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 North Dakota, seat belt use is mandated by law for all adult front-seat occupants of motor vehicles, aligning with the majority of states in the United States. North Dakota's seat belt laws are categorized as primary enforcement laws for front-seat occupants, meaning that law enforcement officers have the authority to stop a vehicle and issue a citation solely for a seat belt violation without the need for any other traffic offense to have occurred. For rear-seat passengers, the law is secondary, which means that officers can only issue a citation for a seat belt violation if there is another traffic offense that has been committed. Additionally, North Dakota has specific child restraint laws that require appropriate seating and restraint systems for children, ensuring their safety while traveling in motor vehicles.