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Car seat laws in Florida

What Florida 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 · 10 sources · Not legal advice

Short answer

Florida requires children through age 3 to ride in a separate carrier or integrated child seat, and children 4 and 5 to ride in a carrier, integrated seat or booster. From age 6, a seat belt is allowed. There is no rear-facing requirement.

Sources: The Florida Legislature; Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Data as of October 2026.

What does Florida 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.

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

Rear-facing car seat

No state rule

Florida 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.

Forward-facing seat with a harness

Best practice goes further

For children aged through 3 years, the restraint must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child seat.

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

For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a child booster seat may be used.

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

Children 6 and older may use a seat belt, and all passengers under 18 must be belted or in a child restraint. A 4- or 5-year-old may use a seat belt instead only when carried free by a driver outside the immediate family, in a medical emergency, or with documented medical need.

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

No Florida law says 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: Fla. Stat. § 316.613, in effect since 2020.

Sources: The Florida Legislature; Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; Governors Highway Safety Association. Data as of October 2026.

What are the fines and exemptions in Florida?

First offense

$60

A moving violation with a $60 base fine and 3 points on your license. With the court's approval, you can instead complete a child restraint safety program; then the points are waived and the fine and costs may be waived.

Exemptions

For-hire chauffeur-driven taxis, limousines, sedans, vans, buses and motor coaches; school buses; buses for hire; farm equipment; trucks over 26,000 lb GVWR; motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles. Ages 4-5 may use a belt in the three situations above.

Questions about the law

This is general information, not legal advice. For how the law applies to you, ask Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The $60 is the s. 318.18(3)(a) base fine for moving violations; court costs are extra. Last amended by ch. 2020-69. 2026 HB 233 / SB 1384 (booster seats for ages 6 to 8) died in committee on 2026-03-13.

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.

Find an inspection station 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 Florida?

NHTSA's locator lists 116 car seat inspection stations in Florida, in 89 cities and towns. Several cities share the most stations (3 each). NHTSA flags 24 of them as Spanish-speaking.

116

inspection stations in NHTSA's locator

NHTSA, October 2026

89

cities and towns with a station

NHTSA, October 2026

24

flagged as Spanish-speaking

NHTSA, October 2026

16

of 116 records updated since 2023

Newest: September 10, 2024

Cities with the most stations

  1. Fort Myers3 stations
  2. Lakeland3 stations
  3. Orlando3 stations
  4. Sarasota3 stations
  5. Tallahassee3 stations
  6. West Palm Beach3 stations
  7. Apopka2 stations
  8. Bradenton2 stations

Plus 81 more cities and towns. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code for the ones near you.

Spanish-speaking stations are listed in Cooper City, Deerfield Beach, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Gainesville, Hallandale Beach, Kissimmee and Lake Mary, and 15 more places. Use the locator's Spanish-speaking filter to see them.

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 Florida

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

Florida 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.

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

For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a child booster seat may be used. 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 Florida?

No Florida law says 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 Florida?

A moving violation with a $60 base fine and 3 points on your license. With the court's approval, you can instead complete a child restraint safety program; then the points are waived and the fine and costs may be waived.

Where can I get a car seat inspection in Florida?

NHTSA's locator lists 116 car seat inspection stations in Florida, in 89 cities and towns. Several cities share the most stations (3 each). NHTSA flags 24 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.

More for parents in Florida

Sources

  1. 1.Fla. Stat. § 316.613, Child restraint requirements The Florida Legislature. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 2.Fla. Stat. § 318.18, Amount of penalties The Florida Legislature. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. 3.Safety Belts & Child Restraints Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  4. 4.Seat belt and child seat laws (table dated October 2026) Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  5. 5.Child Passenger Safety state laws (last updated October 2025) Governors Highway Safety Association. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  6. 6.Car Seats and Booster Seats National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  7. 7.Car Seats: Information for Families (last updated 4/16/2026) American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  8. 8.California Vehicle Code § 27363 (exemptions; current version and version operative January 1, 2027) California Legislative Information. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Show all 10 sources
  1. 9.Car Seat Inspection (inspection station locator) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 10.Car Seat Inspection Locator API (CSSIStation) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 16, 2026.

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