Appendix C
State Child Restraint Laws1
|
State |
Rear
Safety Belts
Required2 |
Child
Safety Seat
Required |
May Use
Child Safety Seat or Safety Belt |
Max Fine4 |
Points |
Major Exemptions to Child
Passenger Laws6 |
Children Allowed in Cargo Area
of Pickups? |
|
AL |
<15 yrs |
<6 yrs |
Ages 6-14 yrs |
$25 |
1 pt for 1st offense & 2 pts for 2nd offense |
Tow trucks or buses weighing >1 ton |
Yes |
|
AK |
<16 yrs |
<4 yrs |
|
$50 |
2 |
None |
No |
|
AZ |
<16 yrs |
<5 yrs |
Ages 5-15 yrs |
$10 |
|
All vehicle belts in use |
|
|
AR |
<15 yrs |
Age 6 yrs & >60 lbs |
Age 6 yrs or >60 lbs |
$100 |
|
None |
No |
|
CA |
<16 yrs |
<6 yrs or <60 lbs |
Ages 6-17 yrs |
Up to $295 per child |
1 |
None |
|
|
CO |
<16 yrs |
<1 yr & <20 lbs rear facing; 1-4 yrs & 20-40 lbs forward facing; ages 4 & 5 & <55” tall booster seat |
Ages 6-16 or 55” tall. Booster seat or safety belt required. |
$59 |
|
Transported in motor vehicle as a result of a medical emergency. Booster seat exempted if only lap belt available. |
Yes, if sitting & tailgate closed |
|
CT |
<16 yrs |
<6 yrs and <60 lbs |
60 lbs & 7-<16 years |
$199 |
2 |
None |
No |
|
DE |
<16 yrs3 |
<6 yrs |
60 lbs & over |
$20 |
2 |
No major exemptions |
No |
|
DC |
<16 yrs |
<8 yrs |
Ages 8-16 yrs |
$150 |
3 |
All vehicle belts in use7 |
No |
|
FL |
<18 yrs |
<4 yrs |
Ages 4-5 yrs |
$60 |
3 |
A truck of net weight of more than 5,000 lbs |
No |
|
GA |
<17 yrs |
<5 yrs |
A 40 lb child may be secured by lap belt if vehicle not equipped with lap and shoulder belt, or if all belts being used to properly restrain other children |
$50 |
1 |
May use belt if age 6 and over |
No |
|
HI |
<18 yrs |
<4 yrs |
Ages 3-17 yrs |
$100 |
|
All vehicle belts in use7 |
No6 |
|
ID |
>6 yrs |
<7 |
>6 yrs |
$69 |
|
All vehicle belts in use7,8 |
Yes |
|
IL |
<16 yrs |
<8 yrs |
Ages 4-15 yrs, all seating positions |
$50 |
|
None |
Yes |
|
IN |
<12 yrs |
<8 yrs |
Ages 8-15 yrs, all seating positions & vehicles |
$25 |
4 |
Vehicle registered out of State |
<16 yrs not allowed |
|
IA |
<11 yrs |
<6 yrs |
Ages 6-10 yrs |
$25 |
|
Motorcycles, school buses, emergency vehicles & medical reasons per physician |
Yes |
|
KS |
<14 yrs |
<8 yrs unless 4'9” or 80 lbs21 |
Age 8 or 80 lbs or 4'9” |
$60 |
|
All vehicle belts in use |
If >13 yrs |
|
KY |
<16 yrs |
40” & Under |
|
$50 |
|
None |
Yes |
|
LA |
<13 yrs |
<6 yrs or 60 lbs |
Ages 3-13 yrs |
$100 |
|
Ambulances, school buses, church buses, commercial vehicles |
If >11 yrs |
|
ME |
<12 yrs, <100 lbs |
<8 yrs and between 40-80 lbs |
<12 & 100 lbs |
$60 |
|
All vehicle belts in use9 |
<16 yrs not allowed |
|
MD |
<16 yrs |
<6 yrs |
>40 lbs |
$25 |
|
All vehicle belts in use, vehicle registered out of State exempt |
No |
|
MA |
<13 yrs |
<5 yrs and <40 lbs |
5-12 yrs |
$25 |
|
Child physically unable to use conventional child restraint or one designed for special needs, certified in writing by a physician |
If >16 yrs |
|
MI |
<16 yrs |
<4 yrs |
|
$15 |
|
All vehicle belts in use7 |
No12,13 |
|
MN |
<11 yrs |
<4 yrs |
|
$50 |
|
Child being nursed |
No12,14 |
|
MS |
<8 yrs |
<4 yrs |
|
$25 |
|
See footnote20 |
Yes |
|
MO |
<16 yrs |
<4 yrs |
Ages 4-15 may use safety belts |
$25 |
|
|
No |
|
MT |
<19 yrs |
