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Alabama car seat laws

Ala. Code § 32-5-222 · Last checked September 23, 2026

Car seat stages

The statute text comes first. Numbers are a summary for comparison, not a replacement for the law.

Rear-facing seat

Statute text

Infant only seats and convertible seats used in the rear facing position for infants until at least one year of age or 20 pounds.

§ 32-5-222(b)(1). The same text is published by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

What the law sets

Rear-facing seat required by law
Yes
Rear-facing until age
1 year
Rear-facing until weight
20 lb
Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 32-5-222(b).

Leaving rear-facing
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

The rule runs "until at least one year of age or 20 pounds", so reaching either limit ends the rear-facing requirement.

Recommended (not law)

NHTSA

Children under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible — it's the best way to keep them safe — until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat's manufacturer.

NHTSA – Car Seats and Booster Seats

AAP

All infants should ride rear-facing, starting with their first ride home from the hospital, and should continue riding rear-facing as long as possible until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.

HealthyChildren.org (AAP) – Car Safety Seats: Information for Families

Forward-facing harness seat

Statute text

Convertible seats in the forward position or forward facing seats until the child is at least five years of age or 40 pounds.

§ 32-5-222(b)(2).

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Yes
Harness until age
5 years
Harness until weight
40 lb
Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 32-5-222(b).

Leaving the harness
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

The rule runs "until the child is at least five years of age or 40 pounds", so reaching either limit ends it.

Recommended (not law)

NHTSA

Once a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, they are ready for a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether. Keep the child in the forward-facing seat until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat's manufacturer, then move to a booster seat, still in the back seat.

NHTSA – Car Seats and Booster Seats

AAP

Children should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness after outgrowing the rear-facing weight or height limit. It is best for children to ride in a seat with a harness as long as possible, at least to 4 years of age.

HealthyChildren.org (AAP) – Car Safety Seats: Information for Families

Booster seat

Statute text

Booster seats until the child is six years of age.

§ 32-5-222(b)(3).

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes
Booster until age
6 years
Booster until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 32-5-222(b)(3).

Booster until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 32-5-222(b)(3).

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Age is the only limit: the booster requirement ends at six.

Recommended (not law)

NHTSA

Keep your child in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit in a seat belt properly — the lap belt lying snugly across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt snug across the shoulder and chest (not the neck or face).

NHTSA – Car Seats and Booster Seats

AAP

All children whose weight or height exceeds the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 to 12 years of age.

HealthyChildren.org (AAP) – Car Safety Seats: Information for Families

Seat belt

Statute text

Seat belts until 15 years of age.

§ 32-5-222(b)(4); a seat belt is the size-appropriate restraint once the booster stage ends at age six.

What the law sets

Seat belt alone from age
6 years

The booster stage in § 32-5-222(b)(3) ends at six.

Seat belt alone from height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 32-5-222(b).

Moving to the seat belt
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Recommended (not law)

NHTSA

Once a child is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly, they can ride with just the lap-and-shoulder belt, but should still ride in the back seat — NHTSA recommends keeping children in the back seat at least through age 12.

NHTSA – Car Seats and Booster Seats

AAP

Children should transition to the vehicle seat belt once it fits properly, typically at about 4 feet 9 inches in height and 8 to 12 years of age; all children younger than 13 years should ride in the back seat.

HealthyChildren.org (AAP) – Car Safety Seats: Information for Families

Front seat

Many states have no front-seat age in statute. Where that is the case, we say so and cite the section we read.

Front seat — statute text
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 32-5-222.

Minimum age for the front seat
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 32-5-222.

Conditions
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 32-5-222.

Penalties

What a car seat ticket costs, and whether showing proof of a proper seat can cancel it.

First offense — fine
$25

§ 32-5-222(d): a violator "may be fined twenty-five dollars ($25) for each offense".

Repeat offense — fine
$25

§ 32-5-222(d) sets the same $25 for each offense; there is no separate repeat penalty.

License points
1 point for a first offense; 2 points for a second or subsequent offense

§ 32-5-222(g).

Fine waiver
The trial judge may dismiss the charge, with no court costs, on proof of acquisition of an appropriate child passenger restraint (§ 32-5-222(d)).

Exemptions

Exempt means the statute excludes it. Silent means the statute does not address it.

Taxis
Exempt

§ 32-5-222(h): the provisions do not apply to taxis.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

§ 32-5-222 does not address transportation network companies.

Buses
Exempt

§ 32-5-222(h) excludes motor vehicles seating 11 or more passengers, and § 32-5-222(a) limits "motor vehicle" to cars, pickups, vans seating 10 or fewer, minivans and SUVs.

Medical exemption
Not addressed in statute

§ 32-5-222 has no medical exemption.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

§ 32-5-222 does not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Alabama compares

Alabama is tied for 42nd of 47 jurisdictions with a numeric booster age: 5 jurisdictions, including Alabama, require a booster until age 6.

Compared with Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, Alabama differs on: rear-facing rules (from Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi), booster rules (from Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee), and front-seat rules (from Georgia).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Alabama law: a rear-facing seat is required until the child reaches age 1 or 20 lb, whichever comes first. AAP recommends: All infants should ride rear-facing, starting with their first ride home from the hospital, and should continue riding rear-facing as long as possible until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.
  • Alabama law: a forward-facing harness seat is required until the child reaches age 5 or 40 lb, whichever comes first. AAP recommends: Children should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness after outgrowing the rear-facing weight or height limit. It is best for children to ride in a seat with a harness as long as possible, at least to 4 years of age.
  • Alabama law: a booster seat is required until the child reaches age 6. AAP recommends: All children whose weight or height exceeds the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 to 12 years of age.
  • Alabama law: a child may use the seat belt alone once reaching age 6. AAP recommends: Children should transition to the vehicle seat belt once it fits properly, typically at about 4 feet 9 inches in height and 8 to 12 years of age; all children younger than 13 years should ride in the back seat.

See every state side by side on the comparison pages.

Guides covering Alabama

Sources

State law comes from the statute or state agency below. Recommendations come from NHTSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The responsible agency is Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Alabama law for reference. It is not legal or medical advice. The statute text is the law; the numbers are our summary of it. Legal minimums are not safety recommendations: NHTSA and the AAP recommend keeping a child in each stage for as long as the seat allows. Check the statute or Alabama Law Enforcement Agency before relying on anything here.