Except for New Hampshire, all states and the District of Columbia require adult front-seat occupants of motor vehicles to use seat belts. Adult rear-seat passengers are also covered by the laws in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Children are covered by separate laws.

State seat belt laws are divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary seat belt laws allow law enforcement officers to stop a motor vehicle and to issue a ticket or citation to a driver or passenger for not wearing a seat belt without any other traffic offense having occurred. Secondary seat belt laws only allow law enforcement officers to issue a ticket or citation for not wearing a seat belt when there has been another traffic offense by an occupant of the vehicle for which the occupant may be issued a ticket or citation.

In Alaska, seat belt use is mandatory under state law, which is categorized as a primary seat belt law. This means that law enforcement officers have the authority to stop a vehicle and issue a citation to the driver if the driver or any front-seat passengers are not wearing seat belts, even if no other traffic violation has occurred. The law applies to all drivers and passengers, including adult rear-seat passengers. Additionally, Alaska has specific laws in place to ensure the safety of children while traveling in a vehicle. These laws require appropriate child safety seats and restraints depending on the age, weight, and height of the child. Failure to comply with these seat belt and child restraint laws can result in fines and points against the driver's license.