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CHILD RESTRAINT LAWS
State Who is covered? Maximum fine 1st offense
Must be in child restraint Adult safety belt permissible
Alabama 3 yrs. and younger 4 through 5 yrs. $10
Alaska 3 yrs. and younger 4 through 15 yrs. $501
Arizona 4 yrs. and younger not permissible $50
Arkansas 5 yrs. and younger and less than 60 lbs. 6 yrs. through 14 yrs. or 60+ lbs. $100
California 5 yrs. and younger or less than 60 lbs.2
6 through 15 yrs. or 60+lbs.
$1001
Colorado younger than 1 yr. and less than 20 lbs. in a rear-facing infant seat
1 through 3 yrs. and 20-40 lbs. in a forward-facing child safety seat
4 through 5 yrs. and less than 55" in a booster seat (eff. 8/1/03)2,3
6 through 15 yrs. and 55" or more
(eff. 8/1/03)3 $50
Connecticut 3 yrs. and younger and less than 40 lbs. 4 through 15 yrs. or 40+ lbs. $604
Delaware 6 yrs. and younger and less than 60 lbs.5 7 through 15 yrs. or
60+ lbs.5 $29
District of Columbia 7 yrs. and younger 8 through 15 yrs. $751
Florida 3 yrs. and younger 4 through 5 yrs. $601
State Who is covered? Maximum fine 1st offense
Must be in child restraint Adult safety belt permissible
Georgia 4 yrs. and younger not permissible $501
Hawaii 3 yrs. and younger not permissible $1004
Idaho 3 yrs. and younger and less than 40 lbs. not permissible $100
Illinois 3 yrs. and younger 4 through 15 yrs. $50
Indiana 3 yrs. and younger6 not permissible $251
Iowa 2 yrs. and younger 3 through 5 yrs. $10
Kansas 3 yrs. and younger 4 through 13 yrs. $20
Kentucky 40 in. or less not permissible $50
Louisiana 2 yrs. and younger 3 through 12 yrs. (children 3+ yrs. must be in rear seat if available) $50
Maine less than 40 lbs. in a child safety seat; 40-80 lbs. and less than 8 yrs. in a safety system that elevates the child so that an adult seatbelt fits properly 8 yrs. through 17 yrs. or less than 18 yrs. and more than 4'7" $500
(11 yrs. and younger and less than 100 lbs. must be in rear seat if available)
State Who is covered? Maximum fine 1st offense
Must be in child restraint Adult safety belt permissible
Maryland 5 yrs. and younger or 40 lbs. or less (eff. 10/1/03)7 6 yrs. and more than 40 lbs. through 15 yrs. (eff. 10/1/03) $25
Massachusetts 4 yrs. and younger or 40 lbs. and less 5 through 11 yrs. $25
Michigan 3 yrs. and younger not permissible $10
Minnesota 3 yrs. and younger not permissible $50
Mississippi 3 yrs. and younger not permissible $25
Missouri 3 yrs. and younger not permissible $25
Montana younger than 6 yrs. and less than 60 lbs. not permissible $100
Nebraska 5 yrs. and younger 6 through 15 yrs.3 $251
Nevada 5 yrs. and younger and 60 lbs. or less (eff. 6/1/04) not permissible $100
New Hampshire 5 yrs. and younger and less than 55" (eff. 1/1/04) 6 through 17 yrs. or 55+"
(eff. 1/1/04) $25
State Who is covered? Maximum fine 1st offense
Must be in child restraint Adult safety belt permissible
New Jersey 7 yrs. and younger and less than 80 lbs. seated in rear seat if available not permissible $25
New Mexico younger than 1 yr. in a rear-facing infant seat, seated in the rear seat if available; 1 through 4 yrs. or less than 40 lbs. 5 through 17 yrs. $25
New York 3 yrs. and younger in all seats 4 through 15 yrs. $1001
North Carolina 4 yrs. and younger and less than 40 lbs.5 5 through 15 yrs. $251
North Dakota 3 yrs. and younger 4 through 17 yrs. none1
Ohio 3 yrs. and younger or less than 40 lbs. not permissible $1001
Oklahoma 3 yrs. and younger and 60 lbs. or less 4 through 12 yrs. $10
Oregon 3 yrs. and younger and 40 lbs. or less in a child safety seat; 4 through 5 yrs. or 40-60 lbs. in a safety system that elevates the child so that an adult seatbelt fits properly 6 through 15 yrs. and 60+ lbs. $75
Pennsylvania 7 yrs. and younger3 not permissible $100
Rhode Island 6 yrs. and younger and less than 54" and less than 80 lbs. 6 yrs. and younger and 54+" and 80+ lbs. $50
children 6 yrs. and younger must be in rear seat if available
State Who is covered? Maximum fine 1st offense
Must be in child restraint Adult safety belt permissible
South Carolina younger than 1 yr. or less than 20 lbs. in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 5 yrs. and 20-40 lbs. in a forward-facing child safety seat; 1 through 5 yrs. and 40-80 lbs. in a booster seat secured by lap-shoulder belt -- lap belt alone is impermissible 1 through 5 yrs. and 80+ lbs. OR any child 5 yrs. and younger if the child's knees bend over the seat edge when sitting up straight with his/her back firmly against the seat back $25
