Regulations For Child Car Seats

Recommended car seats based on your child s age and size.

Regulations for child car seats. Children ages 2 to 4 must ride in a car seat with a harness rear or forward facing. 2020 national child passenger safety best practice recommendations. Children must normally use a child car seat until they re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall whichever comes first. Children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Children less than 8 years old unless they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall must use a booster seat. Follow the instructions of the manufacturer of the seat or system and make sure you install and use the seat or system correctly. Children up to age 2 must ride in a rear facing car seat. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat.

Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12. Children who are at least 8 years of age or weigh 65 lbs but younger than 16 must be properly restrained in a vehicle s seat belt. Children ages 8 15 must use a child safety seat or safety belt. Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.

Children ages 0 to 3 must be in child restraint devices of a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer s integrated child seat. To maximize safety keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible as long as the child fits within the manufacturer s height and weight requirements. Below depicts general recommendations from nhtsa for the best car seat at every age but use the car seat finder. Safety seats and child restraint systems must be certified according to federal motor vehicles safety standard 213.

Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12. Children up to age 13 must ride in the back seat when practical. California vehicle code section 27360. 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.

Use a rear facing infant or rear facing convertible safety seat as long as possible up to the rear facing height or weight limit of the seat. Children under age 1 should always ride in a rear facing car seat. Children must be restrained in the rear seat until the child is 65 inches in height or 12 years of age. Child restraints car seats and booster seats florida law requires children age 5 and under to be secured properly in a crash tested federally approved child restraint device.