Child Car Seat Laws

Correct child car seats for children s age and size.
Child car seat laws. Children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards. Newborn babies and infants need special protection while in a vehicle. The january 1 2017 car seat law. Children under 2 years of age shall ride in a rear facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.
The child must be restrained using the available safety belt. In most cases children under 3 must always be in a child car. All children must be safely fastened in the correct child car seat for their age and size. Federal approval this means the car seat meets the federals standards set in fmvss 213.
Definitions for common terms. Proper use this means the car seat is being used based on instructions for that particular car seat. A child who is properly secured in an approved child car seat is less likely to be injured or killed in a car crash than one who is not. California vehicle code section 27360.
These instructions include installation use child meets the size requirements. Children less than 8 years old unless they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall must use a booster seat. Children 4 years and older must ride in a car or booster seat until they are 4 9 in height. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat.
A child aged seven or over but under the age of 15 may be seated in the front seat of a vehicle without an approved suitable child restraint if there is no back seat or the back seat is already full of other children under 15 years old. Ontario s highway traffic act requires children to use a rear facing car seat until the child weighs at least 9 kg 20 lb. Children must normally use a child car seat until they re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall whichever comes first. All passengers of all ages are subject to california s mandatory seat belt law.
Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt. Ohio s child passenger safety law requires the following. The washington child passenger restraint law rcw 46 61 687 requires the following. A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a child car seat and without a seat belt if the vehicle doesn t have one.
Effective january 1 2017 the state of california mandated that children under 2 years of age shall ride in a rear facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. Children ages 8 15 must use a child safety seat or safety belt. In a collision a properly installed rear facing child car seat can save your baby s life. Children ages 2 to 4 must ride in a car seat with a harness rear or forward facing.