Car seat laws in Louisiana

A child younger than 2 must ride in a rear-facing child restraint until reaching the seat manufacturer's weight or height limit. 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 at least 4 who has outgrown the forward-facing harness limits must ride in a belt-positioning booster with a lap-shoulder belt. A child moves to the adult belt at age 9, or sooner after outgrowing the booster's height or weight limits. 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?

A child younger than 13 must ride in the rear seat when one is available. If an active passenger air bag is present, a child younger than 6 or under 60 pounds must ride in the rear seat if one is available. That matches NHTSA and AAP guidance: keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

A first offense is a $100 fine. A second offense is $250 to $500, and a third or later offense is $500 plus court costs. If the only violation is using the wrong restraint for an otherwise restrained child, the fine is capped at $100, fees and court costs included. A violation is not a moving violation. Having no restraint at all is a primary offense. Using the wrong-size restraint is a secondary offense: a driver can be cited for it only when stopped for a moving violation.

NHTSA's locator lists 100 car seat inspection stations in Louisiana, in 55 cities and towns. Baton Rouge has the most (12), then Lafayette and Lake Charles (5 each). Certified technicians check seats for free in most cases. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code and call the station before you go.