What Are the Car Seat Laws in Minnesota?
The Minnesota car seat law requires children to be buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they’re eight years old or until they reach 4’9” in height.
Written by Tom Hindle
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
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The Minnesota car seat law requires that children under the age of eight or shorter than 4’9" be secured in a car seat or booster seat.
Though there are no official rules as to when they should switch, the state recommends that children stay in a rear-facing child safety seat for as long as possible. Once they grow out of that, they can switch to a front-facing harnessed restraint, and then to a booster seat.
Failing to abide by Minnesota’s car seat laws will incur fines, legal costs, and even car insurance price hikes. The specifics can be a little confusing, but the
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What is the car seat law in Minnesota?
The only official law is that passengers under the age of eight or shorter than 4’9 must be in a child restraint.
- The state recommends that children under 12 months old ride in a rear-facing safety seat in the back of the car.
- After surpassing the height and/or weight restrictions set out by the manufacturer, kids can be switched to front-facing harnessed seats.
- After outgrowing the front-facing harnessed seat, a child can be moved into a booster seat until they reach the age of eight or 4’9" tall. O
- Once they can sit with their back against the vehicle seat with their knees bent comfortably over the edge with their feet touching the floor, switching to only a regular seat belt is appropriate.
All child safety seats have to be manufacturer approved.
Note that these requirements may not apply to children with disabilities who cannot safely ride in a car seat. If this is the case, it’s important to keep a doctor’s note on hand in case you’re pulled over.
Key Takeaway Passengers under the age of eight or less than 4’9" tall must be secured in either a rear-facing harnessed seat, front-facing harnessed seat, or booster seat secured with a seat belt.
What are the penalties for breaking the car seat law in Minnesota?
Violating a car seat law is classified as a misdemeanor and will incur a minimum fine of $50. Drivers are considered responsible for every minor in their car—so it’s up to you to make sure everyone is buckled up!
If you receive a ticket but can show proof that you purchased a manufacturer-approved car seat within 14 days, the state will waive your fine.
Can breaking the car seat law impact my driving record?
Probably not. Since breaking a car seat law is only a misdemeanor, it doesn’t come with any demerit points on your license
That said, violations do show up on your driving record. Even the smallest blemishes can add up over time, so it’s best to keep your record as clean as possible.
Your record aside, you should never take car seat laws lightly. Each time you fail to adhere to them, you put a child’s life at risk.
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How breaking car seat laws can impact insurance in Minnesota
Breaking the car seat law in Minnesota won’t add any
points to your license
, so your insurance premiums likely won’t increase. This doesn’t mean breaking the law doesn’t matter, though. Infractions still show up on your driving record and insurers will be wary about drivers who continue to rack up even minor issues.
If you do get a fine, it’s important to pay it as quickly as you can. Failing to do so could negatively impact your credit score, and in some states, that’s enough of a reason to increase your premiums.
Key Takeaway While one violation probably won’t hurt your premiums, repeated infractions can make car insurance providers wary.
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