children 5 yrs. and younger must be in rear seat if available
South Dakota 4 yrs. and younger and less than 40 lbs. 5 through 17 yrs.; all children 40+ lbs., regardless of age $20
Tennessee younger than 1 yr. or 20 lbs. or less in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 3 yrs. and 20+ lbs. in a forward-facing infant seat; 4 through 8 yrs. and less than 5' in a booster seat (eff. 7/1/04) 9 through 15 yrs. OR 12 yrs. and younger and 5' or more (eff. 7/1/04) $504
children 8 yrs. and younger and less than 5' must be in rear seat if available (eff. 7/1/04)
Texas 3 yrs. and younger or less than 36 in. not permissible $200
Utah 4 yrs. and younger 5 through 15 yrs. $45
Vermont younger than 1 yr. or less than 20 lbs. in a rear-facing infant seat; 2 through 7 and more than 20 lbs. (eff. 1/1/04) 8 through 15 yrs. and more than 20 lbs. (eff. 1/1/04) $25
Virginia 5 yrs. and younger 6 through 15 yrs.8 $50
Washington younger than 1 yr. or less than 20 lbs. In a rear-facing infant seat
1 through 3 yrs. or 20-40 lbs. In a forward-facing child safety seat
4 through 5 yrs. or 40-60 lbs in a booster seat5
6 through 15 or 60+ lbs.
$86
West Virginia 3 yrs. and younger or less than 40 lbs. (eff. 7/1/03) 4 through 8 yrs. or 40+ lbs. (eff. 7/1/03) $20
Wisconsin 3 yrs. and younger 4 through 7 yrs. $75
Wyoming 8 yrs. and younger and 80 lbs. or less, must be in rear seat if available (eff. 7/1/03) not permissible $50
1These states assess points for violations. For further details, please call the Institute.
2In California, children weighing more than 40 lbs. may be belted without a booster seat if they are seated in the rear seat of a vehicle not equipped with lap/shoulder belts. In Colorado, if a child 4-5 yrs. and less than 55" is being transported in a vehicle equipped with a lap belt only, then the child must be restrained with the lap belt.
3In Colorado, the law is secondary for children ages 4-5 yrs. who must be in booster seats. The Colorado legislature made the new child restraint law subject to referendum. If a referendum petition is filed, the law will take effect only if approved by the voters. If no referendum petition is filed, the effective date will be August 1, 2003. If the new law goes into effect, for the first year police may only give out warnings, not citations. Nebraska's law is secondary for those children who may be in safety belts and standard for those who must be in a child restraint device. In Pennsylvania, the law is secondary for children ages 4 through 7 years who must be in booster seats.
4The fine in Connecticut is $15 if the child is 4-16 yrs. and 40 lbs. or more. Connecticut also requires a mandatory child restraint education program for first or second violation. Hawaii drivers are charged $50 for a mandatory child restraint education program and a $10 surcharge deposited into a neurotrauma special fund. In Tennessee, the maximum fine is $20 if the child is 4-15 yrs.
5In Delaware, children who become 4 yrs. old before 1/1/03 will not be required to be in a CRS. Those children may comply with the current law, which allows children 4 through 15 yrs. to be in a seatbelt. Children younger than 12 yrs./65 inches or less must be restrained in rear seat if vehicle has a passenger airbag unless the airbag has been either deactivated or designed to accommodate smaller people. Exceptions: no rear seat or rear seat occupied by other children younger than 12 yrs./65 inches or less. In North Carolina, children younger than 5 who weigh less than 40 lbs. must be restrained in a child safety seat in the rear seat if the vehicle has a passenger airbag, unless the child restraint system is designed for use with airbags. In Washington, children younger than 6 or weighing less than 60 lbs. must be restrained in a child restraint system in the rear seat, if the vehicle has a passenger airbag.
6In Indiana, children younger than 4 yrs. must be restrained in adult belts if it's reasonably determined they cannot fit in child restraints.
7In Maryland, vehicles registered out of state are required to restrain children under the age of 4 yrs. or 40 lbs. or less in a CRS (eff. 10/1/03).
8Children at least 4 yrs. but less than 6 yrs. may be belted if the weight/size of the child make the use of a child restraint device impractical.
Child Restraint, Belt Laws main page
Tables:
Safety Belt Use Laws
Children Not Covered by Safety Belt or Child Restraint Laws
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Last modified: 19-Jun-2003
