Child Passenger Safety
The chart below describes the statewide laws related to child passenger safety across the country. Use the arrows below the chart to toggle through the states in alphabetical order. To advance slowly, click the single right arrow (>). To jump to the end, click the double arrows (>>). Or use the filter by state feature to jump to a specific state.
Scroll down for a summary and overall totals of the number of states that have specific provisions.
Last updated in April 2024. Laws last reviewed by State Highway Safety Offices in March 2024.
| Utah | Vermont | Virgin Islands | Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Restraint Required
7 yrs or under and under 57" tall |
Child Restraint Required
Younger than 2 in a rear-facing child restraint. |
Child Restraint Required
Under 1 yr and under 20 lbs in rear-facing child restraint 1-5 yrs and under 40 lbs in child restraint Under 8 yrs 40-80 lbs, or under 4'9" in booster seat All children under age 14 must ride in a rear seat
|
Child Restraint Required
Under 2 years old in rear-facing seat (or until minimum weight requirement reached) |
| Adult Safety Belt Permissible
8-15 yrs or 57" or taller |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible
8-17 yrs |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible
5-13 yrs in a rear seat |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible
8-17 yrs (4-7 yrs with physician's exemption) |
7 yrs or under and under 57" tall
8-15 yrs or 57" or taller
Younger than 2 in a rear-facing child restraint.
Ages 2 through 4 (until 5) in a rear- or forward-facing child restraint. Children must remain in a federally approved forward-facing child restraint with harnesses until the child reaches the weight or height limit as set by the manufacturer.
Ages 5 through 7 (until 8) in a child restraint or booster
8-17 yrs
Under 1 yr and under 20 lbs in rear-facing child restraint
1-5 yrs and under 40 lbs in child restraint Under 8 yrs
40-80 lbs, or under 4'9" in booster seat
All children under age 14 must ride in a rear seat
5-13 yrs in a rear seat
Under 2 years old in rear-facing seat (or until minimum weight requirement reached)
7 yrs or under
Children in rear-facing devices must be in a rear seat if available - otherwise, in front only if front passenger airbag is deactivated
8-17 yrs (4-7 yrs with physician's exemption)
Child Passenger Safety
All states and territories require child safety seats for infants and children fitting specific criteria, but requirements vary based on age, weight and height. This happens in three stages: rear-facing; forward-facing (harnessed) seats; and booster seats.
Many laws require all children to ride in the rear seat whenever possible, and most states permit children over a particular age, height or weight to use an adult safety belt.
First offense fines for not complying with a state's child passenger safety laws vary from $10 to $500. Some states also use driver's license points as an additional penalty for noncompliance.
- Most states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require booster seats or other appropriate devices for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely.
NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on child passenger safety laws other than what is presented here. For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office (SHSO).
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and SHSOs.
Last updated in August 2024. Laws last reviewed by SHSOs in March 2024.