Child Passenger Safety
The chart below describes the statewide laws related to child passenger safety across the country. Use the arrows below the chart to toggle through the states in alphabetical order. To advance slowly, click the single right arrow (>). To jump to the end, click the double arrows (>>). Or use the filter by state feature to jump to a specific state.
Scroll down for a summary and overall totals of the number of states that have specific provisions.
Last updated in April 2024. Laws last reviewed by State Highway Safety Offices in March 2024.
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Restraint Required
Under 2 yrs in a rear-facing child restraint |
Child Restraint Required
Under 2 yrs (or until outgrows the top height or weight recommendations) in rear-facing child restraint 2-3 yrs in forward-facing child restraint 4-7 yrs booster seat |
Child Restraint Required
4 yrs or under in child safety seat 4-8 yrs or under 57" tall in booster seat Under 12 yrs in rear seat |
Child Restraint Required
2 yrs or under and under 30 lbs in rear-facing child safety seat 7 yrs and under and shorter than 57" and under 80 lbs in child restraint |
| Adult Safety Belt Permissible
8-15 yrs or over 4'9" tall |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible
8-18 yrs |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible
9 yrs or under or 57" or taller |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible
7 yrs or under and 80 lbs or over or 57" or taller 8-17 yrs |
Under 2 yrs in a rear-facing child restraint
Properly used child restraint (harness) required until child weight 40 lbs.
Booster required until the child is 8 years old AND the adult seatbelt fits correctly OR the child is 4’9” tall
8-15 yrs or over 4'9" tall
Under 2 yrs (or until outgrows the top height or weight recommendations) in rear-facing child restraint
2-3 yrs in forward-facing child restraint
4-7 yrs booster seat
8-18 yrs
4 yrs or under in child safety seat
4-8 yrs or under 57" tall in booster seat
Under 12 yrs in rear seat
9 yrs or under or 57" or taller
2 yrs or under and under 30 lbs in rear-facing child safety seat
7 yrs and under and shorter than 57" and under 80 lbs in child restraint
7 yrs or under and 80 lbs or over or 57" or taller
8-17 yrs
Child Passenger Safety
All states and territories require child safety seats for infants and children fitting specific criteria, but requirements vary based on age, weight and height. This happens in three stages: rear-facing; forward-facing (harnessed) seats; and booster seats.
Many laws require all children to ride in the rear seat whenever possible, and most states permit children over a particular age, height or weight to use an adult safety belt.
First offense fines for not complying with a state's child passenger safety laws vary from $10 to $500. Some states also use driver's license points as an additional penalty for noncompliance.
- Most states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require booster seats or other appropriate devices for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely.
- 19 states and the District of Columbia require children younger than two be in a rear-facing child safety seat.
NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on child passenger safety laws other than what is presented here. For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office (SHSO).
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and SHSOs.
Last updated in April 2024. Laws last reviewed by SHSOs in March 2024.