<6 yrs |
Age 6 and <60 lbs |
Up to $100 |
|
Physical or medical reasons per physician |
No13,14 |
|
NE |
<16 yrs |
<6 yrs |
|
$25 |
|
Medical reasons per physician, emergency vehicles, taxi cabs |
No |
|
NV |
<18 yrs |
<6 yrs & 60 lbs |
Ages 6-17 yrs |
$500 |
|
Public transportation |
No |
|
NH |
<18 yrs |
<6 yrs and 55” |
|
$25 |
|
None |
No |
|
NJ |
<18 yrs |
<8 yrs or 80 lbs |
|
$25 |
|
Children <8 yrs but more than 80 lbs may be placed in safety belt; All vehicle belts in use7 |
No |
|
NM |
<16 yrs |
<1-4 yrs18 |
Ages 5-12 yrs |
$25 |
|
All vehicle belts in use19 |
No, if <18 |
|
NY |
<16 yrs |
<7 yrs |
|
$100 |
3 |
Booster seat exempted for children 4-6 yrs if only lap belt available |
Yes15 |
|
NC |
<16 yrs |
<8 yrs and 80 lbs |
8 yrs or 80 lbs or 40 lbs if no lap & shoulder belt available |
$25 |
Driver license =2
Insurance = 0 |
Child's personal needs being attended to, or all available belts being used |
If >11 yrs 12,14,16
If the vehicle is being operated in a county that has no incorporated area with a population in excess of 3,500 |
|
ND |
<18 yrs (front and back seat) |
<7 yrs |
Ages 7-17 yrs |
$25 |
1 |
Child restraint and safety belts not required in vehicles that were not equipped with safety belts when manufactured; transported in an emergency situation |
Yes |
|
OH |
<4 yrs or <60 lbs |
<4 yrs or <60 lbs |
|
$100 |
|
Vehicle registered out of State |
If traveling <25 mph12 |
|
OK |
No |
<6 yrs |
6-12 yrs |
$50 plus court cost |
|
Children who weigh >40 lbs in the back seat of a vehicle with only a safety belt if all lap/shoulder belts are in use by another |
Yes |
|
OR |
<16 yrs20 |
<4 yrs or <40 lbs |
Age 6 yrs & >60 lbs |
$97 |
|
None unless all belted positions taken or <18 yrs and in scope of employment or licensed hunter between hunting camps |
Yes |
|
PA |
<16 yrs |
<4 yrs |
|
Up to $150 |
|
None |
Yes |
|
RI |
<17 yrs |
<7 yrs & 54” & 80 lbs in Federally Approved Child Restraint System in back seat |
Age 7 yrs or older |
$75 |
|
All vehicle belts in use |
No, up to age 16 |
|
SC |
<17 yrs |
<6 yrs or <80 lbs |
>1 but <6 years |
$150 |
|
If all vehicle belts in use |
Yes, if on a hayride, traveling less than 35 mph, or on a farm, or in a parade or an adult is with them |
|
SD |
<18 yrs |
<5 yrs & <40 lbs |
Ages 5-17, & > 40 lbs |
$20 |
|
None |
Yes |
|
TN |
<18 yrs |
<4 yrs25 |
|
$505 |
|
All vehicle belts in use8,10 |
If >5 yrs or moving <20 mph |
|
TX |
<17 yrs |
<4 yrs or <36” |
Ages 4-16 yrs17 |
$200 |
|
All vehicle belts in use |
<17 yrs not allowed |
|
UT |
<19 yrs |
<5 yrs |
Ages 5-18 yrs |
$45 |
|
All vehicle belts in use, physical or medical reasons per physician |
Yes, If all seats are in use in the vehicle cab |
|
VT |
<16 yrs |
> 1 yr but <8 and > 20 lbs |
<16 yrs |
$25 |
|
All vehicle belts in use11 |
Yes |
|
VA |
<16 yrs |
<5 yrs |
Ages 6-15 |
$50 |
3 |
No major exemptions |
Yes |
|
WA |
<16 yrs |
<8 unless 4'9” 27 |
Ages 6-16 yrs23 |
$101 |
|
No major exemptions24 |
Yes |
|
WV |
<16 yrs |
<8 yrs |
Ages 3-8 yrs |
$20 |
|
All vehicle belts in use |
No |
|
WI |
<8 yrs28 |
<8 yrs28 |
Age 8 or 80 lbs or 4'9” |
$75 |
|
Attending to child's personal needs |
No14 |
|
WY |
<12 yrs |
<9 yrs properly secured in CRS in back seat22 |
