New Hampshire Child Car Seat Laws (2024)

Every state has different laws regarding passenger restraints, particularly for children riding in a vehicle. Just as you need to follow New Hampshire auto insurance laws, you must follow NH’s car seat laws, which include age and weight requirements for the car seat or seat belt type necessary to transport children safely.

Car seat laws in New Hampshire ensure that children are properly secured in appropriate car seats based on their age and size.

Read on to learn about the different seat types for each age required in New Hampshire, from the seat belt law in NH to booster seat laws in NH.

New Hampshire Child Safety Seat Laws

While child car seat laws vary by state, they all aim to protect young passengers.  It is advised that if you are under 18 years old you do wear a seat belt in New Hampshire. For example, the NH booster seat law mandates that children under the age of 7 and weighing less than 57 pounds must use a booster seat.

Despite the New Hampshire no seat belt law for adults, children must be properly restrained.

Additionally, laws on children in the front seat generally recommend that children under 13 should ride in the back. Violating these regulations can result in a no-car seat fine, emphasizing the importance of compliance for safety.

If you don’t follow the car seat laws in NH for your child passenger, you could get ticketed. The fine for your first seat belt offense is $50, and a second violation costs $100. No car-seat ticket amounts are high because it emphasizes the need for safety in this area.

The types of restraints allowed under the child passenger restraint law include rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, and booster seats, depending on the child’s age, weight, and height.

According to the NH car seat law, any child under 6 shorter than 57 inches must be in a child safety seat. The type of seat depends upon the child’s age, weight, and height.

If you’re wondering, “How old does a child need to be to sit in the front seat in New Hampshire,”  the answer is simple. While in New Hampshire no specific age is mentioned in the state laws, it is generally recommended that children under the age of 13 sit in the back seat for safety reasons.

So, with the general guidance and your comfort level, when a child can sit in the front seat while in New Hampshire is generally understood to be 14 years or older, or until comfortable. You can always reference the American Academy of Pediatrics, or the AAP, for additional safety guide

Adult seat belts are permissible for children ages 7 and up, but they must be at least 57 inches tall and have outgrown a booster seat.

Below, we’ve listed what type of car seat restraint to use for each children’s age group.

New Hampshire Car Seat Laws: Rear-Facing Car Seat Restraint 

Children from birth to age 2 should be in a rear-facing car seat or a rear-facing convertible seat. Never place these seats in the front passenger seat — instead, put them in the back of the car.

Children older than 2 can still be in a rear-facing or convertible car seat, but the child should meet the age and height requirements listed on the seat’s manufacturing instructions.

New Hampshire Car Seat Laws: Forward-Facing Car Seat Restraint 

Front seat laws for kids vary by state, often recommending that children under a certain age remain in the back seat.

Children ages 2 to 6 should be in forward-facing car seats, although children up to 3 can remain in a rear-facing seat if desired. 

We recommend keeping children in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, as it’s one of the safest positions for children. However, once children outgrow a rear-facing car seat, they should be graduated to a forward-facing car seat. 

The weight limit for most forward-facing car seats is 40 to 60 pounds. Read your car seat manufacturer’s weight and height requirements to ensure your child is seated in a properly sized car seat.

It’s important to know the forward-facing requirements for car seats to ensure child safety during travel. Parents should be aware of front-seat child laws to determine when it is safe for their children to sit in the front seat.

New Hampshire Booster Seat Laws

Once a child outgrows a forward-facing car seat, they can use a normal seat belt placed on top of a booster seat. Booster seats ensure the seat belt is evenly distributed across the child’s body and won’t cause serious injury in a crash. The weight limit for booster seats generally goes up to 110 pounds.

Once a child exceeds the weight limit or is taller than the manufacturer’s usual height limit of 4 feet, 9 inches, they can graduate to a standard adult seat belt without a booster seat. Booster seat weight and height requirements are generally the same in all states, whether it’s booster seat laws in Wisconsin or New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Seat Belt Laws for Children

In New Hampshire, seat belt laws are somewhat different than laws in other states. Do you have to wear a seatbelt in New Hampshire? Yes. Some key points to the seat belt laws in New Hampshire are below.

For adults, there is no law in New Hampshire about requirements to wear a seat below. Adults cannot be stopped and ticketed solely for not wearing a seat belt. For children, or anyone under 18 years old, New Hampshire has pretty strict seat belt and child restraint laws.

For children under 7 years old, a child must be secured in an appropriate child restraint system. Children who are aged 7 to 17 years old must wear a seat belt when riding in a vehicle.

The New Hampshire seat belt law for children is that if a child is at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall, and over the weight limit of booster seats, they can use an over-the-shoulder seat belt without a booster seat.

Most children will graduate to a regular seat belt between 8 and 12. However, these ages vary depending on your child’s individual development. 

It’s important to ensure the child is big enough and ready to graduate from a booster seat before using an adult seat belt by itself. The weight and height limits of the NH seat belt law protect your child in the event of a crash. Not following New Hampshire’s child safety laws can result in serious injury or death.

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When do children not need to be restrained in New Hampshire? 

In some cases, children don’t need to be restrained by a child safety seat in New Hampshire. The exceptions to the seat belt laws in New Hampshire are as follows:

• The child is in a taxi or bus, such as a school bus.
• The child is in a vehicle manufactured before 1968.
• The child’s physical condition prevents using seat belts or child safety seats.
• The child has a certain disability.

