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 Louisiana (LA), seat belt use is mandatory for all adult front-seat occupants of motor vehicles under the state's primary seat belt law. This means that law enforcement officers have the authority to stop a vehicle and issue a citation to the driver or passengers simply for not wearing a seat belt, even if no other traffic violation has occurred. Additionally, Louisiana law requires all passengers under the age of 18 to wear a seat belt or be appropriately restrained in a child safety seat, regardless of whether they are seated in the front or back of the vehicle. For adult rear-seat passengers, Louisiana does not currently mandate the use of seat belts, although safety recommendations strongly encourage all occupants to wear seat belts at all times while the vehicle is in motion.