What are the carseat laws in your state?

stdldb29

Everyone thinks I'm nuts that my DD and DS both were rear facing until two, at the minimum. I always refer back to the AAP-and have been since 2008--our state laws just say " NEVER turn forward-facing before 1 year old AND 20-22 pounds" and "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. Properly install rear-facing in the back seat"

So, what are your state laws like? 

Swainb

We rear faced until 1 year, she had reached the AAP requirements and hated rear facing.

 

In Michigan there are no laws about how they are in a car seat just:

• Children younger than age 4 to ride in a car seat in the rear seat if the vehicle has a rear seat. If all available rear seats are occupied by children under 4, then a child under 4 may ride in a car seat in the front seat. A child in a rear-facing car seat may only ride in the front seat if the airbag is turned off.
• Children to be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4-feet-9-inches tall. Children must ride in a seat until they reach the age requirement or the height requirement, whichever comes first.
• 
  

Sonadora

Rear facing until 1.

Then they are required to be in a child restraint/booster until age 8.

No kids in the front seat until 12.

DreadLoc

Proper use.  

eta:  Oh gawd, this is horribly vague.

Every operator of a motor vehicle as defined in this section, while transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall, if the child is 5 years of age or younger, provide for protection of the child by properly using a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device. For children aged through 3 years, such restraint device must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer?s integrated child seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a seat belt may be used.

 

andyyougoonie

• Newborns - 1-year-olds: ride in an approved infant-only, rear-facing car seat, in the back seat of the vehicle. These rules apply until the child is one year old or weighs 20 pounds.
  
• Toddlers, 1-5 years old: ride in a convertible or forward-facing seat, using a lap belt and with the harness at or above the shoulders until the child turns five or weighs 40 pounds.
  
• Ages 5-6, 40 pounds or heavier: ride in forward-facing booster seat, buckled with the vehicle's safety belt.

All children must use seat belts until the age of 15.

penguingrrl

In NJ it states:

RF until the hit the height or weight limit on their seat and a minimum of 1 year/20 lbs. I personally would never turn a child before 2 and was upset when my daughter hit the height limit on her radian at 2y 9m because I wanted to RF longer.

FF harness until they outgrow that for height or weight. Recommends remaining harnessed to a minimum of 4 years/40 lbs.

Booster until they fit in the adult seat belt correctly with a minimum of 8 years to not use a booster.

Adult seatbelts are required for everyone in NJ, front or back seat, so they don't go further with that for children than adults since nobody can be unbuckled legally.

DreadLoc

andyyougoonie:

All children must use seat belts until the age of 15.

wtf?  and what about after they're 15?! 

MissNikki007

DreadLoc:

andyyougoonie:

All children must use seat belts until the age of 15.

wtf?  and what about after they're 15?! 

Ride dirty! Duh.

andyyougoonie

DreadLoc:

andyyougoonie:

All children must use seat belts until the age of 15.

wtf?  and what about after they're 15?! 

Yeah, I was surprised by that too.  I copied it directly from the DMV site though.  I'm guessing their website hasn't been updated in a while.

SunDrop11

SC's law:

 

• Children from birth to 1 year old, or who weigh less than 20 pounds, must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat.
• Children 1 through 5 years old weighing 20 to 40 pounds must be restrained in a forward-facing child seat.
• Children 1 through 5 years old weighing 40 to 80 pounds must be secured in a belt-positioning booster seat.
• Children under the age of 6 are not required to be in booster seats if they weigh more than 80 pounds or if they can sit with their backs against the car's seat and bend their legs over the seat edge without slouching.
• Children under 6 may not sit in the front passenger seat. However, this restriction does not apply if the vehicle has no rear passenger seats or if all other rear passenger seats are occupied by children less than 6 years old.

 

andyyougoonie

GhostMonkey:

andyyougoonie:

All children must use seat belts until the age of 15.

I didn't realize there was a state left that didn't have a seat belt law for all passengers.

We do have "click it or ticket".  H has gotten a ticket for not wearing his seatbelt (I was not in the car with him) within the last year.  Maybe it's a more severe violation for kids under 15? 

I was also surprised not to see a law about kids not riding in the front seat until a certain age.

DreadLoc

Maybe it's worded that way because 16 is the common age to get their license so therefore they can receive a ticket of their own for not using a seat belt. 

That's all I got. 

andyyougoonie

GhostMonkey:

Why? That is an airbag concern more than anything, and would prevent anyone with a child under 12 from transporting them in a regular cab pickup.

I just always thought it was a law.  I never thought about why, but whenever I transported kids I babysat, I was always instructed not to let them sit in the front seat until they were a certain age or weight.