What Are the Car Seat Laws in Colorado?
Colorado car seat laws require that children under the age of eight or less than 4’9” tall ride in a child safety seat or a booster seat.
Written by Tom Hindle
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Table of Contents
Colorado
car seat laws require that children under the age of eight or less than 4’9" tall ride in a child safety seat or a booster seat. Children must be strapped into a harnessed, manufacturer-approved child safety seat until the age of four, at which point they can change to a booster seat—as long as they weigh more than 40 pounds.RECOMMENDED
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What is the Colorado car seat law?
The car seat laws in Colorado vary depending on the age of the child:
- Infants less than 12 months old must be in a rear-facing child safety seat with a harness (and should stay in one for as long as possible)
- Infants who outgrow rear-facing seats can switch to front-facing, manufacturer-approved seats
- Children who exceed the weight limit of harnessed seats (around 40 pounds) can move into a booster seat and use a seat belt, where they must remain until they turn eight, grow to 4’9" tall, or weigh 80 pounds
Colorado requires that rear-facing child safety seats be placed in the back seat of the car.
Key Takeaway Passengers weight less than 40 pounds must be strapped into a rear- or front-facing, manufacturer-approved child safety seat.
What are the penalties for breaking the car seat law in Colorado?
Breaking a car seat law is regarded as a Class B infraction in Colorado and will incur a minimum fine of $65 and a surcharge of $6 for a first-time violation.
Offenders under the age of 18 will pay more. If you’re a second-time offender under 18, you can garner $130 in fines. A third time will set you back $195.
Colorado will waive the fines if you can provide proof of purchase of a manufacturer-approved child safety seat or booster seat.
It’s also worth noting that Colorado regards car seat laws as a primary enforcement action. That means a driver doesn’t have to be pulled over for a different infraction before being cited for violating this particular law. In short, police have their eyes out for this one.
Can breaking the car seat law impact my driving record?
Probably not. As long as you’re over 18, there won’t be any demerit points on your license—although it will show up on your driving record.
For those under 18, violating the Colorado car seat law is considered a Class A infraction and will result in two demerit points.
It’s also worth noting that even minor infractions will add up and can make your driving record look worse. That could be a problem for insurance or in legal cases. It’s always better to just follow the rules and keep your kids safely buckled in.
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How breaking car seat laws can impact insurance in Wisconsin
As long as you’re over 18, breaking the car seat law in Colorado won’t incur you
driver's license points
, so your car insurance
premiums likely won’t increase. That doesn’t mean you’ll get away with it, though. Insurance companies are wary about repeated infractions on your record and could hike premiums if little mistakes start to add up.
For drivers under 18, having two demerit points on your license will probably increase your insurance premiums.
Failing to pay a ticket for violating a car seat law can impact your credit, too, which can make insurers in some states wary.
Fortunately, even if you have a violation on your record, you may still be able to save on your car insurance costs by shopping for a new policy with an
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