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Updated 2026-07-18

Helmet standards: what ECE 22.06, DOT, Snell, FIM and SHARP each tell you

What each mark on a motorcycle helmet certifies, how each one is verified, and where SHARP's star ratings fit on top. Includes what you can physically check on the helmet before relying on it.

Two kinds of marks

A helmet can carry several marks, and they are not all the same kind of thing. Certifications — ECE, DOT, Snell, FIM — are pass or fail: the model met a standard's minimum in lab testing. Ratings, like SHARP's stars, grade helmets against each other beyond that minimum. The sewn-in label tells you what a helmet passed, not how well it did[4]. All are published lab results; none predicts an individual crash. Our helmet pages list each model's marks and SHARP score, and the label decoder walks through each mark.

ECE 22.06, and what changed from 22.05

The ECE mark is a white label sewn to the chin strap: a circled E with a country number, then an approval number. The country number (E1 Germany, E3 Italy) only says which authority granted approval, not where the helmet was made or how well it scored[3]. An approval number starting 06 means the current standard; 05 the previous one[3]. Unlike DOT, ECE requires independent testing before sale plus production checks[6]. New 22.05 production ended mid-2023[19]; approvals have been 22.06-only since January 2024[4].

22.06 changed more than the number[1]:

  • Linear impacts at three speeds — 6.0, 7.5 and 8.2 m/s — where 22.05 tested at essentially one, 7.5 m/s[1][2].
  • More impact points than 22.05, with some selected at random rather than fixed in advance, so shells cannot be reinforced only at known spots[6].
  • A rotational test — an 8.0 m/s drop onto a 45° abrasive anvil with limits on measured rotational acceleration, which 22.05 lacked[1].
  • A visor test firing a 6 mm steel ball; reported speeds conflict — 60 m/s in some sources[18], 80 m/s in others[2][3] — so we quote neither as settled.
  • Accessories sold for the helmet, comms units included, must be homologated with it and pass with and without them fitted[2].

The letter after the approval number: /P, a protective chin bar that passed the chin-guard impact test; /J, open face; /NP, a lower face cover not tested as protective — cosmetic only; /P/J, a modular approved both closed and open. A modular marked only /P is not approved for riding with the chin bar up[3].

DOT, stated plainly

The DOT mark is the manufacturer's own declaration that the helmet meets US federal standard FMVSS 218. It is self-certification: no government or independent lab tests the helmet before sale, and NHTSA only spot-tests samples already on the market, backed by fines and recalls[5][6]. That makes a DOT-only sticker the weakest consumer signal of the major marks — not because the criteria are trivial, but because nobody outside the factory has to run the tests first[6].

When tested, FMVSS 218 requires flat- and hemispherical-anvil drops capped at 400 g peak acceleration, a penetration test, retention loads and 105° of peripheral vision each side — and no rotational or oblique test[5]. The rear-of-shell legend must include the manufacturer, model, and the words "FMVSS No. 218" and "Certified"; a bare DOT sticker without them is a red flag on a modern helmet[5][7].

Snell and FIM: the voluntary and racing layers

Snell certification is voluntary, run by the independent nonprofit Snell Memorial Foundation. Manufacturers submit samples for destructive testing, and after certification Snell buys random retail helmets for follow-up checks[8]. Snell publishes two parallel motorcycle standards because ECE 22.06 is incompatible with its traditional recipe: the D variant targets DOT and Japanese JIS markets, and the R variant is tuned so the same helmet can also pass ECE 22.06[9]. The current M2025D and M2025R add an oblique impact test with rotational limits; M2020-labeled production ended in April 2025[9].

FIM homologation is a racing-only layer on top of a base standard (ECE, JIS or Snell), required for FIM world championships — MotoGP from June 2019, all circuit disciplines from January 2020[10]. Phase 2, FRHPhe-02, is tougher, extends to off-road disciplines and becomes mandatory for FIM world-championship riders from January 2026[11]. The mark is a hologram label with a QR code sewn to the chin strap; scanning it shows the helmet's entry in the FIM database[11]. It is not required for road riding or track days[10].

SHARP: a rating on top of certification

SHARP is the UK Department for Transport's consumer rating scheme: it tests ECE-approved helmets beyond the legal minimum and publishes 1–5 star ratings online; nothing SHARP-related appears on the helmet[12]. Each model gets 32 impact tests across at least seven samples — 30 linear at 6, 7.5 and 8.5 m/s on flat and kerb anvils at five zones, plus 2 oblique at 8.5 m/s on an abrasive anvil — weighted by crash data from the COST 327 study[12]. Its 8.5 m/s top speed exceeds both 22.05 and 22.06[12]. Modulars also get a latch percentage — how often the chin guard stayed locked during the linear impacts — reported separately from the stars[13]. The DfT's claims when the first ratings were published in 2008 — a performance spread of up to 70% across the bands, up to 50 lives a year saved if all UK riders wore high-scoring helmets — are the scheme's own figures, and contested[14].

