Car seat laws in Hawaii

A child under two must be properly restrained in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system with harness. 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.

A child four or older but under ten must be properly restrained in a harnessed child restraint or booster seat. A child seven or older but under ten who is over four feet nine inches may instead use a lap-and-shoulder belt. 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?

Hawaii 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.

First conviction: fine up to $100, a required child passenger restraint safety class (up to four hours), a $50 driver education assessment, a $10 neurotrauma surcharge, and up to a $10 trauma system surcharge. Second within three years: $250 to $500. Third or later within three years: $500 to $800.

NHTSA's locator lists 28 car seat inspection stations in Hawaii, in 10 cities and towns. Honolulu has the most (17), then Kailua and Lihue (2 each). Certified technicians check seats for free in most cases. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code and call the station before you go.