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Rhode Island car seat laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-22 · 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

All infants and toddlers under the age of two (2) years or weighing less than thirty pounds (30 lbs.) shall be restrained in a rear-facing car seat.

§ 31-22-22(a)(1).

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 R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-22.

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

All children two (2) years of age or older or who have outgrown their rear-facing car seat by height or weight should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness up to the maximum allowed by the child restraint manufacturer.

§ 31-22-22(a)(1).

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
No

The statute says "should", not "shall"; the binding rule is the general child restraint requirement under eight.

Harness until age
Not addressed in statute

No age in § 31-22-22(a)(1); the harness recommendation runs to the manufacturer's maximum.

Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

No number in § 31-22-22(a)(1); the limit is the manufacturer's maximum.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

No number in § 31-22-22(a)(1); the limit is the manufacturer's maximum.

Leaving the harness
No numeric limit (see statute text)

Recommended until the child reaches the harness seat's manufacturer maximum.

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 transporting a child under the age of eight (8), less than fifty-seven inches (57″) in height and less than eighty pounds (80 lbs.), in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall transport the child in any rear seating position of the motor vehicle properly restrained in a child restraint system approved by the United States Department of Transportation under 49 C.F.R. § 571.213.

§ 31-22-22(a)(1). The statute does not name booster seats; it requires any approved child restraint system, and these booster fields record when that requirement ends.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

Any approved child restraint system satisfies § 31-22-22(a)(1); a booster is not specifically required.

Booster until age
8 years
Booster until weight
80 lb
Booster until height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)
Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

The rule covers a child under eight, under 57 inches and under 80 pounds; meeting any one of the three ends it.

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

If the child is under eight (8) years old but at least fifty-seven inches (57″) in height, or at least eighty pounds (80 lbs.), the child shall be properly wearing a safety belt and/or shoulder harness approved by the Department of Transportation pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 571.208 in any rear seating position of the motor vehicle.

§ 31-22-22(a)(1); § 31-22-22(b)(1) requires a safety belt for children eight to under 18.

What the law sets

Seat belt alone from age
8 years
Seat belt alone from height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)
Moving to the seat belt
A combination of conditions (see statute text)

The belt is allowed at eight, 57 inches or 80 pounds; there is no belt weight field, so the condition is written out.

Moving to the seat belt — conditions
age>=8yr OR height>=57in OR weight>=80lb

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
Under this subsection, a child must be properly restrained in the front seat if: (i) The vehicle is not equipped with a back seat; or (ii) All rear seating positions are being utilized by other children.

§ 31-22-22(a)(1); the subsection requires children under eight to ride in a rear seating position.

Minimum age for the front seat
8 years
Conditions
A child under eight rides in a rear seating position unless the vehicle has no back seat or all rear seats are used by other children; then the child must be properly restrained in front.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
$100

§ 31-22-22(c)(1) sets the fine by § 31-41.1-4, which lists $100 for 31-22-22(a).

Repeat offense — fine
$100

§ 31-22-22(c)(1): fined as provided in § 31-41.1-4 for each offense; there is no separate repeat amount.

License points
None

§ 31-22-22(c)(1): the violation is not recorded on the person's driving record.

Fine waiver
The police department voids the violation if the driver presents proof of purchase of an approved child restraint system within seven days (§ 31-22-22(c)(1)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Not addressed in statute

§ 31-22-22(a) does not address taxis.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Not addressed in statute

§ 31-22-22(a) does not address transportation network companies.

Buses
Not addressed in statute

§ 31-22-22(a) does not address buses; the federal-belt limit in (b)(3) applies only to subsection (b).

Medical exemption
Not addressed in statute

§ 31-22-22(a) has no medical exemption; the physician verification in (i)(2) applies only to subsections (b), (f) and (g).

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

§ 31-22-22 does not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Rhode Island compares

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

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

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Rhode Island 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.
  • Rhode Island law: no forward-facing harness seat is required. 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.
  • Rhode Island law: a booster seat is required until the child reaches age 8, 80 lb, 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.
  • Rhode Island law: a child may use the seat belt alone once this condition is met: age ≥ 8 yr or height ≥ 57 in or weight ≥ 80 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 Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Office on Highway Safety.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Office on Highway Safety before relying on anything here.