Confused about car seats? It’s all right here, state-by-state. If you have trouble installing yours – from a rear-facing model to a booster seat – click here to find an inspection center near you.

xoxo

Brett

 

State Child Restraint Required Adult Safety Belt Permissible
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)		 Maximum Fine
1st Offense
Alabama <1 yr old (or <20 pounds) in rear-facing infant seat; ages 1 – 4 (or 20 – 40 pounds) in forward-facing child safety seat; ages 5 in booster seat ages 6 – 14 $25 + points
Alaska <1 yr old (or <20 pounds) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 – 4 yrs old (and >20 pounds) in child safety seat; ages 4 – 7 (and 20 – 64 lbs. or <57″) in booster seat >4 yrs old (and >65 lbs or >57 inches tall)
ages 8-16 (and <65 lbs or <57 inches tall)		 $15 + points
American Samoa <4 years old >4 yrs old No data
Arizona <5 years old Not permissible $50
Arkansas <5 years old (and <60 lbs) ages 6 – 14 (or >60 lbs) $100
California <5 years old (or <60 lbs) in a rear seat if available ages 6 – 15 (or >60 lbs) $100 + points
Colorado <1 yr old (and <20 pounds) in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat if available; ages 1 – 3 (and 20 – 40 lbs) in child safety seat; 4 – 7 yrs old in booster seat ages 8 – 15 $82
Connecticut <1 yr old (or <20 lbs) in rear-facing restraint system; ages 1 – 6 (and <60 lbs) in child restraint system; booster seats only w/ a lap and shoulder belt ages 7 – 15 (and >60 lbs) $60 ($15 for 4 – 16 and >40 lbs.)
Delaware <7 yrs old (and <66 lbs) ages 8 – 15 (or >66 lbs) $25
D.C. <7 yrs old ages 8 – 15 $75 + points
Florida <3 yrs old ages 4 – 5 $60 + points
Georgia <8  yrs old (and <57 inches tall) in rear seat if available >57 inches tall; >40 lbs. in rear seat can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable $50 + points
Guam <12 yrs old in child restraint or booster seat >12 yrs old $100
Hawaii <3 yrs old in child safety seat; ages 4 – 7 in booster seat or child restraint ages 4 – 7 (and >4’9″ tall); ages 4 – 7 (and >40 lbs.) in rear seat can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable $100
Idaho <7 yrs old Not permissible $69
Illinois <7 yrs old ages 8 – 15; >40 lbs. in rear seat if only lap belt available $75
Indiana <7 yrs old ages 8 – 15; >40 lbs. can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable $25 + points
Iowa <1 yr old (and <20 lbs) in a rear-facing child seat; ages 1 – 5 in child restraint ages 6 – 17 $25
Kansas <3 yrs old in child restraint; ages 4 – 7 (and <80 lbs or <57 inches) in child restraint or booster seat ages 8 – 13; ages 4 – 7 (and >80 lbs or >57 inches) $60
Kentucky <40 inches tall in child restraint; <6 yrs old  (and between 40″ and 50″ inches tall) in booster seat <6 yrs old (and >50 inches tall) $50 child restraint;
$30 booster seat
Louisiana <1 yr old (or <20 lbs) in rear-facing child safety seat; 1 – 3 yrs old (or 20 – 39 lbs) in forward-facing child safety seat; ages 4 – 5 (or 40 – 60 lbs.) in booster seat ages 6 -12 (or >60 lbs) $100
Maine <40 lbs. in child safety seat; 40 – 80 lbs. and <8 yrs. in safety system that elevates child so that adult safety belt fits properly; <11 yrs old (and <100 lbs) in rear seat if available ages 8 – 17 (or <18 yrs. old and >4’9″ tall) $50 (max. $250 for subsequent offenses)
Maryland <8 yrs old (and <57 inches tall and <65 lbs.) ages 8 – 15 (or >57 inces or 65 lbs.) $25
Massachusetts <7 yrs old (and <57 inches tall) ages 8 – 12 (or >57 inches tall) $25
Michigan <7 yrs old (and <57 inches tall); <4 yrs old in rear seat if available ages 8 – 15 (or >57 inches tall) $10 for <4; $25 for 4 – 8 and under 4’9″
Minnesota <7 yrs old  (and <57 inches tall) >8 yrs old (or >57 inches tall) $50
Mississippi <4 yrs old in child restraint; ages 4 – 6 (and <57 inches or <65 lbs.) in booster seat >7 yrs old (or >57 inches or >65 lbs.) $25
Missouri <4 yrs old (or <40 lbs) in child safety seat; ages 4 – 7 (and 40 – 80 lbs and <4’9″ tall) in child safety seat or booster seat; >4 years (and >80 lbs or >4’9″ tall) in booster seat or safety belt; if all safety restraints in use, <16 yrs old in rear seat ages 8 – 16; >4 yrs old (and >80 lbs or >4’9″ tall) $50; $10 for >80 lbs. or >4’9″
