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Arizona car seat laws

Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-907 · 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

Not addressed in statute.

Not set in § 28-907; the section requires a child restraint system meeting 49 C.F.R. 571.213 but sets no rear-facing rule.

What the law sets

Rear-facing seat required by law
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907; a child under five must be in a child restraint system, but the section does not say which way it faces.

Rear-facing until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

Rear-facing until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

Leaving rear-facing
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

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

Not addressed in statute.

Not set in § 28-907; the section names no harness or forward-facing stage.

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907; any child restraint system meeting 49 C.F.R. 571.213 satisfies the section.

Harness until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

Leaving the harness
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

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

Except as provided in subsection H of this section, a person shall not operate a motor vehicle on the highways in this state when transporting a child who is under five years of age unless that child is properly secured in a child restraint system. The operator of a motor vehicle that is designed for carrying ten or fewer passengers, that is manufactured for the model year 1972 and thereafter and that is required to be equipped with an integrated lap and shoulder belt or a lap belt pursuant to the federal motor vehicle safety standards prescribed in 49 Code of Federal Regulations section 571.208 shall require each passenger who is at least five years of age, who is under eight years of age and who is not more than four feet nine inches tall to be restrained in a child restraint system.

§ 28-907(A) and (B). A child under five needs any child restraint system; from five to seven the requirement continues while the child is 4 feet 9 inches or shorter. "Child restraint system" includes a booster seat (§ 28-907(O)(1)), but the statute does not set a separate booster stage.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

Any child restraint system meeting 49 C.F.R. 571.213, including a booster seat, satisfies § 28-907.

Booster until age
8 years
Booster until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 28-907.

Booster until height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)

"Not more than four feet nine inches tall" (§ 28-907(B)), so a child of exactly 57 inches is still covered; the height limit applies only from age five.

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

From age five the requirement ends on turning eight or on growing taller than 4 feet 9 inches, whichever comes first; before five, age alone does not end it.

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

The operator of a motor vehicle that is designed for carrying ten or fewer passengers, that is manufactured for the model year 1972 and thereafter and that is required to be equipped with an integrated lap and shoulder belt or a lap belt pursuant to the federal motor vehicle safety standards prescribed in 49 Code of Federal Regulations section 571.208 shall require each passenger under sixteen years of age to either: 1. Have the lap and shoulder belt properly adjusted and fastened while the vehicle is in motion. 2. If only a lap belt is installed where the passenger is sitting, have the lap belt properly adjusted and fastened while the vehicle is in motion.

§ 28-909(B); under § 28-909(F)(1) it does not apply to a child who is subject to § 28-907.

What the law sets

Seat belt alone from age
8 years
Seat belt alone from height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)

A child of five, six or seven who is taller than 4 feet 9 inches is outside § 28-907(B) and uses the seat belt.

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

The belt alone is allowed at eight, or from five once the child is taller than 4 feet 9 inches.

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 § 28-907; the section sets no seating position and no air bag rule.

Minimum age for the front seat
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 28-907.

Conditions
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 28-907.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$50

§ 28-907(D): a civil penalty of $50, exclusive of the surcharges imposed under §§ 12-116.01 and 12-116.02.

Repeat offense — fine
$50

§ 28-907 sets no separate repeat penalty; the same $50 civil penalty applies to every violation.

License points
None

Not set in § 28-907. Arizona assesses points only on conviction for a moving traffic violation (ADOT points assessment table: 8 for DUI or reckless driving down to 2 for all other moving violations); § 28-907 creates a civil penalty and names no points.

Fine waiver
A civil penalty is not imposed if the person makes a sufficient showing that the vehicle has since been equipped with a child restraint system meeting the standards in § 28-907(C); a receipt mailed to the court officer evidencing purchase or acquisition may be enough (§ 28-907(D)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Not addressed in statute

§ 28-907(H) does not name taxicabs; a taxi designed for ten or fewer passengers is covered like any other motor vehicle.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

§ 28-907(H) does not name transportation network companies or their drivers.

Buses
Exempt

§ 28-907(H)(3) exempts a person operating a commercial motor vehicle who holds a commercial driver license, and § 28-907(B) reaches only vehicles designed for ten or fewer passengers.

Medical exemption
Exempt

§ 28-907(H)(4) and (H)(5) exempt a person who must transport a child in an emergency to obtain necessary medical care and an authorized emergency vehicle transporting a child for medical care.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

§ 28-907 does not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Arizona compares

Arizona is tied for 6th of 47 jurisdictions with a numeric booster age: 33 jurisdictions, including Arizona, require a booster until age 8.

Compared with California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, Arizona differs on: rear-facing rules (from California, Nevada, and New Mexico), booster rules (from Nevada and New Mexico), and front-seat rules (from California, Nevada, and New Mexico).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Arizona law does not address this stage. 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.
  • Arizona law does not address this stage. 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.
  • Arizona law: a booster seat is required until the child reaches age 8 or 57 in, whichever comes first. 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.
  • Arizona law: a child may use the seat belt alone once reaching age 8 or 57 in, whichever comes first. 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 Arizona

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 Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Arizona 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 Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division before relying on anything here.