Children's Car Seat Laws

Laws related to baby, infant and children's car seats are varied from state to state and from one year to another. Most states are changing their laws to accommodate the latest car seat testing results and other evidence that warrants the attention of the legislators. As of 2013, the basic rules are as follows:

• All 50 states mandate the use of a child restraint system for infants, toddlers and children. The differences in the laws for each state vary based on weight, age, height and a child may even fit into 2 categories at the same time (for example: a child weights more than 20 pounds and less than one year old, thus may be able to go on an infant seat OR a convertible seat).


• Most states also specify whether a car seat must be rear facing or forward facing. The tendency now is to move to rear facing until age 2 based on the findings of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Based on a study where infants were found to be 75 percent less prone to injury or death if the car seat is rear facing rather than forward facing).


• Only Florida and South Dakota lack booster seat laws. Booster seats are those usually used by children of 40 pounds or more. They are part of almost every state's law. Most states would have the children up to age 7 or 8 seating in one of these.


• Almost all states have fines tied to car seat laws. In some states you also get points on your license. In California you could get up to a 435 dollar fine for your first offense and you would also get points on your license.


• There is also some allowance for the use of adult seatbelts in every state. Some are based on weight, some on height and age as well. In some states like Texas and New Jersey, the use of an adult seatbelt is not permissible. What this means is that a tall child will have to be restrained in a booster seat until he reaches the minimum legal age to use a seatbelt only. The age requirement is enforced in these states.


• There is also a rear seat requirement in some states. This means children can't ride in the front seat until they meet specific requirements which vary by state. Most car seat manufacturers do require placement of the these seats in the back seat for safety reasons.

An invaluable resource for getting the particulars for your state can be found in the Governors Highway Safety Association website. Keep in mind that the car seat you will use will depend on the laws first, so they should be a guideline for your purchase.

Read much more on children's car seats at http://childrenscarseatshq.com - car seats made easy.

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