Car seat requirements
Choose a state and enter the child's age, weight, and height to see the requirements.
Child passenger safety
Free Car Seat & Booster Seat Requirements Checker
A child can stop using a booster seat when the adult seat belt fits properly, which is typically at 4'9" (57 inches) tall, usually between ages 8 and 12. State laws set lower minimums, often age 8, so check your state's rule and the 5-step seat belt fit test below.
All 50 states and DCAAP and NHTSA best practiceLaws last verified October 19, 2026
Car seat note for your sitter
The note fills in once the checker has a result.
Reference
Booster seat laws by state
Summarized from the IIHS child seat law table. Last verified October 19, 2026.
| State | Booster rule | Seat belt allowed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Booster from age 5 or 40 lb until age 6 | Ages 6 through 14 | IIHS (source for Alabama) |
| Alaska | Ages 4 through 7 who are under 4'9" and under 65 lb | Ages 4 through 7 who are at least 4'9" or 65 lb; ages 8 through 15 | IIHS (source for Alaska) |
| Arizona | Ages 5 through 7 who are 4'9" (57 in) or shorter | Ages 5 through 7 taller than 4'9"; age 8 and older | IIHS (source for Arizona) |
| Arkansas | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 5 and younger and under 60 lb | Ages 6 through 14, or 60 lb and over | IIHS (source for Arkansas) |
| California | Younger than 8 and under 4'9" | Ages 8 through 15, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for California) |
| Colorado | Ages 4 through 8 (at least 40 lb) in a child restraint or booster | Ages 9 through 17 | IIHS (source for Colorado) |
| Connecticut | Ages 5 through 7 or 40 to 60 lb, with a lap and shoulder belt | Ages 8 through 15 and at least 60 lb | IIHS (source for Connecticut) |
| Delaware | Ages 4 through 15 until the booster's height or weight limit | After outgrowing the booster's limits, through age 15 | IIHS (source for Delaware) |
| District of Columbia | Ages 4 through 7 in a child restraint or booster | Ages 8 through 15 | IIHS (source for District of Columbia) |
| Florida | Ages 4 and 5 in a car seat or booster | Age 6 and older | IIHS (source for Florida) |
| Georgia | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and 4'9" or shorter | Taller than 4'9", or age 8 and older | IIHS (source for Georgia) |
| Hawaii | Ages 4 through 6; ages 7 through 9 who are 4'9" or shorter | Ages 7 through 9 taller than 4'9"; age 10 and older | IIHS (source for Hawaii) |
| Idaho | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 6 and younger | Age 7 and older | IIHS (source for Idaho) |
| Illinois | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger | Ages 8 through 15 | IIHS (source for Illinois) |
| Indiana | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger | Ages 8 through 15 | IIHS (source for Indiana) |
| Iowa | Covered by the child restraint rule: ages 1 through 5 | Ages 6 through 17 | IIHS (source for Iowa) |
| Kansas | Ages 4 through 7 who are under 80 lb or under 4'9" | Ages 8 through 13; ages 4 through 7 over 80 lb and taller than 4'9" | IIHS (source for Kansas) |
| Kentucky | Age 7 and younger and between 40 in and 4'9" (57 in) | Taller than 4'9"; age 8 and older | IIHS (source for Kentucky) |
| Louisiana | Ages 4 through 8, or until the booster's limit | Ages 9 through 17 when the belt fits correctly | IIHS (source for Louisiana) |
| Maine | Younger than 8, under 80 lb, and under 4'9" | Taller than 4'9" or heavier than 80 lb, or age 8 and older | IIHS (source for Maine) |
| Maryland | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and under 4'9" | Ages 8 through 15, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Maryland) |
| Massachusetts | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and under 4'9" | Ages 8 through 12, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Massachusetts) |
| Michigan | Ages 5 through 7 until 4'9" tall | Ages 8 through 15, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Michigan) |
| Minnesota | Ages 4 through 8 who outgrew the forward-facing harness | Ages 9 through 17 | IIHS (source for Minnesota) |
| Mississippi | Ages 4 through 6 who are under 4'9" or under 65 lb | Age 7 and older; younger children at least 4'9" and 65 lb | IIHS (source for Mississippi) |
| Missouri | Ages 4 through 7, 40 to 80 lb, and 4'9" or shorter | Ages 8 through 16; age 4 and older who are 80+ lb or taller than 4'9" | IIHS (source for Missouri) |
| Montana | Ages 4 through 7 in a forward-facing harness or booster | Age 8 and older, or once the booster is outgrown | IIHS (source for Montana) |
| Nebraska | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger | Ages 8 through 17 | IIHS (source for Nebraska) |
| Nevada | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 5 and younger and under 4'9" | Age 6 and older, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Nevada) |
| New Hampshire | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 6 and younger and under 4'9" | Ages 7 through 17; younger children at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for New Hampshire) |
| New Jersey | Younger than 8 and under 4'9" in a forward-facing harness or booster | Age 8 and older, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for New Jersey) |
| New Mexico | Ages 5 and 6, or under 60 lb | Ages 7 through 17 | IIHS (source for New Mexico) |
| New York | Ages 4 through 7 in a child restraint or booster | Ages 8 through 15 | IIHS (source for New York) |
| North Carolina | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and under 80 lb | Ages 8 through 15, or 80 lb and over | IIHS (source for North Carolina) |
| North Dakota | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and under 4'9" | Ages 8 through 17; younger children at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for North Dakota) |
| Ohio | Ages 4 through 7, 40 lb and over, and under 4'9" | Ages 8 through 14 | IIHS (source for Ohio) |
