Maine's Laws Relating to Child Safety Seats

Child safety seats are designed to keep your child as safe as possible while riding in an automobile. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,314 children age 14 and younger were killed in automobile accidents and another 179,000 were injured in 2009. Car seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent in infants and 54 percent in children ages 1 to 4, and booster seats reduce the risk of injury by 59 percent compared to seat belt use alone in children ages 4 to 7. Car seat laws are created and enforced at the state level, meaning each state, including Maine has its own laws for age, height and weight requirements regarding car seats.

  1. Rear-Facing

    • Maine state law requires all children under the age of 1 and less than 20 pounds to be secured in a rear-facing car seat. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children remain rear-facing until at least the age of two or until they have reached the maximum height and weight limits for the seat. Some seats have rear-facing limits that go as high as 40 or 50 pounds, which allows you to keep your child rear-facing longer.

    Under 40 Pounds

    • Maine requires all children under 40 pounds to be in a height and weight appropriate car seat for the manufacturer's specifications. It is safer to keep your child in a car seat with a five-point harness as long as possible, with some seats having harnesses that support up to 70 pounds or more.

    8 Years Old

    • Maine requires all children above 40 pounds but under age 8 to be properly restrained in a booster seat. A booster seat raises a child up to allow the seat belt to go across the hips and chest, instead of the stomach and neck. Some convertible car seats transition to a booster when your child reaches the weight limit for the harness.

    Violations

    • The first violation of this law results in a $50 fine. A second violation will cost you $125, and the third and any other violations cost $250 and cannot be a suspended sentence. The fines are in addition to the increased risk of your child being injured or killed in an accident.

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