DRIVERS will now be on the hook for every adult in their car who isn’t buckled up, even if they are in the back seat.
A new law cracking down on seatbelt use took effect starting July 1.
The rule expands the state’s seatbelt law and applies only if the car is stopped for another violation (stock image)[/caption]
The update will make seat belts mandatory for all adults, no matter where they’re sitting in the vehicle.
Drivers will now pay the price for anyone sitting front or back who skips the seatbelt when, previously, only front-seat passengers were required by law to buckle up.
Now, if anyone sitting in the backseat fails to “make it click” – i.e. fails to fully buckle their seatbelt – the driver will face a $25 fine per unbuckled rider.
Virginia lawmakers passed the new rule during the last General Assembly session.
The bill was sponsored by Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra, a Democrat from Fairfax County.
The law is what is known as secondary enforcement, meaning police can only issue a fine if they have pulled the driver over for something else.
That includes violations like speeding or running a red light.
Virginia has required front-seat passengers to wear seatbelts since 1988.
The rule came in response to federal pressure, which threatened to withhold highway funding from states that didn’t comply.
State data shows that seatbelt use is still a major issue on Virginia roads, according to The Progressive Index.
The Department of Motor Vehicles has reported that 35% of people killed in crashes in 2024 were not wearing seatbelts.
Virginia now joins 34 other states and Washington, DC, that also require seatbelts in the back seat.
Only 15 states still limit seatbelt laws to front-seat riders.
New Hampshire is the only state in the country where adults don’t have to wear a seatbelt at all, no matter where they sit.
New driving laws in 2025
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
- Daylighting law prohibiting drivers from parking their cars within 20 feet of any crosswalk in California
- Stricter street racing penalties in California
- Changes to car seat age and weight requirements in Colorado
- Fines for failing to follow designated enter and exit areas for express lanes in Colorado
- Bans on handheld devices while driving in Colorado and Missouri
- Drivers allowed to have a digital copy of their license on their cell phones in Illinois
- Yield right of way to emergency vehicles in Illinois
- Drivers required to take a vision test to renew licenses in Kentucky
- School bus safety law in Oregon
- Vehicle safety inspections scrapped in Texas
That’s not the only road rule changing in Virginia over the summer.
Also starting on July 1, street “takeovers” have been added to the state’s reckless driving laws.
These chaotic stunts include drag races, donuts, drifting, and riding on car hoods, usually done in large groups on public streets or parking lots.
Delegate David Bulova, also a Democrat from Fairfax County, backed the bill.
Virginia had the sixth-highest number of street takeovers in the US last year, according to Insurify.
The top five were North Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Montana, and Utah.
Those states all have much smaller populations than Virginia.
MORE JULY LAW CHANGES
Another big change is coming in 2026, but it won’t hit right away.
Starting July 2026, certain speeding offenders could be required to install an electronic “governor” in their car.
The GPS-based device limits how fast the driver can go by blocking the gas pedal once the speed limit is hit.
Judges will have the option to order the device instead of suspending a license.
But anyone caught driving over 100 mph will be required to get a device with no exceptions.
The measure was introduced by Democrat Patrick Hope of Arlington in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Officials say the one-year delay will allow time for public awareness campaigns and setup of enforcement systems.
Speeding remains a top cause of deadly crashes across Virginia, state records show.
And a 2023 AAA Foundation survey found nearly half of drivers admitted to going 15 mph or more over the posted limit.
