Rear-Facing Car Seat Laws by State
The legal minimum for rear-facing in each state. NHTSA and the AAP recommend rear-facing for as long as the seat allows, which is usually well past the legal minimum.
| State | Required by law | Until age | Until weight | Until height | Leaving rear-facing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | 1 year | 20 lb | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Ala. Code § 32-5-222checked September 23, 2026 |
| Alaska | Yes | 1 year | 20 lb | Not addressed in statute | Every listed limit must be met | Alaska Stat. § 28.05.095checked September 23, 2026 |
| Arizona | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-907checked September 23, 2026 |
| Arkansas | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Ark. Code Ann. § 27-34-104 (official code linked from the Arkansas Legislature)checked September 23, 2026 |
| California | Yes | 2 years | 40 lb | 40 in (3 ft 4 in) | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Cal. Veh. Code §§ 27360, 27360.5, 27363checked September 23, 2026 |
| Colorado | Yes | 2 years | 40 lb | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | C.R.S. § 42-4-236checked September 23, 2026 |
| Connecticut | Yes | 2 years | 30 lb | Not addressed in statute | Every listed limit must be met | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-100achecked September 23, 2026 |
| Delaware | Yes | 2 years | 30 lb | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | 21 Del. C. § 4803checked September 23, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Yes | 2 years | 40 lb | 40 in (3 ft 4 in) | A combination of conditions (see statute text): age>=2yr OR (weight>=40lb AND height>=40in) | D.C. Code § 50-1703checked September 23, 2026 |
| Florida | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Fla. Stat. § 316.613checked September 23, 2026 |
| Georgia | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | O.C.G.A. § 40-8-76 (official Code of Georgia, LexisNexis public access)checked September 23, 2026 |
| Hawaii | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 291-11.5checked September 23, 2026 |
| Idaho | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Idaho Code § 49-672checked September 23, 2026 |
| Illinois | Yes | 2 years | 40 lb | 40 in (3 ft 4 in) | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | 625 ILCS 25, Child Passenger Protection Actchecked September 23, 2026 |
| Indiana | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Ind. Code 9-19-11checked September 23, 2026 |
| Iowa | Yes | 1 year | 20 lb | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Iowa Code § 321.446checked September 23, 2026 |
| Kansas | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | K.S.A. 8-1344checked September 23, 2026 |
| Kentucky | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | KRS 189.125checked September 23, 2026 |
| Louisiana | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Every listed limit must be met | La. R.S. 32:295checked September 23, 2026 |
| Maine | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | 29-A M.R.S. § 2081checked September 23, 2026 |
| Maryland | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Md. Code, Transp. § 22-412.2checked September 23, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 7AAchecked September 23, 2026 |
| Michigan | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | MCL 257.710dchecked September 23, 2026 |
| Minnesota | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Every listed limit must be met | Minn. Stat. § 169.685checked September 23, 2026 |
| Mississippi | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Miss. Code Ann. §§ 63-7-301, 63-7-309 (official code published by LexisNexis via the Secretary of State)checked September 23, 2026 |
| Missouri | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 307.179checked September 23, 2026 |
| Montana | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-420checked September 23, 2026 |
| Nebraska | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,267checked September 23, 2026 |
| Nevada | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484B.157checked September 23, 2026 |
| New Hampshire | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:107-achecked September 23, 2026 |
| New Jersey | Yes | 2 years | 30 lb | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.2a, 39:3-76.2f (N.J. Legislative Statutes)checked September 23, 2026 |
| New Mexico | Yes | 1 year | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 66-7-369checked September 23, 2026 |
| New York | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1229-cchecked September 23, 2026 |
| North Carolina | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-137.1checked September 23, 2026 |
| North Dakota | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | N.D.C.C. § 39-21-41.2checked September 23, 2026 |
| Ohio | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.81checked September 23, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | 47 O.S. § 11-1112checked September 23, 2026 |
| Oregon | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Or. Rev. Stat. § 811.210checked September 23, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | 75 Pa.C.S. § 4581checked September 23, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | Yes | 2 years | 30 lb | Not addressed in statute | Every listed limit must be met | R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-22checked September 23, 2026 |
| South Carolina | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | S.C. Code §§ 56-5-6410 to 56-5-6470checked September 23, 2026 |
| South Dakota | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | SDCL 32-37-1checked September 23, 2026 |
| Tennessee | Yes | 1 year | 20 lb | Not addressed in statute | Every listed limit must be met | Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-9-602 (Tennessee Code Unannotated, LexisNexis free public access)checked September 23, 2026 |
| Texas | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Tex. Transp. Code §§ 545.412, 545.413checked September 23, 2026 |
| Utah | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Utah Code § 41-6a-1803checked September 23, 2026 |
| Vermont | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | 23 V.S.A. § 1258checked September 23, 2026 |
| Virginia | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | Va. Code § 46.2-1095checked September 23, 2026 |
| Washington | Yes | 2 years | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Meeting any one listed limit is enough | RCW 46.61.687checked September 23, 2026 |
| West Virginia | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | W. Va. Code § 17C-15-46checked September 23, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Yes | 1 year | 20 lb | Not addressed in statute | Every listed limit must be met | Wis. Stat. § 347.48checked September 23, 2026 |
| Wyoming | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Not addressed in statute | Wyo. Stat. §§ 31-5-1302 to 31-5-1304, 31-5-1402checked September 23, 2026 |
Numbers summarize each statute; the statute text on each state page is the law. This is a reference, not legal advice.