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Car seat laws in Maine

What Maine 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 · 9 sources · Not legal advice

Short answer

Maine requires rear-facing under age 2 and a harnessed seat for children 2 and older who weigh less than 55 pounds. After that, a booster is required until the child is 8, 57 inches tall or 80 pounds. Children under 12 must ride in the rear seat if possible.

Sources: Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes; Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety. Data as of October 2026.

What does Maine 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.

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

Rear-facing car seat

Best practice goes further

A child under 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat, or a convertible seat in the rear-facing position. A child in a convertible seat who exceeds its rear-facing weight or height limit may face forward.

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

A child 2 or older who weighs less than 55 pounds must ride in a child restraint with an internal harness. If the child exceeds the harness seat's height limit first, they move to a federally approved belt-positioning 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

A child who weighs less than 80 pounds, is shorter than 57 inches and is under 8 must ride in a belt-positioning seat or other child restraint. A child who reaches any one of those limits may use a seat belt.

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

A child under 18 who is not required to use a car seat or booster must be properly secured in a seat belt. Passengers 18 and older and the driver must also be belted.

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

Best practice goes further

The driver must ensure that a child under 12 is properly secured in the rear seat, if possible.

NHTSA and the AAP recommend keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

The law: 29-A M.R.S. § 2081, in effect since 2021.

Sources: Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes; Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data as of October 2026.

What are the fines and exemptions in Maine?

First offense

$50

Each violation is a traffic infraction with a mandatory fine: $50 for a first offense, $125 for a second and $250 for a third or later offense. The court may not suspend the fine.

Exemptions

The car seat and booster rules don't apply to a child whose medical condition calls for a different restraint. That opinion must be in writing from a physician, nurse practitioner, physician associate, or child passenger safety technician with special needs training, must recommend the restraint and must explain why. The child must then ride in the recommended restraint.

Questions about the law

This is general information, not legal advice. For how the law applies to you, ask Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety.

The Revisor's page was extracted on 2026-10-05. The rear-facing and harness rules come from PL 2019, c. 299 and c. 577, and the harness subsection (2-B) was last amended by PL 2021, c. 293. Later changes (PL 2023, c. 634; PL 2025, c. 316 revisor's correction) affect only the adult medical exemption and wording. No pending change was found.

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. Maine lists its own fitting stations.

Find a seat check in Maine 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 Maine?

NHTSA's locator lists 38 car seat inspection stations in Maine, in 31 cities and towns. Several cities share the most stations (2 each).

38

inspection stations in NHTSA's locator

NHTSA, October 2026

31

cities and towns with a station

NHTSA, October 2026

0

flagged as Spanish-speaking; ask when you call

NHTSA, October 2026

37

of 38 records updated since 2023

Newest: September 11, 2024

Cities with the most stations

  1. Bath2 stations
  2. Lewiston2 stations
  3. Norway2 stations
  4. Presque Isle2 stations
  5. Rockland2 stations
  6. Waterville2 stations
  7. Westbrook2 stations

Plus 24 more cities and towns. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code for the ones near you.

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 Maine

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

A child under 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat, or a convertible seat in the rear-facing position. A child in a convertible seat who exceeds its rear-facing weight or height limit may face forward. 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.

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

A child who weighs less than 80 pounds, is shorter than 57 inches and is under 8 must ride in a belt-positioning seat or other child restraint. A child who reaches any one of those limits may use a seat 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?

How old does a child have to be to sit in the front seat in Maine?

The driver must ensure that a child under 12 is properly secured in the rear seat, if possible. NHTSA and the AAP recommend going further: keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

What is the fine for a car seat violation in Maine?

Each violation is a traffic infraction with a mandatory fine: $50 for a first offense, $125 for a second and $250 for a third or later offense. The court may not suspend the fine.

Where can I get a car seat inspection in Maine?

NHTSA's locator lists 38 car seat inspection stations in Maine, in 31 cities and towns. Several cities share the most stations (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.

More for parents in Maine

Sources

  1. 1.29-A M.R.S. § 2081, Use of safety seat belts and child restraint systems Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 2.Child Passenger Safety Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. 3.Car Seat Inspection Locations Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety. 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.Car Seats and Booster Seats National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  6. 6.Car Seats: Information for Families (last updated 4/16/2026) American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  7. 7.California Vehicle Code § 27363 (exemptions; current version and version operative January 1, 2027) California Legislative Information. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  8. 8.Car Seat Inspection (inspection station locator) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 14, 2026.
Show all 9 sources
  1. 9.Car Seat Inspection Locator API (CSSIStation) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed October 16, 2026.

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