{"id":10046,"date":"2023-12-12T08:27:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T08:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/?p=10046"},"modified":"2025-05-03T01:55:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T01:55:52","slug":"knowledge-center-california-car-seat-law-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/auto\/knowledge-center-california-car-seat-law-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"California Car Seat Laws: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a parent in California, there\u2019s probably not much you wouldn\u2019t do to ensure the safety of your child. In the state of California, children in cars must be properly secured in a car seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like car insurance in California<\/a> is in place to help protect you on the road, rules and regulations around driving your child in the car are there to keep them safe, too. Thousands of children are killed are have serious injuries in car accidents each year in the U.S. due to improper or no usage of car seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to find out about California law, as well as which car seat is best and where you can go to get your child\u2019s car seat installed for free by professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do I Need to Know about California\u2019s Car Seat Law?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Driving on California roads is dangerous. You can do your part by being a safe driver, but if someone else causes a wreck, you want to make sure the passengers in your car come out unharmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the California State Highway Patrol (CHP), the leading cause of death for young children is motor vehicle crashes. This is why California car seat laws exist: a properly-installed car seat can reduce the risk of death in children under the age of one by 71 percent in a car accident. In toddlers, a car seat prevents 54 percent of deaths in a car crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can take steps to make sure you and your children are safe in the car by learning the rules and understanding how to use your car seat<\/a> correctly. Remember, when children are young, the safest place for them is in the back seat, in a proper car seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic Car Seat Laws in California<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

California\u2019s current state law is designed to gradually move your child to less restrictive seating as they become ready. The following criteria is included in the table below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age\/Size<\/strong><\/td>Restraint Use<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Birth to 2 years old<\/td>Ride rear facing in an rear-facing seat unless the child weighs more than 40 pounds<\/td><\/tr>
Children under age 8 years of age<\/td>Ride in a forward-facing child safety seat in the back seat with an internal harness<\/td><\/tr>
Children under age 8 who have reached 4.9\u201d in height<\/td>Ride restrained in a belt positioning child booster seat using a lap shoulder 5-point harness seat belt<\/td><\/tr>
Children between 40 and 65 pounds<\/td>Ride restrained with a lap shoulder seat belt secured correctly on the vehicle seat<\/td><\/tr>
16 and older<\/td>Mandatory safety belt laws<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5 Step Test<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The 5-step test is a list of parameters to determine when a child has outgrown the booster seat and can safely use the seat belt alone. Parents can use this test to decide if the conditions are right to hold a graduation time and move their children up from a rear-facing car seat or booster seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Their knees bend on the edge of the seat with feet flat on the floor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Their backside is all the way back in the seat.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The lap belt part of the safety harness is low on the hips at the top of the thighs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. The shoulder strap crosses at the collarbone and not the neck.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The child is able to sit properly, with no slouching or playing with the seat belt.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The Legal Implications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The California Child Passenger Safety Law is just that \u2013 the law. If you break this law, not only will you put your child\u2019s safety at risk, you may incur fines and other penalties. Here is detailed information concerning the legal implications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Those who do not follow the law may face the following penalties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n