Choosing a racing helmet.

A helmet that fits perfectly but carries a label your event does not accept will not pass tech. So the order is: rules first, then shape, then anchors, then fit. Everything below is as of October 2026, and the full standards detail is on our helmets page.

Step 1: find out which labels your events accept

The body running the event decides which helmet labels count, not the helmet maker. Snell's FAQ says Snell sets no expiry for racing use and that most organisers require the current or immediately previous Snell standard. In practice some accept one more and some fewer, so there is no single rule. Examples from our sources:

• SCCA Time Trials (national safety rules page, read October 2026): Safety Levels 2 and 3 accept Snell SA2025, SA2020, EA2016 and SA2015, SFI 31.1/2015 or 31.1/2020, and FIA 8859-2015 or 8860-2010 or newer.
• Single tracks can be stricter. SCCA's 2026 Track Night listing at New Jersey Motorsports Park accepts only Snell SA2020 or SA2025, and SCCA's Virginia International Raceway page says the same for that track.
• NASA racing: NASA's own magazine, NASA Speed News (27 January 2026), reports that SA2015 is no longer accepted for racing from 1 January 2027, when the minimum becomes Snell SA2020 or FIA 8859-2015, 8860-2018 or newer. We could not read NASA's rulebook itself.
• FIA events: FIA Technical List 25 (11 December 2024, still the current version as of October 2026) recognises no Snell helmet of any year.
• SCCA club racing and IMSA: we could not read the current rule text. Ask the organiser before you buy.

If you will drive in more than one program, check every one of them. The examples above pull in different directions: the New Jersey Track Night accepts only Snell SA2020 or SA2025, while an FIA event accepts no Snell helmet. A helmet can carry more than one label, so read the label list on any helmet you consider against each event's rules.

Step 2: full-face or open-face

Some rules decide this for you. FIA Appendix L 2026 (Chapter III, Article 1.3) requires full-face helmets with a chin bar integral to the shell for open-cockpit cars, for closed-cockpit cars designed without a windscreen, and for all World Endurance Championship drivers; the closed-cockpit requirement is the part that took effect on 1 January 2026. SCCA Time Trials requires a full-face helmet and a shield, not ordinary glasses, in cars without a DOT-approved windshield, such as Formula cars and Sports Racers. FIA 8859-2024 covers both open-face and full-face helmets.

Step 3: check the head and neck restraint anchors

A head and neck restraint tethers to anchors on the helmet, and SCCA says these devices are required in road racing. Speedway Motors says Snell SA2015 and SA2020 require M6 threaded anchors, the FIA 8859-2024 standard itself requires two rear M6 terminals, and SCCA says all SA-rated helmets made after 2020 have anchor holes. Demon Tweeks, a UK retailer, advises fitting posts only to an in-date helmet with pre-threaded inserts and never drilling an older helmet. See choosing a head and neck restraint.

Step 4: fit

• Measure. Pegasus Auto Racing suggests a flexible tape about one inch above the eyebrows, and says a new helmet should feel tighter than an old one because padding compresses.
• Roll test. Snell says to choose a snug fit all round, fasten the strap and try to roll the helmet forward and back. If it slips, it is too big. Snell adds that most people buy one size too big.
• Wear it a while. Snell suggests 5 to 10 minutes to find pressure points. SCCA says snug, but not tight enough to cause a headache, and notes that sizing varies between makers.
• Strap. Snell says a D-ring strap should allow no more than two fingers under the chin.

What can undo a certification

• Add-ons. Snell says after-market accessories can invalidate certification. Appendix L 2026 says modifications or accessories the FIA has not approved, such as cameras, void the homologation, and caps total helmet mass, accessories included, at 1,900 g full-face or 1,700 g open-face. SCCA notes that a heavier helmet raises neck loads in a crash.
• Paint. Appendix L says decoration must follow the helmet maker's guidelines, and Snell warns against paints the maker has not authorised.
• Impacts. Snell says to replace any helmet that has taken an impact in use, because the crushable liner cannot protect a second time.
• Fake labels. Snell says a helmet without its label is not in the Snell program, and warns that counterfeit labels have been sold online.

Our picks by situation

Before every event

Helmet rules change, and a track can be stricter than its club. Before each event, check the current rules of the event you are entering and the label inside your helmet. Our gear expiry checker shows the published rule for a given label, and the helmets page lists each body's dates with sources.