Ages 5-11 yrs 26 |
$50 |
|
Physician provides medical exemptions, rendering aid and or assistance to child by parent/guardian |
Yes |
|
AS |
<5 yrs |
>4 yrs |
Ages 0-12 yrs |
$30 |
|
|
Yes, < 13 must be accompanied by adult |
|
CNMI |
<12 yrs |
<5 yrs |
Ages 0-12 yrs |
$250 |
|
A child who, for medical or physical reasons is unable to utilize a child passenger restraint system. |
Yes, < 13 must be accompanied by adult |
|
GU |
<12 yrs |
<4 yrs |
Ages 2-12 yrs |
$50 |
|
Yes >13 yrs |
Yes, < 13 must be accompanied by adult |
|
PR |
All persons, all ages, unless in a safety seat must wear a safety belt |
<5 yrs |
<12 must ride in back seat |
$100 |
|
None |
No |
1 This chart applies to children younger than age 19.
2 Front seat restraints are required for all children younger than 16.
3 Children < 12 years old and < 66 inches may not occupy front seat if equipped with passenger-side air bag.
4 Maximum fine for first offense of child safety seat laws. Fines may be increased on subsequent violations and different for older children.
5 Or 30 days in jail.
6 Major exemptions are considered to be exemptions in private passenger vehicles (cars, vans, or pickups). Many States have exemptions for buses, taxis, or other public transportation, children with medical conditions, and emergency situations.
7 Unrestrained children must be in the rear.
8 Law does not apply if the child's personal or physiological needs are being met.
9 Only for children > 1 year old.
10 Only for ages 4 through 11.
11 Only for children older than age 4.
12 Unless properly restrained in a safety belt or child safety seat.
13 Unless number of children exceeds number of safety belts available.
14 Unless used in farm work or farm activity.
15 Unless there are more than five children younger than age 18 not accompanied by a person older than 18.
16 Unless supervised by an adult.
17 Booster seats are considered child safety seat systems as long as the seat is appropriate for that child (child should fit within the weight range stated on the seat).
18 < 1yr rear-facing CSS; age 1-4 child passenger restraint device or < 40 lbs.
19 Or riding in an emergency vehicle, public transportation, or school bus.
20 If there are more passengers than available safety belts, the driver/passengers are not in violation; public carriers for hire are exempted.
21 Effective 7/1/06 with a one-year warning phase (the fine will be effective 7/1/06).
22 Unless the vehicle has only one row of seats, then the child can be placed in the front, as of 7/1/03, or if all safety belts are in use by other child passengers, as of 2/17/05.
23 May use safety belt only if properly adjusted and fastened.
24 The CPS law does not apply if the child is booster seat age/size and the vehicle has lap-only safety belts.
25 Beginning 7/1/04, child < 1 or < 20 pounds in rear-facing safety seat.
26 Child within age requirement if the lap and shoulder belt fit properly across the collarbone, chest and hips of child and does not pose danger to neck, face or abdominal area in crash or sudden stop.
27 Change in CPS law goes into effect June 1, 2007.
28Child safety seat must be in the back seat if the vehicle is equipped with a back seat |