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Connecticut car seat laws

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-100a · 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

Any person who transports a child under two years of age or weighing less than thirty pounds in a motor vehicle on the highways of this state shall provide and require the child to ride rear-facing in a child restraint system equipped with a five-point harness approved pursuant to regulations that the Department of Motor Vehicles shall adopt in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

§ 14-100a(d)(1)(A).

What the law sets

Rear-facing seat required by law
Yes
Rear-facing until age
2 years
Rear-facing until weight
30 lb
Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 14-100a(d).

Leaving rear-facing
Every listed limit must be met

The rule covers a child under two OR under 30 pounds, so a child must be at least two AND at least 30 pounds to leave rear-facing.

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

Any person who transports a child under five years of age, but not under two years of age, or weighing less than forty pounds, but not less than thirty pounds, in a motor vehicle on the highways of this state shall provide and require the child to ride rear-facing or forward-facing in a child restraint system equipped with a five-point harness approved pursuant to such regulations.

§ 14-100a(d)(1)(B).

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Yes

A five-point harness is required; it may face rear or forward.

Harness until age
5 years
Harness until weight
40 lb
Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 14-100a(d).

Leaving the harness
Every listed limit must be met

A child must be at least five AND at least 40 pounds to leave the harness.

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

Any person who transports a child under eight years of age, but not under five years of age, or weighing less than sixty pounds, but not less than forty pounds, in a motor vehicle on the highways of this state shall provide and require the child to ride rear-facing or forward-facing in a child restraint system equipped with a five-point harness or a booster seat secured by a seat safety belt approved pursuant to such regulations.

§ 14-100a(d)(1)(C). Under § 14-100a(d)(4), a booster may be used only with a belt that includes a shoulder belt.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

A booster seat or a five-point harness seat is required.

Booster until age
8 years
Booster until weight
60 lb
Booster until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 14-100a(d).

Leaving the booster
Every listed limit must be met

A child must be at least eight AND at least 60 pounds to leave the booster.

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

Any person who transports a child eight years of age or older and weighing sixty or more pounds in a motor vehicle on the highways of this state shall either provide and require the child to use an approved child restraint system or require the child to use a seat safety belt.

§ 14-100a(d)(2).

What the law sets

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

Not set in § 14-100a(d).

Moving to the seat belt
A combination of conditions (see statute text)

The belt rule needs both age eight and 60 pounds; there is no belt weight field, so the condition is written out.

Moving to the seat belt — conditions
age>=8yr AND weight>=60lb

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
No person shall transport a child in a motor vehicle on the highways of this state in a rear-facing child restraint system in the front seat of any motor vehicle that is equipped with a functional air bag on the passenger side of such motor vehicle.

§ 14-100a(d)(1)(D).

Minimum age for the front seat
Not addressed in statute

No minimum front-seat age in § 14-100a(d).

Conditions
A rear-facing seat may not be placed in the front seat of a vehicle with a functional passenger-side air bag.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$50 – $90

A first violation is an infraction (§ 14-100a(d)(5)); § 51-164m(c)(2) sets title 14 infraction fines at $50 to $90 on the court's schedule.

Repeat offense — fine
Up to $199

Second violation: fine of not more than $199. A third or later violation is a class A misdemeanor (§ 14-100a(d)(5)).

License points
At least 2 points on conviction

§ 14-137a(1) requires the point regulations to assess not less than two points for a conviction under § 14-100a(d). Under § 14-137a(4), no points are assessed when the fine is paid to the Centralized Infractions Bureau without a court conviction. First and second violators must also complete a child car seat safety course (§ 14-100a(d)(5)).

Fine waiver
The court may remit the fine for a first-time violator who shows proof of acquiring, renting or buying an appropriate child restraint system or booster seat within 14 days of the violation (§ 14-100a(d)(5)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Not addressed in statute

§ 14-100a(d) does not address taxis or livery vehicles.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

§ 14-100a(d) does not address transportation network companies.

Buses
Exempt

§ 14-100a(d)(2): "motor vehicle" in subsection (d) does not mean a bus having a tonnage rating of one ton or more. Student transportation vehicles follow § 14-100a(d)(3).

Medical exemption
Not addressed in statute

§ 14-100a(d) has no medical exemption; the physician-statement exemption in § 14-100a(c)(2)(A) is written for the seat belt rule in subsection (c)(1).

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

§ 14-100a(d) does not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Connecticut compares

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

Compared with Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, Connecticut differs on: rear-facing rules (from Massachusetts and New York), booster rules (from Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island), and front-seat rules (from Rhode Island).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Connecticut law: a rear-facing seat is required until the child reaches age 2 and 30 lb. 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.
  • Connecticut law: a forward-facing harness seat is required until the child reaches age 5 and 40 lb. 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.
  • Connecticut law: a booster seat is required until the child reaches age 8 and 60 lb. 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.
  • Connecticut law: a child may use the seat belt alone once this condition is met: age ≥ 8 yr and weight ≥ 60 lb. 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 Connecticut

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 Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Connecticut 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 Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles before relying on anything here.