Child Passenger Protection Act Guidelines

Important Laws

• Children under the age of 8 must be secured in an appropriate child restraint system, more commonly called a safety seat. Child safety seats include infant seats, convertible seats (rear-facing for infants and forward-facing for toddlers) and booster seats that are used with the vehicle lap shoulder belt system. The parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of eight years is responsible for providing a child safety seat to anyone who transports his or her child.
• Children weighing more than 40 pounds may be transported in the back seat of a motor vehicle while wearing only a lap belt if the back seat is not equipped with a lap and shoulder belt system.
  • Children ages 8 years of age or older but under the age of 16 must be secured in a properly adjusted safety belt in any position in the vehicle.
  •  Persons in violation of this law will be subject to a fine.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Has it been installed in your car properly?
• Has it been recalled by the manufacturer?
• Is it defective?
• Is your child safety seat safe?

Children with Physical Disabilities

Children with physical disabilities that prevent the use of standard safety seats are exempt from the provisions of the Child Passenger Protection Act if the disability is duly certified by a licensed physician.