| Oklahoma | Ages 4 through 7 who are not taller than 4'9" | Age 8 and older, or taller than 4'9" | IIHS (source for Oklahoma) |
| Oregon | Over 40 lb and 4'9" or shorter, until age 8 | Taller than 4'9"; ages 8 through 15 | IIHS (source for Oregon) |
| Pennsylvania | Ages 4 through 7 | Ages 8 through 17 | IIHS (source for Pennsylvania) |
| Rhode Island | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger, under 4'9" and under 80 lb | Ages 8 through 17; younger children 80+ lb or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Rhode Island) |
| South Carolina | Age 4 and older who outgrew the harness, until age 8 or 4'9" | Age 8 or 4'9" tall, and only if the belt fits properly | IIHS (source for South Carolina) |
| South Dakota | No separate booster rule | Ages 5 through 17, or 40 lb and over | IIHS (source for South Dakota) |
| Tennessee | Ages 4 through 8 who are under 4'9" | Ages 9 through 15; age 12 and younger who are at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Tennessee) |
| Texas | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and under 4'9" | Age 8 and older, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Texas) |
| Utah | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and under 4'9" | Ages 8 through 15, or at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for Utah) |
| Vermont | Ages 5 through 7 in a car seat or booster | Ages 8 through 17 | IIHS (source for Vermont) |
| Virginia | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger | Ages 8 through 17 | IIHS (source for Virginia) |
| Washington | Age 4 and older until 4'9" tall | At least 4'9" and younger than 16 | IIHS (source for Washington) |
| West Virginia | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 7 and younger and under 4'9" | Age 8 and older; younger children at least 4'9" | IIHS (source for West Virginia) |
| Wisconsin | Ages 4 through 7, 40 to 80 lb, and under 4'9" | Age 8 and older, or over 80 lb, or taller than 4'9" | IIHS (source for Wisconsin) |
| Wyoming | Covered by the child restraint rule: age 8 and younger | Age 9 and older | IIHS (source for Wyoming) |
How it works
Check car seat requirements in five steps
- 1
Choose your state
Pick the state where you'll be driving. The law of the state you are in applies, even on a road trip.
- 2
Enter age, weight, and height
Add the child's age in years and months, weight, and height in pounds and feet or kilograms and centimeters.
- 3
Compare law and best practice
See the seat your state's law requires, the AAP and NHTSA recommendation, and any place where best practice is stricter.
- 4
Run the seat belt fit test
For a booster-age child, check all 5 fit test steps in your car to see whether the adult belt fits yet.
- 5
Share the note with your sitter
Print or copy the car seat note so your babysitter or nanny knows which seat to use and where the child sits.
How the checker decides
- State law: the checker matches the child against each of the state's rules in order, keeping each rule's AND / OR wording, and shows the first one that applies.
- “Car seat or booster seat” means the state requires a child restraint but doesn't say which type. The seat's own limits decide.
- Best practice: rear-facing under 2, rear-facing or harness from 2 to 3, a harness until at least 5 and 40 lb, then a booster until the 5-step test passes, and the back seat until 13.
- Where the sources disagreed or the wording was unclear, the checker uses the stricter reading.
Common questions
Car seat and booster seat FAQ
When can a child stop using a booster seat?
A child can stop using a booster seat when the adult lap and shoulder belt fits properly, which usually happens at about 4'9" (57 inches) tall, typically between ages 8 and 12. Use the 5-step seat belt fit test to confirm. State laws often allow a seat belt earlier, commonly at age 8, but that is a legal minimum, not a safety guarantee.
What are the booster seat requirements by state?
Every state and DC requires children who have outgrown a car seat to ride in a booster or other child restraint until a set age, height, or weight. The most common rule is a booster until age 8, with many states also letting children who reach 4'9" use the seat belt. Some states go further: Minnesota requires a booster through age 8 and Tennessee through age 8 for children under 4'9", Hawaii through age 9 unless the child is taller than 4'9", and Delaware until the booster is outgrown. Florida and Idaho end the requirement at ages 6 and 7.
When can a child face forward in a car seat?
The AAP recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the rear-facing height or weight limit of their convertible seat, which for most children is well past age 2. Many states require rear-facing until at least age 2. After that, use a forward-facing seat with a harness until the child outgrows it.
When can a child sit in the front seat?
AAP and NHTSA recommend that all children younger than 13 ride in the back seat. Only some states put this in law, and they use different ages, such as under 8 in California, Georgia, and Nebraska and under 13 in Louisiana, Michigan, and Minnesota. Never put a rear-facing car seat in front of an active passenger airbag.
Does a babysitter or nanny need to follow car seat laws?
Yes. Child passenger safety laws apply to whoever is driving, so a babysitter, nanny, grandparent, or carpool parent is responsible for using the right car seat or booster for the child. Give your sitter the correct seat, show them how it installs, and share a written note with the seat type and front-seat rule.
Related tools
Babysitter Emergency Info SheetMedical Consent Form for a MinorNanny Contract Template GeneratorBabysitter Interview QuestionsAge-Appropriate Activities
Need a sitter who drives? Find vetted local babysitters and nannies on Sitter Rank, with verified profiles, real reviews, and no platform commissions.