These are general exceptions and may not always apply in your specific case. Ensure you have proof of exemption if your child can’t use a seat belt or child safety seat. Making a copy and carrying it with you when you drive is best.

With proof of exemption, you can easily prove the child’s exemption from child restraint laws in New Hampshire if you get pulled over by law enforcement.

New Hampshire Child Safety Seat Tips 

Anyone who has assembled and used a child car seat knows that child restraint systems can be frustrating and difficult. Below is a list of the common errors with child safety seats you should double-check.

• Ensure the vehicle seat is attached securely to the car.
• Ensure the harness straps aren’t too loose.
• Check the reclining angle of rear-facing child seats.
• Use the top tether to secure the top of all forward-facing child restraints.
• With booster seats, ensure the lap belt is across the child’s upper thighs, and the shoulder belt is behind the back or under the arm.

Carefully read the installation and usage instructions included with your rear-facing, front-facing, or booster car seat. Following the manufacturer’s instructions will ensure your child is as safe as possible in the vehicle. 

You should also do your research on brands of car seats before purchasing one. Just as you would research the best companies for car insurance, you should research the best car seat brands. It’s also a good idea to learn whether your car insurance covers car seats if you’re in an accident.

While it’s best to buy your child’s safety seat new, some parents may try to buy child restraint systems secondhand to save money. However, you should never buy a used car or booster seat unless you can verify its age since they all have an expiration date.

Once a child safety seat is beyond its expiration date, it’s no longer safe to use to restrain a child in the car.

For those traveling, connect with a local car rental facility near you to see if they can provide a child car seat. 

General Car Seat Safety

The requirements for children’s car seats are designed to ensure safety at different stages of a child’s growth. Here are some general guidelines that will help make sure you are good to go. 

• Rear-facing car seats
  • Age: Birth to at least 2 years old 
  • Weight/height: until they reach the maximum weight and height limits set by the car seat manufacturer
  • Position: Installed in the back seat, facing the rear of the vehicle 
• Forward-facing car seats
  • Age: At least 2 years old or until they outgrow the rear-facing seat 
  • Weight/height: typically children who weigh between 20-65 lbs and up to 50 inches tall, but there may be specifics per each seat brand and type 
• Booster seats
  • Age: generally speaking, 4 to 12 years old
  • Weight/height: until they reach 57 inches, or 4 ft 9 inches tall, and weigh 40-100 lbs. The booster seat model may vary on the specifics
  • Position: The seat belt should fit properly, with the lap belt lying snugly across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fitting across the shoulder and chest 
• Seat belts
  • Age: 8 to 12 years old 
  • Height: at least 57 inches tall 
  • Position: Children should be able to sit back against the vehicle seat with their knees bent comfortably at the edge of the seat. The lap belt should lie snugly across the upper thighs, and the shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder and the chest 

Some wonder, “When can a child sit in the front seat in NH?” Each state may be different, but the general safety guidance is that children under 13 should ride in the back seat for optimal safety. The regulations detail how heavy you must be to sit in the front seat to ensure the seatbelt and airbag provide adequate protection.

High-back booster seats provide additional support and protection for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car seats.

When installing a booster seat or car seat, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that it is installed correctly. Knowing how old booster seat guidelines are is crucial to ensure your child’s safety while traveling.

Local communities also have car seat inspection stations where trained safety inspectors can help with proper installation. Some of the most common inspection locations are local firefighters or police departments. You could always ask an expert about the height and weight requirements to ride in the front seat if you have another child who is old enough to.

Before you purchase a new car seat, make sure you understand what the requirements for children’s car seats are to ensure they meet safety standards. Understanding how tall do you have to be to sit in the front seat is important for ensuring that children are seated safely in a vehicle.

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Taxi Child Seat Regulations

Many parents wonder if kids can ride in a taxi without a car seat, but safety regulations often recommend using one whenever possible.

Taxi laws for child seats can vary by state and locality. Most states require that children be properly restrained in child safety seats when riding in any vehicle, including taxis. 

In many states, parents or guardians are responsible for providing appropriate child safety seats when riding in taxis, while in some states taxis are exempt from the laws.

Child seats are still recommended for safety reasons. Traveling in a taxi without a car seat can pose significant safety risks for young children.

The Final Word on Child Safety Seat Laws in New Hampshire

Many states have specific laws on children in the front seat, often recommending that children under the age of 13 ride in the back for their safety. Parents often wonder, if is it illegal for a child to ride in the front seat, as safety guidelines usually recommend that children under 13 sit in the back.

Residents ask, if is there a seat belt law in New Hampshire, and it’s important to note that while the state does have seat belt requirements for minors, it does not have a mandatory seat belt law for adults.

New Hampshire’s child safety seat laws are similar to other states. Parents must follow the weight and height requirements on child safety seats, and children can’t use an adult seat belt until they’re taller than 57 inches and outweigh a booster seat. 

The height and weight requirements for a booster seat are to ensure that children are properly secured and protected while traveling in a vehicle. 

Child restraint laws are designed to protect young passengers and reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident.

New Hampshire will issue fines if children aren’t properly restrained in child safety seats while driving.

Though you and your child may have the proper restraints in your car, carrying the right car insurance is essential to pay for any injuries or damages if you’re ever in a car crash.

To sit in the front seat, you have to be a certain size and age, which is specified by local safety regulations.

Understanding child safety laws for car seats is crucial for ensuring that children are always transported safely and legally.

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