Start Free Practice

Car seat and booster seat laws by state

Until what age a child must ride in a car seat, when a booster seat is required, and the age under which a child may not be left alone in a vehicle.

Updated October 20, 2026

Child passenger rules by state

StateCar seat until at leastBooster seat until at leastChild may not be left alone in car at
Alabama—6 years old—
Arizona5 years old8 years old—
Arkansas6 years old——
California8 years old—6 years old
Florida4 years old—5 years old
Georgia8 years old——
Hawaii4 years old——
Idaho6 years old——
Illinois8 years old——
Kansas4 years old8 years old—
Louisiana4 years old9 years old—
Maryland8 years old——
Massachusetts8 years old——
Michigan8 years old——
Minnesota—8 years old—
Mississippi4 years old——
Montana6 years old——
Nebraska8 years old——
Nevada6 years old——
New Hampshire7 years old——
New Jersey—8 years old—
New York4 years old——
North Carolina8 years old——
North Dakota8 years old——
Ohio4 years old8 years old—
Pennsylvania4 years old8 years old—
Rhode Island8 years old——
South Carolina8 years old——
Utah8 years old——
Wisconsin4 years old8 years old—
Wyoming9 years old——

States in the table: 31. A dash means we have not confirmed that rule in the handbook yet; states with no confirmed rules are not listed.

Good to know

  • Many states also set height or weight limits, so a child can move to the next seat earlier or later than the age shown. The handbook gives the exact condition.
  • The driver is usually responsible for children being properly restrained.

Where these numbers come from

Each value is the answer to a question in our state practice tests, and each of those questions is backed by a verbatim quote from the state's official driver handbook. Laws change: confirm with your state's handbook (linked on each state page) before you rely on a number.

Practise now

Questions

No. Many states also use height or weight. Check your state's handbook for the exact wording.