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Minnesota car seat laws

Minn. Stat. § 169.685 · 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 child who is younger than two years of age must be properly restrained in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system with an internal harness, until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system

§ 169.685, subd. 4a(a)(1).

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

No number in § 169.685, subd. 4a; the limit is the weight or height limit set by the child passenger restraint system manufacturer (subd. 4a(d)).

Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

No number in § 169.685, subd. 4a; the limit is the weight or height limit set by the child passenger restraint system manufacturer (subd. 4a(d)).

Leaving rear-facing
Every listed limit must be met

Under subd. 4a(a)(2) a child moves to a forward-facing seat only when at least two years old and past the rear-facing weight or height limit, so both conditions must be met.

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

a child who is at least two years of age and exceeds the rear-facing weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system must be properly restrained in a forward-facing child passenger restraint system with an internal harness, until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system

§ 169.685, subd. 4a(a)(2).

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Yes
Harness until age
4 years
Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

No number in § 169.685, subd. 4a; the limit is the weight or height limit set by the child passenger restraint system manufacturer (subd. 4a(d)).

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

No number in § 169.685, subd. 4a; the limit is the weight or height limit set by the child passenger restraint system manufacturer (subd. 4a(d)).

Leaving the harness
Every listed limit must be met

Under subd. 4a(a)(3) a child moves to a booster only when at least four years old and past the forward-facing weight or height limit.

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

a child who is at least four years of age and exceeds the weight or height limit of the forward-facing child passenger restraint system must be properly restrained in a booster seat and secured with a safety belt

§ 169.685, subd. 4a(a)(3).

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes
Booster until age
9 years
Booster until weight
Not addressed in statute

No number in § 169.685, subd. 4a; the limit is the weight or height limit set by the child passenger restraint system manufacturer (subd. 4a(d)).

Booster until height
Not addressed in statute

No number in § 169.685, subd. 4a; the limit is the weight or height limit set by the child passenger restraint system manufacturer (subd. 4a(d)).

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Under subd. 4a(a)(4) a child leaves the booster at nine, or earlier on passing the booster's manufacturer weight or height limit.

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

a child who is at least nine years of age or exceeds the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system or the booster seat must be secured with a safety belt adjusted and fastened around the child's body to fit correctly. The safety belt fits correctly when the child sits all the way back against the vehicle seat, the child's knees bend over the edge of the vehicle seat, the lap strap fits snugly across the child's thighs and lower hips and not the child's abdomen, and the shoulder strap snugly crosses the center of the child's chest and not the child's neck

§ 169.685, subd. 4a(a)(4). Subd. 4a(a)(6) puts a child who fits more than one category in the more protective one.

What the law sets

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

Not set in § 169.685, subd. 4a; the belt stage turns on the seat's manufacturer limits and a belt fit test, not a stated height.

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
a child who is younger than 13 years of age must be transported in the rear seat of a motor vehicle, when available, and must be properly restrained in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat or secured with a safety belt

§ 169.685, subd. 4a(a)(5). Subd. 4a(b) adds that a child younger than six or under 60 pounds must ride in a rear seat if the vehicle has an activated passenger-side air bag and a rear seat is available.

Minimum age for the front seat
13 years

A child under 13 must ride in the rear seat when one is available (§ 169.685, subd. 4a(a)(5)).

Conditions
The rear-seat rule applies only when a rear seat is available. Under subd. 4a(c), if there are more children under 13 than restraints and belts, the unrestrained children must sit in a rear seat when rear seats are available.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
Up to $50

§ 169.685, subd. 5(a): petty misdemeanor, fine of not more than $50.

Repeat offense — fine
Up to $50

§ 169.685, subd. 5(a) sets the same maximum for every violation; there is no separate repeat penalty.

License points
None

§ 169.685 sets no points, and Minnesota has no driver point system: the driver record and license sanction statutes (§ 171.12, § 171.18) assess no points for traffic convictions.

Fine waiver
The fine may be waived or reduced if the driver shows that within 14 days after the violation a child passenger restraint system meeting federal standards was purchased or obtained for the driver's exclusive use (§ 169.685, subd. 5(a)). A charge is also dismissed on producing the physician's statement described in subd. 6(b).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Exempt

§ 169.685, subd. 6(a)(3): a person operating a motor vehicle for hire, including a taxi, airport limousine and bus, but not a rented, leased or borrowed vehicle.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

§ 169.685 does not name transportation network companies; subd. 6(a)(3) names taxis, airport limousines and buses.

Buses
Exempt

§ 169.685, subd. 6(a)(3) names buses, and subd. 6(a)(4) exempts school buses over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating.

Medical exemption
Exempt

§ 169.685, subd. 6(b): no restraint is required for a child who, in a licensed physician's judgment, cannot be safely transported in one because of a medical condition, body size or physical disability, on a dated typewritten physician's statement.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

§ 169.685 does not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Minnesota compares

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

Compared with Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, Minnesota differs on: rear-facing rules (from Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), booster rules (from Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), and front-seat rules (from Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Minnesota 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.
  • Minnesota 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.
  • Minnesota 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.
  • Minnesota 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.

Guides covering Minnesota

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 Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Minnesota 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 Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety before relying on anything here.