Executive Order 13043: Increasing Seat Belt Use in the United States
President: Bill Clinton
Required seat-belt use by federal employees on official business and in specified federal areas while promoting stronger public safety-belt policies.
Status: In effect as amended.
Is Executive Order 13043 still in effect? Yes. Active as amended; EO 13652 removed the annual reporting provision in 2013.
What does Executive Order 13043 do?
EO 13043 required federal employees to wear seat belts while driving or riding in motor vehicles on official business and required occupants to use restraints in national parks and on Defense installations. It directed agencies to promote compliance by contractors, grantees and tribal governments, called for federal leadership toward a 90 percent national use rate by 2005 and revoked EO 12566. EO 13652 later removed the annual reporting section but left the substantive policy in place.
Before and after
Before the order
EO 12566 required federal-agency seat-belt programs but used an earlier framework.
After the order
The federal rule became explicit for employees on official business and for occupants in national parks and Defense installations, alongside broader outreach.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Federal employees | Use seat belts on official business | Continuing |
| Interior and Defense departments | Require restraints in parks and Defense installations | Continuing |
| Federal agencies | Promote contractor, grantee and tribal policies | As appropriate |
| Transportation Secretary | Coordinate national seat-belt efforts | Continuing policy role |
What happened next
EO 12566 established the prior federal program.
EO 13043 replaced it and set the new policy.
EO 13652 removed the annual reporting section.
Federal policy materials continued to cite EO 13043.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Traffic enforcement outside federal operations generally depends on state, tribal or local law. The order is subject to agency authority, available appropriations and collective-bargaining obligations.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — EO 13043 (opens in a new tab) Order text
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 14, 2026. How we research →