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Car seat & booster law

Connecticut

Verified · JUN 2026

Quick answer · Connecticut

A car seat or booster is required until your child is 8 years old.

Children under 2 or under 30 pounds ride rear-facing in a 5-point harness; under 5 or under 40 pounds in a 5-point harness; under 8 or under 60 pounds in a 5-point harness or booster. From age 8 and 60 pounds, a seat belt is allowed.

Rear-facing < 2 yr Forward 2+ yr Booster < 8 yr Belt 8+ yr
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-100a Read the statute

Car seat law checker

The legally required restraint, by state.

3 yrs

General information, not legal advice.

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Required vs recommended

What the law enforces, and what pediatricians advise. They are not the same.

The law requires

Minimum, or it's enforceable

Rear-facing until
Age 2
Booster until
Age 8
Back seat
Not required

Pediatricians recommend

AAP — safer, not the law

Rear-facing until
To seat limit (often age 2+)
Booster until
4'9" — typically age 8–12
Back seat
Until age 13

AAP guidance is a safety best practice and is separate from Connecticut's legal minimum. Connecticut's detailed harness staging already tracks the recommendations closely.

Every stage, by the law

Dual units shown throughout (in + cm, lb + kg). Rows marked Guidance are best practice, not a statutory requirement in Connecticut.

Rear-facing Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-100a
Age
Birth – 2 yr
Forward-facing Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-100a
Age
2 yr – 8 yr
Booster Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-100a
Age
until 8 yr
Seat belt Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-100a
Age
8 yr +
Back seat Guidance
Age
Recommended < 13

Frequently asked questions

What is the car seat law in Connecticut in 2026?
Children under 2 or under 30 pounds ride rear-facing in a 5-point harness; under 5 or under 40 pounds in a 5-point harness; under 8 or under 60 pounds in a harness or booster. From age 8 and 60 pounds, a seat belt is allowed.
When can my child stop using a booster in Connecticut?
Once the child is at least 8 years old AND weighs at least 60 pounds. Pediatricians recommend keeping a child in a booster until the seat belt actually fits, often around 4 feet 9 inches.
Until what age must a child ride rear-facing in Connecticut?
Connecticut requires a child to ride rear-facing in a child restraint system with a 5-point harness until the child is at least 2 years old or weighs at least 30 pounds. A rear-facing seat may not be placed in the front seat in front of an active passenger airbag.
Do children have to ride in the back seat in Connecticut?
Connecticut does not have a general law requiring children to ride in the back seat. The one related rule is that a rear-facing child restraint may not be placed in the front seat in front of an active passenger airbag. Pediatricians still recommend the back seat as the safest place for all children younger than 13.

Sources

Verified · JUN 2026

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