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State |
Child Restraint Required |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible |
Maximum Fine |
| Alabama | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 4 (or 20 - 40) in forward-facing child safety seat; 5 (but not yet 6) in booster seat | 6 - 14 | $25 |
| Alaska | <3 in child safety seat; 4 - 8 (and 20 - 65 and <57" in booster seat | 8 - 15 (or >55") | $15 |
| Arizona | <5 | Not permissible | $50 |
| Arkansas | <5 (and <60) | 6 - 14 (or >60) | $100 |
| California | <5 (or <60) in a rear seat | 6 - 15 (or >60) | $100 |
| Colorado | <1 (and <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 3 (and 20 - 40) in forward-facing child safety seat; 4 - 5 (and <55") in booster seat | 6 - 17 (or >55") | $82 |
| Connecticut | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing restraint system; 1 - 6 (and <60) in child restraint system; booster seats only w/ a lap and shoulder belt | 7 - 15 (and >60) | $60 |
| Delaware | <7 (and <66) | 8 - 15 (or >66) | $25 |
| D.C. | <7 | 8 - 15 | $75 |
| Florida | <3 | 4 - 5 | $60 |
| Georgia | <5 (and <57") in rear seat if available | >57"; >40 lbs. can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable | $50 |
| Guam | >2 and <12 | No data | No data |
| Hawaii | <3 in child safety seat; 4 - 7 in booster seat or child restraint | 4 - 7 (and >4'9"); 4 - 7 (and >40 lbs.) in rear seat; can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable | $100 |
| Idaho | <7 | Not permissible | $69 |
| Illinois | <7 | 8 - 15; >40 lbs. in rear seat if only lap belt available | $50 |
| Indiana | <7 | 8 - 15 | $25 |
| Iowa | <1 (and <20) in a rear-facing child seat; 1 - 5 in child restraint | 6 - 10 | $25 |
| Kansas | <3 in child restraint; 4 - 7 (and <80 or <57") in child restraint or booster seat | 8 - 13; 4 - 7 (and >80 or >57") | $60 |
| Kentucky | <40" in child restraint; < 6 (and between 40" and 50") in booster seat | <6 (and >50") |
$50 child restraint; $30 booster seat |
| Louisiana | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing child safety seat; 1 - 3 (or 20 - 39) in forward-facing child safety seat; 4 - 5 (or 40 - 60) in booster seat | 6 -12 (or >60) | $50 |
| 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 (and <100) in rear seat if available | 8 - 17 (or <18 yrs. and >4'9") | $50 (max. $250 for subsequent offenses) |
| Maryland | <8 years (and either <57" or <65 lbs.) | 8 - 15 (or >57" or 65 lbs.) | $25 |
| Massachusetts | <7 (and <57") | 8 - 12 (or >57") | $25 |
| Michigan |
<7 (and <57") <4 must be in car seat in the back seat |
8 - 15 (or >57") |
$10 for child under age 4; $50 for ages 4 - 8 and under 4'9" |
| Minnesota | <7 (and <57") | >8 (or >57”) | $50 |
| Mississippi | <3 in child restraint; 4 - 6 (and <57" or <65 lbs.) in booster seat | <6 (and >57" or >65 lbs.) | $25 |
| Missouri | Primary Enforcement: <4 (or <40) in child safety seat; 4 - 7 (and 40 - 80 and <4'9") in booster seat; if all safety restraints in use, <16 in rear seat | 8-16; >4 (and >80 or >4'9") | $50; $10 for >80 or >4'9" |
| Montana | <6 (and <60) | Not permissible | $100 |
| Nebraska | <5 | 6 - 17 | $25 |
| Nevada | <6 (and <60) | Not permissible | $500 |
| New Hampshire | <5 (and <55") | 6 - 17 (or <6 and >55") | $25 |
| New Jersey | <8 (and <80) in rear seat if available | Not permissible | $25 plus court fees |
| New Mexico | <1 in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat if available; 1 - 4 (or <40) in child safety seat; 5 - 6 (or <60) in booster seat | 7 - 17 | $25 |
| New York | <3 unless >40 lbs. and no lap/shoulder belt available; 4 - 6 unless no lap/shoulder belt available | 7 - 15; or 4 - 6 (or >40) if no lap/shoulder belt available | $100 |
| North Carolina | <7 (and <80) | 8 - 15 (and 40 - 80 lbs. in seats w/out shoulder belts) |
$25 + $100 court costs |
| North Dakota | <6 (and <57" or <80 lbs.) | 7 - 17; <6 (and >80 and >57"); <6 (and >40) can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belts unavailable | $25 + 1 pt. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | <5 (or <70) | >5 (or >70) | $50 - $250 |
| Ohio | <4 (or <40) in child safety seat; 4 - 8 (and <4'9") in booster seat | 4 - 14 | $150 |
| Oklahoma | <5 | 6 - 12 |
$50 ($15/proof of child safety seat) up to $207.90 with court costs |
| Oregon | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing child safety seat; <40 lbs. in a child safety seat; >40 lbs. (and <4'9" or less than 8 years old) in safety system that elevates the child so that an adult seat belts fits properly | >4'9" | $97 |
| Pennsylvania | <7 | Not permissible | $100 |
| Rhode Island | <6 (and <80 and <54") in rear seat if available | <6 (and >80 or >54"); 7 - 17 | $75 |
| South Carolina | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 5 (and 20 - 39) in forward-facing child safety seat; 1 - 5 (and 40 - 80) in booster seat secured by lap/shoulder belt (lap belt alone is not permissible); <5 in rear seat if available | 1 - 5 (and >80) or <5 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 (and <40) | 5 - 17 (or >40) | $25 |
| Tennessee | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 3 (and >20) in forward-facing infant seat; 4 - 8 (and <4'9") in booster seat; <8 (and <4'9") in rear seat if available; rear seat recommended for 9 - 12 | 9 - 15 (or <12 and >4'9") | $50 |
| Texas | <4 (and <36") in child safety seat; 4 - 8 (and <57") in booster seat | 8 - 15 (or >57") |
$200 |
| Utah | <7 (and <57") | 8 - 15 (or >57") | $45 |
| Vermont | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 2 - 7 (and >20); in rear seat unless front passenger airbag is deactivated | 8 - 15 (and >20) | $25 |
| Virgin Islands | <5 | >3 | $25 to $250 |
| Virginia | <7; rear-facing devices in rear seat if available; if not, in front seat only if front passenger airbag is deactivated | 8 - 15 | $50 |
| Washington | <8 (and <4'9"); <13 in rear seat if practical | 8 - 15 (or <8 and >4'9") | $124 to driver if passenger <16; $124 to passenger if >16 |
| West Virginia | <7 (and <4'9") | <7 (and >4'9) | $20 |
| Wisconsin | <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 3 (and 20 - 40) in forward-facing child safety seat; 4 - 7 (and 40 - 80 and <57") in booster seat; <3 in rear seat if available | <8 (and >80 and >57") | $75 |
| Wyoming | <8 in rear seat if available | Not permissible | $50 |
| Totals | 50 States + D.C., Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
