Car seat laws in Arizona

Arizona law has no rear-facing requirement. 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.

Each passenger at least five but under eight years old who is not more than four feet nine inches tall must ride in a child restraint system (the definition includes booster seats). 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?

Arizona 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.

Civil penalty of $50, which is not imposed if you show the vehicle has since been equipped with a compliant child restraint system (for example, a receipt mailed to the court). The Governor's Office of Highway Safety notes that with court surcharges the total is often well over $100 in many jurisdictions, and that a Children Are Priceless Passengers class (a $35 fee that includes a seat if needed) can reduce the citation.

NHTSA's locator lists 67 car seat inspection stations in Arizona, in 42 cities and towns. Tucson has the most (10), then Phoenix (5). NHTSA flags 11 of them as Spanish-speaking. Certified technicians check seats for free in most cases. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code and call the station before you go.