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP (Article 7, khoản 2), riding without a helmet, wearing one with an unfastened strap, or carrying a passenger without one is punishable by a fine of 400,000–600,000 VND — the same level for mopeds as for motorbikes. Beyond the fine, head injuries are the main cause of motorbike deaths in Vietnam; the helmet is not optional in any practical sense.
Renting in Hanoi
Helmets are part of any rental. Inspect yours before you ride off, and make sure passengers have one too.
Information, not legal advice. Verified against the full text of Law 36/2024/QH15 and Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP on 2026-09-21.
E-bike and electric scooter riders have a dedicated guide: e-bike-helmet-rules-vietnam.