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 Georgia, seat belt laws are considered primary enforcement laws for front-seat occupants, meaning that law enforcement officers can stop a vehicle and issue a citation solely for a seat belt violation without needing to observe any other traffic offense. All adult front-seat occupants are required to wear seat belts. Georgia law also requires that all passengers under the age of 18 wear seat belts or be properly restrained in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat, regardless of whether they are seated in the front or back of the vehicle. For adult rear-seat passengers, Georgia does not currently mandate the use of seat belts, although it is highly recommended for safety reasons. The state's child restraint laws are separate and more stringent, requiring specific types of safety seats depending on a child's age, weight, and height.