California has strict child passenger safety laws to protect kids:
Children Under 2 Years Old
- Must ride in a rear-facing child safety seat unless the child:
- Weighs 40 or more pounds, or
- Is 40 or more inches tall
- Rear-facing seats offer better support for infants’ heads, necks, and spines.
- Never place a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag – it’s dangerous.
- The back seat is the safest place.
Children Under 8 Years Old (or Under 4’9” Tall)
- Must be secured in a child safety seat or booster seat in the back seat.
- Progression of restraint:
- Rear-facing seat (until at least age 2 and until maxing out limits)
- Forward-facing harness seat
- Booster seat (until seat belt fits properly)
- Booster lifts child so seat belt fits correctly.
Back Seat Requirement
- Children under 8 must sit in the back seat, not the front,
- Unless:
- The vehicle has no rear seats
- The rear seats are side- or rear-facing jump seats
- There is a medical necessity (with a doctor’s note)
- All rear seats are occupied by younger children
- Unless:
- Back seat is much safer in a crash due to distance from airbags and frontal impacts.
Children 8 to 16 (or 4’9” and Taller)
- Must wear a seat belt properly.
- They may use the vehicle’s regular seat belt if it fits:
- Lap belt low on hips, touching thighs
- Shoulder belt across the chest
- If the belt doesn’t fit properly, a booster seat is still recommended.
- Many kids need a booster until age 10–12 for proper belt fit.
- Legally at age 8 or 4’9”, the booster is no longer required, but may still be safest.
Penalties
- Fines are significant for failing to properly restrain a child.
- The driver receives a point on their driving record.
- More importantly, unrestrained children can be seriously injured or killed even in minor crashes.