It is one of the first questions we get on WhatsApp, usually from someone comparing two shops on the same street: does the price include a helmet, and what happens if it rains? At our shop on 84 Phan Chau Trinh the answer is short. Every motorbike, electric scooter, e-bike and bicycle we rent goes out with helmets and a raincoat, and neither appears on the bill.

The longer answer is worth reading, because a helmet in Vietnam is not only a safety question but a legal one, and the fine for getting it wrong is higher than most visitors expect. Below we cover what comes with each vehicle, what the law requires, how to tell a good helmet from a bad one, how to wear it so it counts, and how to use the raincoat on a bike without it turning into a sail.

The short answer: a helmet and raincoat with every vehicle

Everything we rent comes with safety gear sized for the people riding it. You do not need to bring a helmet from home or buy one on arrival, and you will not find a helmet or raincoat line on the invoice.

Two practical notes about the helmet and raincoat. If you are riding alone and want a second helmet for a friend you meet later, say so at handover and we will add one. And if a helmet does not fit, tell us on the spot or send a message later; we would much rather swap it than have you ride with one that sits loose.

What the helmet law in Vietnam says

Helmets have been compulsory for motorbike riders and passengers on every road in Vietnam since 15 December 2007, and the rule is enforced. Today the fines come from Decree 168/2024, in force since 1 January 2025, which raised most traffic penalties sharply.

Two details catch visitors out. First, an unfastened strap counts as no helmet. A helmet perched on the head with the buckle swinging is one of the easiest things for a traffic officer to spot. Second, the passenger fine and the rider fine are separate, so a couple riding two-up without helmets can be fined twice.

The law makes a few exceptions for passengers: children under six, a person being taken to hospital in an emergency, and people being escorted by the police. None of these apply to a normal day out.

The helmets we hand over, and how to check one

Almost every helmet you see in Hoi An is an open-face design: either a half helmet that covers the top of the head, or a three-quarter helmet that comes down over the ears and the back of the neck, often with a clear visor. Full-face helmets are rare on scooters here because town speeds are low and the heat is high. Our wall carries both open-face types, including our yellow hoianit helmets and plain white and black ones, in a range of sizes.

Vietnam’s helmet standard, QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN, has been mandatory since 1 January 2024. It recognises half, three-quarter and full-face helmets, sets nine sizes for head circumferences from 460 to 620 mm, and requires a CR conformity mark on every helmet sold. The cheap “fashion helmets” sold at some street stalls are thin plastic shells with no real liner, and they will not protect you in a crash.

Whoever you rent from, a thirty-second check tells you most of what you need:

• Look for the CR mark and the label inside, which should show the type and size.
• Squeeze the shell. It should be rigid. If it flexes like a bucket, hand it back.
• Look inside for foam. A proper helmet has a thick layer of dense polystyrene under the lining; a fake has a thin fabric pad glued to plastic.
• Test the buckle. It should click shut and hold when you pull on it. A broken buckle is a fine waiting to happen.
• Check the visor, if there is one, for scratches that blur the view, especially for night riding.

How to wear a helmet so it counts

A helmet only works, and only satisfies the police, if it is worn properly. At handover we fit each helmet to its rider; here is what we are checking for.

• Level, not tipped back. The front edge should sit about two fingers above your eyebrows. Pushed back on the head, it leaves your forehead bare.
• Snug, not tight. Shake your head: the helmet should move with you, not wobble on its own. If it rocks, go down a size.
• Strap fastened, every ride. Do it up before you start the engine, including for a two-minute trip to the café. Two fingers should fit between the strap and your chin, no more.
• Straps flat under the ears, not twisted, so they do not rub on a long ride.
• Nothing under the helmet except hair. A cap under a helmet stops it sitting properly. Tie long hair low or wear it down.

Hot day? Take the helmet off when you stop, not while you ride. Most of the heat comes from standing still in the sun; at riding speed the vents do their job.

Helmets for children

Children under six are exempt from the passenger helmet fine, but the exemption is about the fine, not about safety. A small child on a scooter is the most exposed person on the road, and we would not put one on a bike without a helmet.

• Tell us the children’s ages when you book, so we bring suitable sizes. The national standard includes sizes from 460 mm head circumference, small enough for many young children.
• Know the passenger limit. A motorbike may carry only one passenger, except that a second is allowed when one of them is a child under 12 (Law 36/2024, Article 33). One child sitting between two adults is the usual way to do it.
• Children on their own bicycles should wear a helmet too, even where the law does not demand one. We rent kids’ bicycles and balance bikes for the Old Town and the village lanes.

The raincoat: what you get and how to use it

The “raincoat” that comes with a rental in Vietnam is usually a rain poncho made for riding, not a jacket. The best kind is the áo mưa cánh dơi, the bat-wing poncho, with a long front panel that drapes over the handlebars and your knees. Two-person versions have a second hood for the passenger. It folds small enough to live under the seat, and that is exactly where it should stay until you need it.

Hoi An’s rain comes in two kinds. From May to August you get short afternoon storms that hit hard and clear within the hour. From September to December you get the real rainy season, with October the wettest month at around 526 mm on average. Either way, the poncho is there so a shower does not end your day, and a helmet and raincoat together keep a wet ride legal and bearable.

• Put it on before the rain starts. Wrestling a poncho on at the roadside in a downpour is the worst five minutes of any wet ride.
• Keep the headlight and mirrors clear. Tuck the front panel under the headlight, not over it. Riding without visible lights in the rain is itself a fine.
• Keep it off the wheels and the exhaust. Gather loose fabric at your sides so it cannot flap into the rear wheel or melt on the exhaust.
• Never an umbrella. Holding an umbrella while riding is fined 800,000–1,000,000₫, and it blocks your view.
• Dry it before you pack it. Hang it at the hotel overnight; a damp poncho folded under the seat smells by the next morning.

Our full guide to riding in the rain in Hoi An covers wet-road technique, the slippery spots around town and when to stop and wait it out.

What else comes with the bike

The helmet and raincoat are the parts people ask about, but they are not the whole package. Alongside the gear, every rental from us comes with:

• Hotel delivery from 30,000₫ anywhere in Hoi An, with the bike checked and ready to ride. The exact fee depends on your hotel; see our delivery fee page.
• A roadside line that answers 24/7 on +84 766 766 087, for a flat tyre, a flat battery or a question at 2am.
• A simple deposit: 2,000,000₫, refunded when you return the bike, or a copy of your passport. We never keep your original passport.
• The registration card travels with the bike, so you have it if you are stopped.

Our page on what is included in your Hoi An motorbike rental goes through the rest, and the motorbike day trip packing list covers what to bring yourself.

Renting elsewhere? A helmet and raincoat checklist

Most shops in Hoi An include a helmet, but not every shop includes a proper raincoat or a free second helmet. Whoever you rent from, ask these questions before you pay:

If a shop’s helmets fail these checks, buying your own is cheap and easy: a certified open-face helmet costs far less than the fine for riding without one, and any helmet shop in Hoi An will fit it for you.

A helmet on the head with the strap swinging is, to the police and to your insurer, the same as no helmet at all.

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FAQ

Fines are from Decree 168/2024/ND-CP, in force from 1 January 2025, checked September 2026. Helmet standard details are from QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN. Rainfall figures are monthly averages from our Hoi An weather guide. Rental inclusions apply to rentals from Anh Khoa Hoi An; other shops set their own terms.