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Illinois car seat laws

625 ILCS 25/4 · 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

When any person is transporting a child in this State who is under the age of 2 years in a motor vehicle of the first division or motor vehicle of the second division weighing 9,000 pounds or less, he or she shall be responsible for properly securing the child in a rear-facing child restraint system, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25.

What the law sets

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

The rule does not apply once the child weighs 40 or more pounds.

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

The rule does not apply once the child is 40 or more inches tall.

Leaving rear-facing
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

The "unless" clause ends the rear-facing rule on reaching two years, 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.

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25; the section requires an appropriate child restraint system for a child under eight and names only the rear-facing seat, not a forward-facing harness.

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25; the section requires an appropriate child restraint system for a child under eight and names only the rear-facing seat, not a forward-facing harness.

Harness until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25.

Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25.

Leaving the harness
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25.

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

When any person is transporting a child in this State under the age of 8 years in a non-commercial motor vehicle of the first division, any truck or truck tractor that is equipped with seat safety belts, any other motor vehicle of the second division with a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds or less, or a recreational vehicle on the roadways, streets or highways of this State, such person shall be responsible for providing for the protection of such child by properly securing him or her in an appropriate child restraint system.

Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25. "Child restraint system" is defined in the same section as any device meeting U.S. Department of Transportation standards designed to restrain, seat or position children, which also includes a booster seat.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

Any appropriate child restraint system, including a booster, satisfies Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25.

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

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25. A child over 40 pounds may ride in the back seat on a lap belt alone only where the back seat has no lap and shoulder belt.

Booster until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25.

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Age is the only limit: the requirement ends at eight.

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

Every person, when transporting a child 8 years of age or older but under the age of 16, as provided in Section 4 of this Act, shall be responsible for properly securing that child in seat belts.

Sec. 4a of 625 ILCS 25. Under Sec. 4b of 625 ILCS 25, a driver under 18 must secure a child 8 to 18 in a belt or a child restraint system.

What the law sets

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

Not set in Sec. 4a of 625 ILCS 25; no height condition.

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

Age is the only condition.

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 the Child Passenger Protection Act, 625 ILCS 25, Sec. 1 through Sec. 9.

Minimum age for the front seat
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in the Child Passenger Protection Act, 625 ILCS 25, Sec. 1 through Sec. 9.

Conditions
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in the Child Passenger Protection Act, 625 ILCS 25, Sec. 1 through Sec. 9.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$75

Sec. 6(a) of 625 ILCS 25: a first violation is a petty offense punishable by a fine of $75.

Repeat offense — fine
$200

Sec. 6(c) of 625 ILCS 25: a second or subsequent violation is a petty offense punishable by a fine of $200.

License points
None

92 Ill. Adm. Code 1040.20(e) lists Child Passenger Protection Act violations (25/4, 25/4a, 25/4b) among convictions entered on the driving record with no point value.

Fine waiver
A person charged under Section 4 is not convicted if they produce in court evidence of possessing an approved child restraint system and proof of completing a child passenger safety instructional course (Sec. 6(b) and Sec. 6a of 625 ILCS 25). This does not apply to a second or subsequent violation (Sec. 6(d) of 625 ILCS 25).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Not addressed in statute

Section 4 of 625 ILCS 25 covers a non-commercial motor vehicle of the first division and does not name taxis; the rear-facing paragraph covers any first-division vehicle.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

Sec. 1 through Sec. 9 of 625 ILCS 25 do not address transportation network companies.

Buses
Exempt

Sec. 4 of 625 ILCS 25 reaches second-division vehicles only up to a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds, which leaves out full-size buses; buses are not named.

Medical exemption
Exempt

Sec. 7 of 625 ILCS 25: the Act does not apply to a child passenger with a physical disability that prevents appropriate restraint, certified by a physician stating the nature of the disability and why restraint is inappropriate.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

Sec. 1 through Sec. 9 of 625 ILCS 25 do not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Illinois compares

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

Compared with Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin, Illinois differs on: rear-facing rules (from Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin), booster rules (from Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin), and front-seat rules (from Wisconsin).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Illinois 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.
  • Illinois 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.
  • Illinois law: a booster seat is required until the child reaches age 8. 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.
  • Illinois law: a child may use the seat belt alone once reaching age 8. 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.

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 Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Illinois 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 Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services before relying on anything here.