Child car seat laws vary by state, but generally young children must ride in an appropriate car safety seat or booster seat until they are around 8 years old (and/or a certain height/weight). The typical progression is:
Infants and toddlers (usually up to age 2 or hitting a weight/height limit) must ride in a rear-facing car seat.
Toddlers and preschoolers (after outgrowing rear-facing) use a forward-facing car seat with a harness – often until at least age 4 (and a certain weight).
Young children who outgrow the forward-facing seat (usually around age 5 or so, and when they exceed the harness limits) transition to a booster seat. They generally stay in a booster until about age 8–12 or until they are tall enough (around 4 feet 9 inches) for an adult seatbelt to fit properly.
Once a child is big enough for the seatbelt alone (which is usually somewhere between 8 and 12 years old, depending on the child’s size), they can use the regular seatbelt.
Most states set a specific age (for example, “children under 8 must be in a child safety seat or booster appropriate for their age/size”). Some states also have weight or height requirements. Additionally, many laws require children to ride in the back seat until a certain age (often 12 or 13) for safety. Always check your specific state’s regulations, but as a rule of thumb: a child around age 8 (and at least 4’9” tall) is when they can start using the adult seatbelt without a booster. Before that, a car seat or booster is required for their safety.
