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Oregon car seat laws

Or. Rev. Stat. § 811.210 · 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 who is under two years of age must be properly secured with a child safety system in a rear-facing position.

ORS 811.210(2)(a).

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 ORS 811.210(2)(a); the rear-facing rule is on age alone.

Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in ORS 811.210(2)(a).

Leaving rear-facing
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Age is the only limit: a child may turn forward at two.

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 person who weighs 40 pounds or less must be properly secured with a child safety system that meets the minimum standards and specifications established by the Department of Transportation under ORS 815.055 for child safety systems designed for children weighing 40 pounds or less.

ORS 811.210(2)(b). The statute says "child safety system" for children 40 pounds or less; it does not use the words forward-facing or harness.

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Yes

A child safety system built for children of 40 pounds or less is required; the statute does not name a harness.

Harness until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in ORS 811.210(2)(b); this stage ends on weight.

Harness until weight
40 lb

"40 pounds or less", so a child of exactly 40 pounds is still covered; the stage ends above 40 pounds.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in ORS 811.210(2)(b).

Leaving the harness
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

Weight is the only limit in ORS 811.210(2)(b).

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

Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a person who weighs more than 40 pounds and who is four feet nine inches or shorter must be properly secured with a child safety system that elevates the person so that a safety belt or safety harness properly fits the person.

ORS 811.210(2)(c). Under ORS 811.210(2)(e) a person eight years of age or older need not use a child safety system, and under ORS 811.210(3) the booster rule does not apply in a rear seat without shoulder belts or when the child is in a child safety system built for children over 40 pounds.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes
Booster until age
8 years

ORS 811.210(2)(e): a person eight years of age or older need not be secured with a child safety system.

Booster until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in ORS 811.210(2)(c); 40 pounds is where this stage begins, not where it ends.

Booster until height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)

"Four feet nine inches or shorter", so a child of exactly 57 inches still needs a booster; the stage ends above 4 feet 9 inches.

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

A child leaves the booster on turning eight (ORS 811.210(2)(e)) or on growing taller than 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

A person who is taller than four feet nine inches must be properly secured with a safety belt or safety harness that meets requirements under ORS 815.055. Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subsection, a person who is eight years of age or older need not be secured with a child safety system but must be properly secured with a safety belt or safety harness that meets requirements under ORS 815.055.

ORS 811.210(2)(d) and (2)(e). The belt requirement runs to age 16 under ORS 811.210(1)(a)(D).

What the law sets

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

Taller than 4 feet 9 inches, per ORS 811.210(2)(d).

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

The belt alone is allowed at age eight or above 4 feet 9 inches, whichever comes first.

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 ORS 811.210; the section sets no seating position and no air bag rule.

Minimum age for the front seat
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in ORS 811.210.

Conditions
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in ORS 811.210.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$65 – $250

Failure to properly use safety belts is a Class D traffic violation (ORS 811.210(4)); ORS 153.018(2)(d) caps a Class D fine at $250 and ORS 153.021(1)(d) sets a $65 minimum. The presumptive fine is $115 (ORS 153.019(1)(d)).

Repeat offense — fine
$65 – $250

ORS 811.210 sets no separate repeat penalty; the same Class D range applies to every offense.

License points
None

Not set in ORS 811.210. Oregon has no license point statute: ORS chapter 809 suspends or restricts driving privileges on convictions and driver improvement programs (ORS 809.480), not on points.

Fine waiver
Not addressed in statute

Not set in ORS 811.210; there is no waiver on proof of buying a seat. A court may waive the minimum fine in whole or in part only where payment would be inconsistent with justice (ORS 153.021(2)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Exempt

ORS 811.215(1)(b)(B): the operator of a privately owned commercial vehicle for 15 or fewer persons carrying passengers for compensation need not ensure that a passenger is secured with a child safety system under ORS 811.210(2)(a), (b) or (c).

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

ORS 811.215 does not name transportation network companies or their drivers.

Buses
Exempt

ORS 811.215(1) exempts privately owned commercial vehicles used to transport persons for compensation (the carve-out in (1)(b) reaches only vehicles for 15 or fewer persons), and ORS 811.215(2) exempts vehicles not required to have safety belts when built.

Medical exemption
Exempt

ORS 811.215(4) exempts a person holding a certificate issued under ORS 811.220, which the department issues on a physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician associate's statement that a child safety system or belt would be impractical or harmful.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

ORS 811.210 and 811.215 do not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Oregon compares

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

Compared with California, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington, Oregon differs on: rear-facing rules (from California and Idaho), booster rules (from Idaho, Nevada, and Washington), and front-seat rules (from California, Nevada, and Washington).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Oregon 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.
  • Oregon law: a forward-facing harness seat is required until the child reaches 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.
  • Oregon 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.
  • Oregon 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.

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 Oregon Department of Transportation.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Oregon 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 Oregon Department of Transportation before relying on anything here.