Ranking · all 51
Back-Seat Requirements by State
Verified · JUN 2026Some states require children under a certain age to ride in the back seat where one is available; many have no back-seat law at all. This ranks states by the back-seat age their law sets.
| # | State | Back seat required under |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Virgin Islands VI | Age 14 |
| 2 | Louisiana LA | Age 13 |
| 2 | Minnesota MN | Age 13 |
| 2 | Vermont VT | Age 13 |
| 2 | Washington WA | Age 13 |
| 6 | Maine ME | Age 12 |
| 6 | Puerto Rico PR | Age 12 |
| 8 | Colorado CO | Age 9 |
| 8 | Tennessee TN | Age 9 |
| 8 | Wyoming WY | Age 9 |
| 11 | California CA | Age 8 |
| 11 | Georgia GA | Age 8 |
| 11 | Nebraska NE | Age 8 |
| 11 | New Jersey NJ | Age 8 |
| 11 | Rhode Island RI | Age 8 |
| 11 | South Carolina SC | Age 8 |
| 11 | Virginia VA | Age 8 |
| 18 | North Carolina NC | Age 5 |
| 19 | Michigan MI | Age 4 |
| 20 | Nevada NV | Age 2 |
| 21 | New Mexico NM | Age 1 |
| 22 | Alabama AL | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Alaska AK | No back-seat law |
| 22 | American Samoa AS | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Arizona AZ | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Arkansas AR | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Connecticut CT | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Delaware DE | No back-seat law |
| 22 | District of Columbia DC | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Florida FL | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Guam GU | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Hawaii HI | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Idaho ID | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Illinois IL | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Indiana IN | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Iowa IA | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Kansas KS | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Kentucky KY | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Maryland MD | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Massachusetts MA | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Mississippi MS | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Missouri MO | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Montana MT | No back-seat law |
| 22 | New Hampshire NH | No back-seat law |
| 22 | New York NY | No back-seat law |
| 22 | North Dakota ND | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Northern Mariana Islands MP | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Ohio OH | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Oklahoma OK | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Oregon OR | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Pennsylvania PA | No back-seat law |
| 22 | South Dakota SD | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Texas TX | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Utah UT | No back-seat law |
| 22 | West Virginia WV | No back-seat law |
| 22 | Wisconsin WI | No back-seat law |
How we ranked this
Ranked by the statutory back-seat age (backSeat.requiredUnderAgeYears), highest first. States with no statutory back-seat requirement are listed last. The AAP recommends all children ride in the back seat until age 13 regardless of the law.
Frequently asked questions
Do all states require kids to ride in the back seat?
No. Only some states set a statutory back-seat age; many have no back-seat law. The ranked table shows which states do and until what age.
What age does the AAP recommend for the back seat?
The AAP recommends all children ride in the back seat until they are 13 years old, which is often stricter than the legal requirement.