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Utah car seat laws

Utah Code § 41-6a-1803 · 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

Not addressed in statute.

Not set in Utah Code § 41-6a-1803; the section requires a child restraint device used as the manufacturer prescribes for every person younger than eight and names no rear-facing or harness stage.

What the law sets

Rear-facing seat required by law
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Utah Code § 41-6a-1803; the section requires a child restraint device used as the manufacturer prescribes for every person younger than eight and names no rear-facing or harness stage.

Rear-facing until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

Rear-facing until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

Rear-facing until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

Leaving rear-facing
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

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 Utah Code § 41-6a-1803; the section requires a child restraint device used as the manufacturer prescribes for every person younger than eight and names no rear-facing or harness stage.

What the law sets

Forward-facing harness required by law
Not addressed in statute

Not set in Utah Code § 41-6a-1803; the section requires a child restraint device used as the manufacturer prescribes for every person younger than eight and names no rear-facing or harness stage.

Harness until age
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

Harness until weight
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

Harness until height
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

Leaving the harness
Not addressed in statute

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

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 (1)(c), the operator of a motor vehicle operated on a highway shall: ... (ii) provide for the protection of each person younger than eight years old by using a child restraint device to restrain each person in the manner prescribed by the manufacturer of the device ... (b) Notwithstanding the requirement under Subsection (1)(a)(ii), a child under eight years old who is 57 inches tall or taller: (i) is exempt from the requirement in Subsection (1)(a)(ii) to be in a child restraint device; and (ii) shall use a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt as required in Subsection (1)(a)(iii).

Utah Code § 41-6a-1803(1)(a)-(b). The statute does not name booster seats; it requires any child restraint device, and these booster fields record when that requirement ends.

What the law sets

Booster required by law
Yes

Any child restraint device meeting the standards adopted under § 41-6a-1601 satisfies § 41-6a-1803(1)(a)(ii); a booster is not specifically required.

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

Not set in § 41-6a-1803.

Booster until height
57 in (4 ft 9 in)

The statute exempts a child "57 inches tall or taller", so a child of exactly 57 inches may use the safety belt.

Leaving the booster
Meeting any one listed limit is enough

A child leaves the restraint device at eight, or earlier at 57 inches.

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

provide for the protection of each person that is at least eight years old and no less than 16 years old by securing, or causing to be secured, a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt on each person.

Utah Code § 41-6a-1803(1)(a)(iii). A child under eight who is 57 inches or taller uses the safety belt under § 41-6a-1803(1)(b).

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
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 Utah Code § 41-6a-1803 or elsewhere in the Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Usage Act.

Minimum age for the front seat
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in Utah Code § 41-6a-1803 or elsewhere in the Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Usage Act.

Conditions
Not addressed in statute

No front-seat provision in Utah Code § 41-6a-1803 or elsewhere in the Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Usage Act.

Penalties

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

First offense — fine
Up to $45

Utah Code § 41-6a-1805(1)(a): an infraction, fined a maximum of $45.

Repeat offense — fine
Up to $45

Utah Code § 41-6a-1805 sets one maximum for every violation; there is no separate repeat penalty.

License points
None

Utah Code § 41-6a-1805(2): points for a motor vehicle reportable violation, as defined in § 53-3-102, may not be assessed for a violation of § 41-6a-1803.

Fine waiver
The court shall waive all of the fine for a first violation of the child restraint requirement if the person submits proof of acquisition, rental or purchase of a child restraint device (Utah Code § 41-6a-1805(1)(c)).

Exemptions

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

Taxis
Car seat law applies

Utah Code § 41-6a-1803(1)(c) requires an adult passenger using a taxicab described in § 53-3-102 to restrain each child under the adult's supervision.

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
Car seat law applies

Utah Code § 41-6a-1803(1)(c) names transportation network services described in § 13-51-102 and puts the duty on the adult passenger.

Buses
Exempt

Utah Code § 41-6a-1804(3): the part does not apply to a passenger of a public transit vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds.

Medical exemption
Exempt

Utah Code § 41-6a-1804(1)(b): the part does not apply to an operator or passenger who has written verification from a licensed physician or physician assistant that the person cannot wear a safety belt for physical or medical reasons.

Out-of-state vehicles
Not addressed in statute

Utah Code §§ 41-6a-1803 and 41-6a-1804 do not address nonresident drivers or out-of-state vehicles.

How Utah compares

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

Compared with Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming, Utah differs on: rear-facing rules (from Colorado and Nevada), booster rules (from Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming), and front-seat rules (from Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming).

Law compared with the AAP recommendation

  • Utah law does not address this stage. 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.
  • Utah 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.
  • Utah 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.
  • Utah 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 Utah

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 Utah Highway Safety Office.

State law

Recommendations

Disclaimer

This page summarizes Utah 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 Utah Highway Safety Office before relying on anything here.