In Iowa, a booster seat is required for children until the age of 6 years old. As per Iowa statutes, all children should remain in a booster seat until they are taller than 4’9 inches or weigh more than 80 pounds, and can be properly restrained by an adult safety belt.

Car accidents are a fact of life in every state, and they can turn tragic in an instant—especially if children are involved. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), many child deaths from car accidents are preventable with the proper use of safety restraints.

Driving with children unsecured not only puts them at serious risk of physical injury or worse, but it can also result in you being hit with severe penalties as well.

That’s why we've put together this handy guide to properly securing your child in a booster seat in Iowa. So keep reading to learn how to keep your kids safe in the Hawkeye State!

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What is the booster seat law in Iowa?

In Iowa, children from ages 1 to 6 must be secured by either a car seat or booster seat in the rear passenger area of the vehicle. Once a child is 4’9” tall and weighs more than 80 pounds, they can be restrained by an adult safety belt. Either way, every child in Iowa between the ages of 6 to 18 must be secured by either a child restraint system, a safety harness, or a safety belt.

Worrying about your kids' safety can be stressful, but we’ve broken down how to safely and securely restrain your child in the car in Iowa, and with what device:

Seat type	Age limit	Child weight and/or height
Infant seat (rear-facing)	Newborn to one-year-old	Up to 20 pounds
Toddler seat (convertible or forward-facing)	One to three years old	20 to 40 pounds
Booster seat	Four years to eight years old	Between 40 and 80 pounds/under 4’9’’ tall
Seat belt	Eight plus years old	Taller than 4’9’’

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Always try to tailor your child’s car or booster seat to their height and weight, and be sure your child’s car/booster seat is federally approved. As a rule, all children should be seated in a secure booster seat until they can be comfortably secured by an adult safety belt.

Key Takeaway All kids under 8 years old, shorter than 4’9”, and between 40 and 80 pounds, should be secured in a car’s rear passenger seat with a booster seat.

MORE:

Iowa car seat law

How to safely install a booster or car seat

Before trying

to install a child car seat

in your vehicle, you’ll want to know the seat’s dimensions to ensure a proper fit.

In terms of installation, the NHTSA makes this easy by offering detailed installation instructions for both rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, and booster seats on its website. The NHTSA also supplies the locations of

car seat installation stations

across the country. Your car seat can be inspected to ensure it is properly installed, or you can get help installing a safety seat if you need it.

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What are the penalties for breaking the booster seat law in Iowa?

Violating Iowa’s booster seat car is a misdemeanor and comes with a fine of $25. Court costs will bring the actual total to $83.

If a police officer believes they have probable cause that you are violating Iowa’s booster seat law, they can stop you on the spot.

If you violate Iowa’s booster seat law, you can avoid conviction by proving in court that you’ve installed an approved booster or child car seat.

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How breaking booster seat laws can impact insurance in Iowa

Not only will your insurer learn of your booster seat violation, but your insurance premiums will likely go up as a result.

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Finding cheap car insurance

Keeping your kids safe is a vital—if expensive—parenting obligation. However,

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