The fine in 2025
Since 1 January 2025, Decree 168 sets the fine for riding without a properly secured helmet at VND 400,000 to 600,000. The old range was VND 300,000 to 400,000. The fine covers a helmet that is worn but not fastened, because a loose strap gives little protection.
Police can fine the rider and the passenger. Both are fined at the same level, so a rider cannot pay for a friend who ignores the rule. If you carry a passenger, check their helmet before you pull away.
The same decree raised many other motorbike fines, such as riding on a sidewalk, which now costs VND 4 million to 6 million. Helmet fines sit at the low end of that scale, but they are easy for police to spot from the road.
Who is exempt
The decree names a short list of exceptions. Children under six do not have to wear a helmet. People taking a patient to hospital in an emergency are also excused. So are police escorting a person who has broken the law.
Being a foreigner is not an exception. A tourist licence, a rental bike or a short ride to a cafe makes no difference. If the rule applies to a Vietnamese rider on that road, it applies to you.
Children aged six and over need a helmet that fits. A helmet that is too big can slide off in a fall. Buy one sized for the child, not an adult helmet with the strap pulled tight.
Where the rule comes from
The duty to wear a helmet is not new. Resolution 32 of the Government made helmets mandatory for riders and passengers on all roads, and it took effect on 15 December 2007. The World Health Organization marked its first anniversary a year later. It reported more than 1,400 fewer road deaths and more than 2,200 fewer serious injuries by the end of October 2008, compared with the same period a year earlier.
What changed in 2025 is the price of breaking the rule. Under Decree 168 the helmet fine went up from the earlier range.
The strap rule is also older than the decree. In November 2008 a Ministry of Public Security circular gave police the power to treat an unfastened helmet as not wearing one. The WHO welcomed that change as closing a loophole. Today the fine range simply covers both cases.
Sources: World Health Organization Viet Nam, Mandatory helmet law, one year on, 11 December 2008; VnExpress International, Fines increased 10-fold for motorcyclists riding on sidewalks, 6 January 2025
What a compliant helmet looks like
Wearing a helmet is not enough if the helmet is poor. A survey by the Viet Nam Consumer Safety Association in early 2008 found that 80 percent of helmets on the market did not meet national standards. Since then the rules for sellers have tightened.
In 2008 the Ministry of Science and Technology made certification to a national standard a condition for selling any helmet, domestic or imported. That first standard was called QCVN 02:2008/BKHCN. It is no longer the current one. Circular 04/2021 took effect on 1 August 2021 and replaced it with QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN.
The new regulation became mandatory for helmets placed on the market from 1 January 2024. Stock certified under the old standard and sold before that date may stay on sale until the end of December 2024. So by April 2025, a shop should be selling helmets certified to the 2021 regulation.
The circular does not turn a shopper into an inspector, but you can ask questions. Ask whether the helmet is certified to the national regulation for motorcycle and moped users. Avoid a helmet with no label at all. Check that it fits snugly, that the strap closes firmly and that the helmet does not rock when you shake your head.
Sources: LuatVietnam, Circular 04/2021/TT-BKHCN on protective helmets for motorcycle and moped users; World Health Organization Viet Nam, Mandatory helmet law, one year on, 11 December 2008
Practical steps for expats
Keep the habit simple. Put the helmet on and fasten the buckle before you start the engine, every ride. Do the same for your passenger, including on short trips near home.
Carry a spare helmet if you often take friends or visiting family out on the bike. A rental shop will usually supply one, but check its fit and strap yourself before you leave the shop.
If police stop you, stay calm and ask for the fine to be written on an official ticket. Fines should be paid through the channel named on that ticket. If you are unsure what an offence is, our emergency number guide and travel insurance guide cover what to do after an accident and what cover to check before you ride.
This guide reports what public sources publish. It is general information for readers and not legal advice.