Car seat laws in Colorado

A child under two must ride in a rear seat if one is available, rear-facing if the child weighs under 40 pounds; at 40 pounds or more, rear- or forward-facing. 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.

Every child under nine must be properly restrained in a child restraint system per the manufacturer's instructions. A child four or older but under nine who weighs at least 40 pounds must ride in a child restraint system or booster seat, in the rear seat if available. 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?

Children under 9 must ride in the rear seat if one is available. NHTSA and the AAP recommend going further: keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

A class B traffic infraction: $65 penalty plus a $16 surcharge on the state schedule. The fine may be waived if you show the court, by your court appearance, that you've acquired, purchased or rented a child restraint system.

NHTSA's locator lists 93 car seat inspection stations in Colorado, in 59 cities and towns. Arvada has the most (10), then Castle Rock and Fort Collins (5 each). NHTSA flags 29 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.