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Colorado car seat laws

C.R.S. § 42-4-236 · 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

If the child is less than two years of age, the child shall be properly restrained in a rear seat of the vehicle, if a rear seat is available, and: (A) In a rear-facing child restraint system if the child weighs under forty pounds; or (B) In a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint system if the child weighs forty pounds or more.

C.R.S. § 42-4-236(2)(a)(II), the version effective January 1, 2025 (HB 24-1055).

What the law sets

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

A child under two who weighs 40 pounds or more may ride rear-facing or forward-facing (§ 42-4-236(2)(a)(II)(B)).

Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 42-4-236.

Leaving rear-facing
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Rear-facing ends at two, or earlier at 40 pounds.

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

If the child is two years of age or older, but less than four years of age, and weighs at least twenty pounds, the child shall be properly restrained: (A) In a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint system; and (B) In the rear seat of a vehicle, if a rear seat is available.

C.R.S. § 42-4-236(2)(a)(III), effective January 1, 2025.

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Yes

A child restraint system is required; it may face rear or forward.

Harness until age
4 years
Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

The 20 pounds in § 42-4-236(2)(a)(III) is a condition for the paragraph to apply, not a limit that ends the stage.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 42-4-236.

Leaving the harness
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Age is the limit: this stage runs from two to four.

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

If the child is four years of age or older, but less than nine years of age, and weighs at least forty pounds, the child shall be properly restrained: (A) In a child restraint system or booster seat; and (B) In the rear seat of a vehicle, if a rear seat is available.

C.R.S. § 42-4-236(2)(a)(IV), effective January 1, 2025. Before that date the requirement ended at eight.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

A booster seat or another child restraint system is required.

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

The 40 pounds in § 42-4-236(2)(a)(IV) is a condition for the paragraph to apply, not a limit that ends the stage.

Booster until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 42-4-236.

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

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

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

Unless excepted pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, every child who is at least nine years of age but less than eighteen years of age who is being transported in this state in a motor vehicle or in a vehicle operated by a child care center shall be properly restrained in a safety belt or child restraint system according to the manufacturer's instructions.

C.R.S. § 42-4-236(2)(b), effective January 1, 2025.

What the law sets

Seat belt alone from age
9 years
Seat belt alone from height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 42-4-236.

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
If the child is less than two years of age, the child shall be properly restrained in a rear seat of the vehicle, if a rear seat is available ... (III) ... (B) In the rear seat of a vehicle, if a rear seat is available. (IV) ... (B) In the rear seat of a vehicle, if a rear seat is available.

C.R.S. § 42-4-236(2)(a)(II)-(IV), effective January 1, 2025. Each stage under nine carries the same rear-seat condition.

Minimum age for the front seat
9 years

Every child under nine must ride in the rear seat if one is available (§ 42-4-236(2)(a)(II)-(IV)).

Conditions
A child under nine rides in the rear seat if a rear seat is available; the statute does not otherwise bar the front seat.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$65

A violation is a class B traffic infraction (§ 42-4-236(7)(a)); the penalty and surcharge schedule in § 42-4-1701(4)(a)(I) sets $65 plus a $16 surcharge for § 42-4-236.

Repeat offense — fine
$65

§ 42-4-236 sets no separate repeat penalty; the $65 schedule amount applies to every violation.

License points
None

A violation of § 42-4-236 is a class B traffic infraction, and § 42-2-127(5)(r) excludes class B traffic infractions from the 3-point catch-all. No other item in the § 42-2-127(5) schedule covers child restraints.

Fine waiver
The fine may be waived if the defendant presents the court with satisfactory evidence of the acquisition, purchase or rental of a child restraint system by the time of the court appearance (§ 42-4-236(8)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Exempt

§ 42-4-236(3)(f) excepts a child transported in a vehicle operated in the business of transporting persons for compensation or hire by or on behalf of a common carrier or contract carrier as defined in § 40-10.1-101, or a luxury limousine service.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

§ 42-4-236 does not name transportation network companies; whether the common or contract carrier exception in § 42-4-236(3)(f) reaches them is not stated.

Buses
Exempt

§ 42-4-236(1)(a.8) defines "motor vehicle" as a passenger car, pickup truck, or van, minivan or sport utility vehicle under 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating; buses are not included.

Medical exemption
Not addressed in statute

§ 42-4-236(3)(b) is an emergency-transport exception (a child under nine being transported because of a medical or other life-threatening emergency when a child restraint system is not available), not a physician's-certificate exemption; the statute has no physician exemption.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

§ 42-4-236 does not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Colorado compares

Colorado is tied for 1st of 47 jurisdictions with a numeric booster age: 5 jurisdictions, including Colorado, require a booster until age 9.

Compared with Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming, Colorado differs on: rear-facing rules (from Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming), booster rules (from Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah), and front-seat rules (from Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Colorado law: a rear-facing seat is required until the child reaches age 2 or 40 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.
  • Colorado law: a forward-facing harness seat is required until the child reaches age 4. 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.
  • Colorado law: a booster seat is required until the child reaches age 9. 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.
  • Colorado law: a child may use the seat belt alone once reaching age 9. 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.

Recent changes

Guides covering Colorado

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 Colorado Department of Transportation.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Colorado 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 Colorado Department of Transportation before relying on anything here.