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Maryland car seat laws

Md. Code, Transp. § 22-412.2 · 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

A person transporting a child under the age of 2 years in a motor vehicle shall secure the child in a rear-facing child safety seat that complies with applicable federal regulations until the child reaches the weight or height limit specified by the manufacturer of the child safety seat.

§ 22-412.2(d)(2).

What the law sets

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

Not set in § 22-412.2(d)(2); the limit is the rear-facing seat manufacturer's weight limit.

Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 22-412.2(d)(2); the limit is the rear-facing seat manufacturer's height limit.

Leaving rear-facing
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

A child leaves rear-facing on turning 2 or on reaching the seat manufacturer's weight or height limit.

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 § 22-412.2; the section requires a child safety seat but sets no forward-facing harness rule.

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 22-412.2; the section requires a child safety seat but sets no forward-facing harness rule.

Harness until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 22-412.2.

Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 22-412.2.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 22-412.2.

Leaving the harness
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 22-412.2.

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

Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, a person transporting a child under the age of 8 years in a motor vehicle shall secure the child in a child safety seat in accordance with the child safety seat and vehicle manufacturers' instructions unless the child is 4 feet, 9 inches tall or taller.

§ 22-412.2(d)(1). "Child safety seat" includes a child booster seat (§ 22-412.2(a)(2)); a booster is not specifically required.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

Any child safety seat, including a booster, satisfies § 22-412.2(d)(1).

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

Not set in § 22-412.2(d).

Booster until height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)

The statute says "4 feet, 9 inches tall or taller", so a child of exactly 57 inches is no longer covered.

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

A child leaves the requirement on turning 8 or on reaching 4 feet 9 inches, 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

Subject to subsection (d) of this section, a person may not transport a child under the age of 16 years unless the child is secured in: (1) A child safety seat in accordance with the child safety seat and vehicle manufacturers' instructions; or (2) A seat belt.

§ 22-412.2(e).

What the law sets

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

4 feet 9 inches or taller, per § 22-412.2(d)(1).

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
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 22-412.2.

Minimum age for the front seat
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 22-412.2.

Conditions
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in § 22-412.2.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$50

§ 22-412.2(k)(1)(i). A first violation for placing a child under 2 in a seat that is not rear-facing gets a written warning instead (§ 22-412.2(k)(1)(ii)).

Repeat offense — fine
$50

§ 22-412.2(k)(1) sets one $50 fine for every offense; there is no separate repeat penalty.

License points
No points

§ 22-412.2(i): a violation is not a moving violation for the point system in § 16-402, which assesses points for moving violations.

Fine waiver
A judge may waive the fine if the person did not have a child safety seat at the time, acquires one before the hearing date, and gives the court proof (§ 22-412.2(k)(2)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Exempt

§ 22-412.2(c) covers only Class A (passenger), Class E (truck) and Class M (multipurpose) vehicles; for-hire passenger vehicles are Class B (§ 13-913).

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

§ 22-412.2 does not address transportation network companies.

Buses
Exempt

§ 22-412.2(c) covers only Class A, E and M vehicles; school vehicles are Class H (§ 13-932) and charter or for-hire buses are Class P (§ 13-933).

Medical exemption
Exempt

§ 22-412.2(f): no violation if a licensed physician certifies in writing that a child safety seat is impractical for the child for a medical or physical reason.

Out-of-state vehicles
Car seat law applies

§ 22-412.2(c)(2) covers vehicles registered in another state or Puerto Rico of the same types.

How Maryland compares

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

Compared with Delaware, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, Maryland differs on: rear-facing rules (from Delaware, District of Columbia, and West Virginia), booster rules (from Delaware, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia), and front-seat rules (from Delaware).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Maryland law: a rear-facing seat is required until the child reaches age 2. 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.
  • Maryland 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.
  • Maryland 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.
  • Maryland 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 Maryland

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 Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Maryland 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 Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration before relying on anything here.