Massachusetts Car Seat Law

The Massachusetts car seat law requires that children under eight and smaller than 4 feet 9 inches use a car seat or booster seat.
Written by Bonnie Stinson
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Massachusetts
car seat laws require that children under the age of eight must use an appropriate child restraint system. When kids outgrow their booster seats (according to the manufacturer’s height and weight guidelines), they can graduate to adult seat belts.
Breaking car seat laws could earn you fines, along with putting young passengers in danger.
Here, the
car insurance
broker and comparison shopping app,
Jerry
has compiled everything you need to know to adhere to the car seat laws in Massachusetts.

What is the car seat law in Massachusetts?

Children under eight years old—or less than 4 feet 9 inches—must use a federally approved child restraint system.
The Massachusetts car seat law only has guidelines for kids by age and height, as described above. All children are safest in the back seat, and children under two years of age should use rear-facing restraint systems.
Experts recommend that kids do not ride in the front seat until the age of 13.
Key Takeaway Children under the age of eight need to ride in a federally approved child restraint system in Massachusetts.

What are the penalties for breaking the car seat law in Massachusetts?

It’s considered a secondary infraction to break the car seat law in Massachusetts. You will be charged a fine of between $10 and $500.
Key Takeaway: Breaking the car seat law in Massachusetts will earn you a large fine.

Can breaking the car seat law impact my driving record?

You will not get
driver's license points
added to your
driving record
if you break the Massachusetts car seat laws.
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How breaking car seat laws can impact insurance in Massachusetts

It’s unlikely that breaking a car seat law in Massachusetts will affect your car insurance rates.
Since you won’t accumulate any points, the insurance company will have no indication that you were pulled over and ticketed.
Even if you don’t pay your fee on time and your credit score goes down, Massachusetts has a law prohibiting insurance companies from using someone’s
credit score to set rates
.
Tickets also appear on your driver abstract, which your insurance company may have access to. That means if you rack up lots of tickets, it could potentially impact your insurance premiums (not for the better).
But it doesn't mean you can't try and
save on car insurance
!

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