California Child Seat Belt Law

6 Years / 60 Pounds

• Children under the age of 6, or who weigh less than 60 pounds, must be seated and properly restrained in a car booster seat in the back seat. The seat must be one that meets federal child-restraint standards.

Older Children

• Children older than 6, or who weigh more than 60 pounds and are under age 16, must be restrained by a seat belt at all times. There is no law restricting older children to the back seat; however, having children sit up front is not advised if you have a passenger-side air bag.

Citations

• If a parent or guardian of a child under 16 is in the vehicle and the child is not properly restrained, the code requires that the parent or guardian will be cited for each child in violation, even if the parent is not driving. If the parent or guardian is not present, the driver will be cited instead.

Exceptions

• Children ages 1 to 6, or who weigh 20 to 60 pounds, may ride in the front seat under certain conditions. These conditions include if the vehicle does not have a standard rear seat or a rear seat that accommodates car seats, or if other children are seated in the back. Children may also ride in the front if a medical condition prevents a child from sitting in the back.

Infants

• According to the vehicle code, if there is an active passenger-side air bag, infants younger than 1 year, or those who weigh less than 20 pounds, must ride in the back seat only and be properly restrained in a car seat.