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California car seat laws

Cal. Veh. Code §§ 27360, 27360.5, 27363 · 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

Except as provided in Section 27363, a parent, legal guardian, or driver who transports a child under two years of age on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 27315, shall properly secure the child in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system that meets applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the child passenger restraint system.

Veh. Code § 27360(b).

What the law sets

Rear-facing seat required by law
Yes
Rear-facing until age
2 years
Rear-facing until weight
40 lb

"40 or more pounds": a child of exactly 40 pounds may leave rear-facing.

Rear-facing until height
40 in (3 ft 4 in)

"40 or more inches tall": a child of exactly 40 inches may leave rear-facing.

Leaving rear-facing
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

A child leaves rear-facing at age two, or earlier at 40 pounds or 40 inches, whichever comes first.

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.

No forward-facing or harness stage in § 27360; after rear-facing, § 27360(a) requires only an appropriate child passenger restraint system until age eight.

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 27360; any appropriate child passenger restraint system satisfies § 27360(a) after the rear-facing stage.

Harness until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 27360.

Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 27360.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 27360.

Leaving the harness
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 27360.

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 Section 27363, a parent, legal guardian, or driver who transports a child under eight years of age on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 27315, shall properly secure that child in a rear seat in an appropriate child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.

§ 27360(a). The statute does not name booster seats; it requires any appropriate child passenger restraint system, and these booster fields record when that requirement ends. Under § 27363(d), a child under eight who is 4 feet 9 inches or taller may use a safety belt instead.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

Any appropriate child passenger restraint system satisfies § 27360(a); a booster is not specifically required.

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

Not set in §§ 27360 or 27363.

Booster until height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)

"Four feet nine inches in height or taller" (§ 27363(d)): a child of exactly 57 inches may use the belt.

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough→ No numeric limit (see statute text) from January 1, 2027

The restraint requirement ends at age eight, or earlier at 4 feet 9 inches (§ 27363(d)), whichever comes first.

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

A parent, legal guardian, or driver shall not transport on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 27315, a child or ward who is eight years of age or older, but less than 16 years of age, without properly securing that child or ward in an appropriate child passenger restraint system or safety belt meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.

§ 27360.5(a), version in effect until January 1, 2027. A child under eight who is 4 feet 9 inches or taller may also use a safety belt (§ 27363(d)).

What the law sets

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

§ 27363(d): a child under eight who is 4 feet 9 inches or taller may use a safety belt.

Moving to the seat belt
Meeting any one listed limit is enough→ No numeric limit (see statute text) from January 1, 2027

The belt is allowed at age eight or at 4 feet 9 inches, whichever comes first.

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
Except as provided in Section 27363, a parent, legal guardian, or driver who transports a child under eight years of age on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 27315, shall properly secure that child in a rear seat in an appropriate child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.

§ 27360(a).

Minimum age for the front seat
8 years
Conditions
Children under 8 ride in a rear seat. They may ride in the front in a child restraint if there is no rear seat, the rear seats are side-facing jump seats or rear-facing, the restraint cannot be installed properly in the rear, all rear seats are taken by children 7 or under, or for medical reasons (§ 27363(e)). A rear-facing seat may never go in front of an active frontal passenger airbag (§ 27363(f)).

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$100

§ 27360.6(a)(1) sets a $100 fine for a first conviction under § 27360 or § 27360.5, before court penalty assessments.

Repeat offense — fine
$250

§ 27360.6(b)(1) sets a $250 fine for a second or subsequent conviction, before court penalty assessments.

License points
1 point

Veh. Code § 12810(h): a conviction under § 27360 or § 27360.5 is given one violation point.

Fine waiver
The court may reduce or waive the fine if the defendant shows economic disadvantage and completes a community child passenger restraint education program instead; the conviction is still reported to the DMV (§ 27360.6(a)-(b)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Not addressed in statute

Article 3.3 (§§ 27360-27368) does not name taxicabs; a taxi is a passenger vehicle within the § 27315(c)(1) definition the article uses.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

Article 3.3 (§§ 27360-27368) does not name transportation network companies.

Buses
Exempt

§ 27360 applies to a "motor vehicle" as defined in § 27315(c)(1) (passenger vehicle, motortruck, truck tractor); § 465 defines a passenger vehicle as other than a bus.

Medical exemption
Exempt

§ 27363(a): the court may exempt a child for whom a restraint system is impractical because of physical unfitness, medical condition or size, and may require proof.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

Article 3.3 (§§ 27360-27368) does not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How California compares

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

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

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • California law: a rear-facing seat is required until the child reaches age 2, 40 lb, or 40 in, 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.
  • California 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.
  • California 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.
  • California 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 California

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 California Highway Patrol.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes California 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 California Highway Patrol before relying on anything here.