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 Wisconsin, the state enforces primary seat belt 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 the need for any other traffic offense to have occurred. This law applies to both drivers and front-seat passengers. Wisconsin Statute 347.48(2m) requires every operator of a motor vehicle to ensure that they and any passengers aged 4 and over are properly restrained by a safety belt. Additionally, Wisconsin has specific child restraint laws under Wisconsin Statute 347.48(4) that require children to be properly secured in a child safety seat or booster seat until they reach certain age and weight thresholds. For rear-seat adult passengers, Wisconsin does not have a primary or secondary seat belt law, meaning that adult passengers in the back seat are not required by state law to wear seat belts, although it is highly recommended for safety reasons.