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Car seat laws in Alabama

What Alabama law requires at each stage, from rear-facing to the front seat, next to what NHTSA and the AAP recommend. Plus the fine and where to get a free car seat check.

Checked October 2026 · 11 sources · Not legal advice

Short answer

Alabama requires a rear-facing seat until at least age 1 or 20 pounds, a forward-facing seat until at least age 5 or 40 pounds, a booster until age 6, and a seat belt until age 15.

Sources: Alabama Legislature (ALISON); Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Data as of October 2026.

What does Alabama car seat law require at each age?

The law sets the minimum. NHTSA and the AAP recommend keeping each stage until your child outgrows the seat, which usually means longer.

Alabama car seat law at each stage, beside NHTSA and AAP guidance
StageWhat Alabama law requiresNHTSA and AAP guidance

Rear-facing car seat

Best practice goes further

Infant-only seats and convertible seats used in the rear-facing position for infants until at least one year of age or 20 pounds.

NHTSA and the AAP recommend keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat's manufacturer. A child under age 1 should always ride rear-facing, and most convertible seats allow rear-facing for 2 years or more.

Forward-facing seat with a harness

Best practice goes further

Convertible seats in the forward position or forward-facing seats until the child is at least five years of age or 40 pounds.

NHTSA and the AAP recommend using a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether once your child outgrows the rear-facing limits, for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height the seat's manufacturer allows.

Booster seat

Best practice goes further

Booster seats until the child is six years of age.

NHTSA and the AAP recommend using a belt-positioning booster seat after your child outgrows the harnessed seat, until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they reach about 4 feet 9 inches tall and are 8 to 12 years old.

Seat belt

Seat belts until 15 years of age, so children 6 through 14 must be buckled in a seat belt.

NHTSA and the AAP recommend moving to the seat belt alone only when it fits: the lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach, and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or face. Children big enough for the belt alone should always use a lap and shoulder belt.

Back seat

No state rule

Alabama law doesn't say where in the car a child must sit.

NHTSA and the AAP recommend keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

The law: Code of Ala. § 32-5-222, in effect since 2014.

Sources: Alabama Legislature (ALISON); Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Alabama Department of Public Health; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Data as of October 2026.

What are the fines and exemptions in Alabama?

First offense

$25

Up to $25 per offense. The judge may dismiss the charge, with no court costs, on proof that you've acquired an appropriate child restraint. 1 point on a first offense, 2 points on a second or later offense.

Exemptions

Does not apply to taxis or to vehicles that seat 11 or more passengers. The law covers passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans seating 10 or fewer, minivans and SUVs.

Questions about the law

This is general information, not legal advice. For how the law applies to you, ask Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Alabama Department of Public Health.

Statute text read from the Legislature's ALISON code database (history ends with Act 2014-300). Bills to extend the car seat ages died: HB18 (2025) was indefinitely postponed and HB32 (2026) stalled at second reading when the session adjourned April 9, 2026. 'At least one year of age or 20 pounds' and 'at least five years of age or 40 pounds' are the statute's exact words; the 'or' is ambiguous, so pages should quote it rather than interpret it.

Where can you get your car seat checked for free?

Certified child passenger safety technicians check car seats at inspection stations nationwide. NHTSA says they inspect seats free of charge in most cases and show you how to install and use the seat correctly, and some locations offer virtual inspections. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code or city (it can filter for Spanish-speaking technicians), or find a technician through Safe Kids Worldwide. Alabama lists its own fitting stations.

Find a seat check in Alabama How to get a free car seat

Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)

Where are the car seat inspection stations in Alabama?

NHTSA's locator lists 15 car seat inspection stations in Alabama, in 14 cities and towns. Huntsville has the most (2).

15

inspection stations in NHTSA's locator

NHTSA, October 2026

14

cities and towns with a station

NHTSA, October 2026

0

flagged as Spanish-speaking; ask when you call

NHTSA, October 2026

15

of 15 records updated since 2023

Newest: April 25, 2024

Cities with the most stations

  1. Huntsville2 stations
  2. Anniston1 station
  3. Birmingham1 station
  4. Chatom1 station
  5. Gadsden1 station
  6. Grove Hill1 station
  7. Mobile1 station
  8. Northport1 station

Plus 6 more cities and towns. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code for the ones near you.

Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data as of October 2026.

Choosing and getting a car seat

Infant vs convertible car seat: which to buy firstInfant vs convertible car seat, compared with AAP and NHTSA guidance: rear-facing limits, portability, when to switch, installation and free seat checks.How to get a free car seatWhere to get a free infant car seat in 2026: Medicaid plan extras, Safe Kids coalitions and 211, plus free installation checks and when a used seat isn't safe.

Questions about car seat laws in Alabama

When can a child face forward in a car seat in Alabama?

Infant-only seats and convertible seats used in the rear-facing position for infants until at least one year of age or 20 pounds. NHTSA and the AAP recommend going further: keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat's manufacturer. A child under age 1 should always ride rear-facing, and most convertible seats allow rear-facing for 2 years or more.

When can a child stop using a booster seat in Alabama?

Booster seats until the child is six years of age. NHTSA and the AAP recommend going further: using a belt-positioning booster seat after your child outgrows the harnessed seat, until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they reach about 4 feet 9 inches tall and are 8 to 12 years old. The AAP says an adult seat belt fits when: the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly; and the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with knees bent over the edge of the seat without slouching, and can stay that way for the whole trip. NHTSA uses the same lap-belt and shoulder-belt checks. The 5-step test, which California writes into law from January 1, 2027, asks: 1) Does the child sit all the way back against the seat? 2) Do the knees bend over the edge of the seat? 3) Does the shoulder belt snugly cross the center of the chest and shoulder, not the neck? 4) Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs? 5) Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

How old does a child have to be to sit in the front seat in Alabama?

Alabama law doesn't say where in the car a child must sit. NHTSA and the AAP recommend keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

What is the fine for a car seat violation in Alabama?

Up to $25 per offense. The judge may dismiss the charge, with no court costs, on proof that you've acquired an appropriate child restraint. 1 point on a first offense, 2 points on a second or later offense.

Where can I get a car seat inspection in Alabama?

NHTSA's locator lists 15 car seat inspection stations in Alabama, in 14 cities and towns. Huntsville has the most (2). Certified technicians check seats for free in most cases. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code and call the station before you go.

More for parents in Alabama

Sources

  1. 1.Code of Alabama § 32-5-222, Requirements for child passenger restraints Alabama Legislature (ALISON). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 2.Child Restraints Law Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. 3.Car Seats and Booster Seats Alabama Department of Public Health. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  4. 4.Car Seat Inspection Stations Alabama Department of Public Health. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  5. 5.HB32 (2026 Regular Session), Motor vehicles; child passenger restraint systems: status Read Second Time in House of Origin Alabama Legislature (ALISON). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  6. 6.Seat belt and child seat laws (table dated October 2026) Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  7. 7.Car Seats and Booster Seats National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  8. 8.Car Seats: Information for Families (last updated 4/16/2026) American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org). Accessed October 14, 2026.
Show all 11 sources
  1. 9.California Vehicle Code § 27363 (exemptions; current version and version operative January 1, 2027) California Legislative Information. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 10.Car Seat Inspection (inspection station locator) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. 11.Car Seat Inspection Locator API (CSSIStation) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 16, 2026.

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