Montana <6 yrs old (and <60 lbs) Not permissible $100
Nebraska <5 yrs old ages 6 – 17 $25 + points
Nevada <6 yrs old (and <60 lbs) Not permissible $500 (min. $100)
New Hampshire <5 yrs old (and <55″ inches tall) ages 6 – 17 (or <6 yrs old and >55 inches) $50
New Jersey <8 yrs old (and <80 lbs) in rear seat if available Not permissible No less than $10 + court fees
New Mexico <1 yr old in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat if available; ages 1 – 4 (or <40 lbs) in child safety seat; ages 5 – 6 (or <60 lbs) in booster seat ages 7 – 17 $25
New York <3 yrs old unless >40 lbs. and no lap/shoulder belt available; ages 4 – 7 unless no lap/shoulder belt available ages 8 – 15 (or >40 lbs); ages 4 – 7 if no lap/shoulder belt available $100 + points
North Carolina <7 yrs old (and <80 lbs) ages 8 – 15 (or 40 – 80 lbs. in seats w/out shoulder belts) $25 + $188 court costs + points
North Dakota <6 yrs old (and <57 inches tall or <80 lbs.) ages 7 – 17; <6 yrs old (and >80 lbs and >57 inches); <6 yrs old (and >40 lbs) can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belts unavailable $25 + 1 pt.
Northern Mariana Islands <5 yrs old (or <70 lbs) >5 yrs old (or >70 lbs) $50 – $250
Ohio <4 yrs old (or <40 lbs) in child safety seat; ages 4 – 7 (and >40 lbs and <4’9″ tall) in booster seat ages 8 – 14 $75
Oklahoma <5 yrs old ages 6 – 12; >40 lbs. in rear seat can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable $50 (up to $207.90 with court costs)
Oregon Child seat required to 40 lbs. or max upper weight limit of seat; rear-facing to 1 yr & 20 lbs; booster seat for children over 40 lbs but < age 8 or < 4’9″ tall ages 8-15 (or >4’9″ tall) $142 ($97 plus $45 surcharge)
Pennsylvania <7 yrs old Not permissible $100
Puerto Rico <4 yrs old >5 yrs old $100
Rhode Island <7 yrs old (and <80 lbs and <57 inches tall) in rear seat if available <7 yrs old (and >80 lbs or >57 tall); ages 8 – 17 $75
South Carolina <1 yr old (or <20 pounds) in rear-facing infant seat; ages 1 – 5 (and 20 – 39 lbs) in forward-facing child safety seat; ages 1 – 5 (and 40 – 80 lbs) in booster seat secured by lap/shoulder belt (lap belt alone is not permissible); <5 yrs old in rear seat if available ages 1 – 5 (and >80 lbs) or <5 yrs old if child’s knees bend over the seat edge when sitting up straight with his/her back firmly against the seat back $150
South Dakota <5 yrs old (and <40 lbs) ages 5 – 17 (or >40 lbs) $25
Tennessee <1 yr old (or <20 lbs) in rear-facing infant seat; ages 1 – 3 (and >20 lbs) in forward-facing infant seat; ages 4 – 8 (and <4’9″ tall) in booster seat; <8 yrs old (and <4’9″ tall) in rear seat if available; rear seat recommended for ages 9 – 12 ages 9 – 15 (or <12 yrs old and >4’9″ inches tall) $50
Texas <7 yrs old (and <57 inches tall) Not permissible $25
Utah <7 yrs old (and <57 inches tall) ages 8 – 15 (or >57 inches tall) $45
Vermont <1 yr old (or <20 lbs) in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat unless front passenger airbag is deactivated; ages 2 – 7 (and >20 lbs) ages 8 – 17 (and >20 lbs) $25
Virgin Islands <5 yrs old >3 yrs old $25 to $250
Virginia <7 yrs old ; rear-facing devices in rear seat if available; if not, in front seat only if front passenger airbag is deactivated ages 8 – 17 (ages 4 – 7 with physician’s exemption) $50
Washington <8 yrs old (and <4’9″ inches tall); <13 yrs old in rear seat if practical ages 8 – 15 (or <8 yrs old and >4’9″ tall); >40 lbs. in position where only lap belt available $124 to driver if passenger <16; to passenger if >16
West Virginia <7 yrs old (and <4’9″ tall) <7 yrs old (and >4’9 tall) $20
Wisconsin <1 yr old (or <20 lbs) in rear-facing infant seat; ages 1 – 3 (and 20 – 40 lbs) in forward-facing child safety seat; ages 4 – 7 (and 40 – 80 lbs and <57 inches tall) in booster seat; <3 yrs old in rear seat if available <8 yrs old (and >80 lbs and >57 inches tall) $75
Wyoming <8 yrs old n rear seat if available Not permissible $50
Total States 50 + D.C., Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

 

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices. (usa.gov)