The criticisms are published. Mills (2009) concluded the ratings do not assess rotational performance as claimed — rotation is inferred from the shell's surface friction, not measured — and judged the mechanics model unsound[15]. He also found the weighting emphasises side impacts while no chin-bar impact counts toward the stars, and that the full scoring protocol is unpublished[15]. Critics add that SHARP's solid headforms are less biofidelic than COST 327 recommended[16][15]. A November 2009 technical response argued — per secondary summaries, as the archived document is a scan — that several points rested on misunderstandings of the data and protocol[17]. A further industry claim — that side-impact locations favour some shell constructions — is single-sourced and contested[16].

We treat SHARP as a comparative signal with known limits around rotation and the chin bar: stars appear alongside certification marks on our helmet pages, handled as our methodology describes.

What you can check with the helmet in your hands

Every mark except SHARP is physically verifiable:

  • Chin strap label — the ECE approval number should start with 06 on a current design, with a letter code matching the helmet type[3].
  • Rear of the shell — a modern DOT legend carries the manufacturer, model, "FMVSS No. 218" and "Certified"[5][7].
  • Under the comfort padding — the Snell sticker, M2025D or M2025R on current production[8][9].
  • Chin strap, racing helmets — the FIM hologram and QR code, scannable against the FIM database[11].
  • Manufacture date — SHARP guidance notes helmets degrade over roughly five years regardless of use, which matters for clearance 22.05 stock[4]. See helmet fit and replacement.

SHARP stars exist only online — look the model up on our helmet pages[12]. Recalled helmets are flagged on our recalls page.

Common questions

Is a DOT helmet tested before it is sold?
No. DOT is self-certification: the manufacturer declares the helmet meets FMVSS 218, and no outside lab tests it before sale. NHTSA spot-tests samples bought from the market afterwards, with fines and recalls as the enforcement tools. That is why a DOT-only sticker carries less information than an ECE approval, which requires independent testing before sale.
Is an ECE 22.05 helmet still legal to wear?
Yes. Wearing a 22.05 helmet remains legal in the UK and EU. New 22.05 production stopped in mid-2023 and new approvals have been 22.06-only since January 2024, so 22.05 helmets on sale now are old stock — worth checking the manufacture date before buying.
What do the P, J and NP letters on the ECE label mean?
P means a protective chin bar that passed the chin-guard impact test, J means an open-face helmet approved without a chin bar, and NP means a lower face cover that was not tested as protective — it is cosmetic or aerodynamic only. A modular approved for riding both closed and open is marked P/J; one marked only P is not approved for riding with the chin bar up.
Do I need a FIM-homologated helmet for a track day?
No. FIM homologation is a requirement for racing in FIM world championships, not for road riding or track days. Any helmet that carries it also holds a base certification such as ECE or Snell.
Are SHARP stars a certification?
No. SHARP is a rating scheme run by the UK Department for Transport on top of certification: it takes helmets that already hold ECE approval and grades them one to five stars in its own, more severe tests. The stars are published on the SHARP website only and never appear on the helmet. A low-star helmet still holds its legal approval.

Related guides

Sources

  1. [1] IRCOBI 2024 conference paper on ECE 22.06 test requirements
  2. [2] Dainese: how the new ECE 22.06 homologation works
  3. [3] Billy's Crash Helmets: a guide to ECE 22.06 approval of helmets and visors
  4. [4] SHARP (UK DfT): ECE R22-06 — what you need to know
  5. [5] 49 CFR 571.218, FMVSS No. 218 (Cornell Law LII)
  6. [6] RevZilla: what are Snell, ECE and DOT helmet certifications
  7. [7] Federal Register (2015): FMVSS motorcycle helmet labeling rulemaking
  8. [8] Snell Memorial Foundation FAQ
  9. [9] Snell M2025 standard, explanatory cover
  10. [10] FIM FRHPhe-01 homologation manual (extract)
  11. [11] FIM: launch of the FRHPhe-02 phase 2 helmet homologation
  12. [12] SHARP: how helmets are tested
  13. [13] SHARP: what the latch score means
  14. [14] DfT press release on the SHARP launch (2008)
  15. [15] Mills (2009): critical evaluation of the SHARP motorcycle helmet rating
  16. [16] Motolegends: criticisms of the SHARP helmet test
  17. [17] TRL technical response to the Mills paper (hosted on the SHARP site)
  18. [18] FEMA (Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations): helmet rules in Europe
  19. [19] RAD blog: ECE 22.06 helmet inspection and the previous ECE 22.05 standard