Car seat and seat belt laws for children vary from state to state and often require children to be in a child safety seat or booster seat until they are a certain age or size. In most states law enforcement officers will issue a ticket or citation to the operator of a motor vehicle in which a child is not properly restrained in a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt, as required by state law.
Laws regarding child safety restraints required in motor vehicles are usually located in a state’s statutes. And the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes the following recommendations:
Make sure children are properly buckled in a car seat, booster seat, or seat belt—whichever is appropriate for their weight, height, and age.
• Use a rear-facing car seat from birth until ages 2–4.
o For the best possible protection, infants and toddlers should be buckled in a rear-facing car seat, in the back seat, until they reach the maximum weight and height limits of their car seat.
o Check the car seat manual and labels on the car seat for weight and height limits.
• After outgrowing the rear-facing car seat, use a forward-facing car seat until at least age 5.
o When children outgrow their rear-facing car seats, they should be buckled in a forward-facing car seat, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of their car seat.
o Check the car seat manual and labels on the car seat for weight and height limits.
• After outgrowing the forward-facing car seat, use a booster seat until seat belts fit properly.
o Once children outgrow their forward-facing car seat, they should be buckled in a belt-positioning booster seat, in the back seat, until seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck).
• Once seat belts fit properly without a booster seat, use a seat belt on every trip.
o Children no longer need to use a booster seat once seat belts fit them properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck).
o Proper seat belt fit usually occurs when children are about 4 feet 9 inches tall and aged 9–12 years. Seat belt fit can vary by vehicle so check fit in all vehicles. For the best possible protection, keep children properly buckled in the back seat.
Install and use car seats and booster seats according to the car seat manual. You can get help installing them from a certified child passenger safety technician.
Buckle all children aged 12 and under in the back seat.
• Buckle children in the middle seating position of the back seat when possible (using a lap and shoulder belt), as it is the safest position in the vehicle.
• Airbags can kill young children riding in the front seat. Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an airbag.
• Buckle children in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts on every trip, no matter how short the trip.
• Set a good example and help protect everyone in the car by always using your seat belt.
In South Carolina, child car seat and seat belt laws are designed to ensure the safety of children while traveling in a vehicle. According to South Carolina law, children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until they exceed the height or weight limit allowed by the car seat's manufacturer. Children from age two up to at least age four must be secured in a forward-facing car seat. Once children outgrow their forward-facing car seat, they are required to use a booster seat until they are at least eight years old or 57 inches tall. After reaching the age of eight or the height requirement, a child can transition to using an adult seat belt. It is also required that all children under the age of 17 be secured with an appropriate restraint system. Non-compliance with these regulations can result in a citation and fines. The laws in South Carolina are in line with the CDC's recommendations for child passenger safety, emphasizing the importance of using car seats, booster seats, and seat belts that are appropriate for a child's age, height, and weight on every trip.
