Booster seat requirements
Some records here have never been checked. 1 of the 51 records has not been compared against its statute since it was drafted, and says so on its own page. Treat those figures as a draft and read the statute the page links to.
There is no national booster seat law.
Each state writes its own, and they do not agree with each other. The rule that applies to you is your state’s. In 31 of the 51 it also ends once the child is big enough, whichever comes first.
- Car seat or booster until
- age 5 to 16
- Or until the child reaches
- 57 in 4 ft 9 in
- Back seat until
- age 1 to 13
Booster seat age
A car seat or booster is required until an age between 5 and 16, depending on the state. The states disagree by 11 years, and 32 of the 51 use age 8.
- age 5 1
- South Dakota
- age 6 5
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Iowa
- Nevada
- age 7 4
- Idaho
- Mississippi
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- age 8 32
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- age 9 6
- Colorado
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Tennessee
- Wyoming
- age 10 1
- Hawaii
- age 16 1
- Washington
- no age set 1
- Delaware
Age is not the only test. 28 of the 51 also end the requirement once a child is tall enough, at 57 inches (4 ft 9 in). 10 set a weight as an alternative, so meeting either is enough. That size is an escape from the age rule, not a second condition added to it. The exception is Hawaii, where the size only releases a child who has also reached a set age, so there both have to be true.
Booster seat requirements by state
| State | Car seat or booster until | Or this size | Back seat until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | age 6 | age only | not recorded |
| Alaska | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) or 65 lb | not recorded |
| Arizona | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Arkansas | age 6 | 60 lb | not recorded |
| California | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 8 |
| Colorado | age 9 | age only | age 9 |
| Connecticut | age 8 | age only | not recorded |
| Delaware | no age set | conditions apply | age 12 |
| District of Columbia | age 8 | age only | not recorded |
| Florida | age 6 | age only | not recorded |
| Georgia | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 8 |
| Hawaii | age 10 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in), from age 7 | not recorded |
| Idaho | age 7 | age only | not recorded |
| Illinois | age 8 | age only | not recorded |
| Indiana | age 8 | age only | not recorded |
| Iowa | age 6 | age only | not recorded |
| Kansas | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) or 80 lb | not recorded |
| Kentucky | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Louisiana | age 9 | age only | age 13 |
| Maine | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) or 80 lb | age 12 |
| Maryland | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Massachusetts | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Michigan | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 13 |
| Minnesota | age 9 | age only | age 13 |
| Mississippi | age 7 | conditions apply | not recorded |
| Missouri | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) or 80 lb | not recorded |
| Montana | age 9 | age only | not recorded |
| Nebraska | age 8 | age only | age 8 |
| Nevada | age 6 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 2 |
| New Hampshire | age 7 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| New Jersey | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 8, with conditions |
| New Mexico | age 7 | conditions apply | age 1, with conditions |
| New York | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) or 100 lb plus conditions | not recorded |
| North Carolina | age 8 | 80 lb plus conditions | age 5, with conditions |
| North Dakota | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Ohio | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) plus conditions | not recorded |
| Oklahoma | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Oregon | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Pennsylvania | age 8 | age only | not recorded |
| Rhode Island | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) or 80 lb | age 8 |
| South Carolina | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 8 |
| South Dakota | age 5 | 40 lb | not recorded |
| Tennessee | age 9 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 9, with conditions |
| Texas | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Utah | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Vermont | age 8 | age only | age 13 |
| Virginia | age 8 | age only | age 8 |
| Washington | age 16 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | age 13 |
| West Virginia | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) | not recorded |
| Wisconsin | age 8 | 57 in (4 ft 9 in) or 80 lb | not recorded |
| Wyoming | age 9 | age only | age 9 |
1 jurisdiction has a change that is not in force yet. It is on that page, marked as upcoming and kept separate from the rule that applies today.
How these figures are checked
- Source
- Each state’s own vehicle code, cited in full on that state’s page
- Published
- 51 of 51 jurisdictions
- Read at the statute
- 50 of 51
- Signed off by a person
- 0 of 51
- Past review window
- None
- Oldest record reviewed
- 4 October 2026
- Newest record reviewed
- 4 October 2026
Read at the state’s own code or legislature, never at a roundup or a summary table, because those contradict each other. This is information, not legal advice. A city or county rule can be stricter than the state one.