Skip to main content
the mom site

Car seat laws in Mississippi

What Mississippi 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

Children under 4 must ride in a child safety seat. Children 4 to 6 must use a belt-positioning booster if they are shorter than 4'9" or weigh less than 65 pounds.

Sources: Mississippi Legislature; Mississippi State Department of Health. Data as of October 2026.

What does Mississippi 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.

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

Rear-facing car seat

No state rule

Mississippi law has no rear-facing requirement. The state health department recommends rear-facing seats.

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 under 4 must be protected by a child passenger restraint device or system that meets federal safety standards. The law doesn't say which type.

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 is at least 4 but under 7 must use a belt-positioning booster seat if the child is shorter than 4 feet 9 inches or weighs less than 65 pounds. If more than two children need boosters and the rear seat has only two lap-and-shoulder belts, only the two children in those seats need boosters; the others may use a lap 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

At 7, or between 4 and 6 once the child is at least 4'9" and at least 65 pounds, the child moves to the seat belt. Mississippi's seat belt law (§ 63-2-1) requires every passenger in a passenger vehicle, in every seat, to wear a fastened belt.

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 Mississippi law says where in the car a child must sit. The state health department advises children under 13 to ride in the back seat.

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

The law: Miss. Code Ann. §§ 63-7-301, 63-7-309.

Sources: Mississippi Legislature; Mississippi State Department of Health; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data as of October 2026.

What are the fines and exemptions in Mississippi?

First offense

Up to $25

A violation of § 63-7-301 is punishable by a fine of not more than $25 for each offense (§ 63-7-309).

Exemptions

The law covers passenger motor vehicles built to carry 15 or fewer people. It doesn't apply to vehicles excluded from the seat belt law: farm-use vehicles, implements of husbandry and farm tractors; passenger cars driven by rural mail carriers or utility meter readers on duty; and buses (§§ 63-7-301(2), 63-2-1(3)).

Questions about the law

This is general information, not legal advice. For how the law applies to you, ask Mississippi State Department of Health.

The Mississippi Legislature's official free code is hosted by LexisNexis (linked from legislature.ms.gov) and has no stable per-section URLs. Current §§ 63-7-301 and 63-7-309 text was read from 2026 HB 1022, which reprinted § 63-7-301 unchanged and would have raised the § 63-7-309 fine from $25 to $100. That bill died in committee on 02/03/2026, so the $25 maximum still applies. 2024 HB 1008, which would have made this a primary offense, also died. Discrepancy: the statute requires a booster for ages 4 to 6 if the child is 'less than 4 feet 9 inches in height or weighs less than sixty-five pounds,' so a child must meet both measures to skip it. The MSDH page and IIHS instead say a child may use an adult belt at 57 inches OR 65 pounds. The fields above follow the statute. The MSDH page (last reviewed Oct. 4, 2024) offers car seat inspection help at 601-206-1010.

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. Mississippi lists its own fitting stations.

Find a seat check in Mississippi 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 Mississippi?

NHTSA's locator lists 12 car seat inspection stations in Mississippi, in 11 cities and towns. Jackson has the most (2).

12

inspection stations in NHTSA's locator

NHTSA, October 2026

11

cities and towns with a station

NHTSA, October 2026

0

flagged as Spanish-speaking; ask when you call

NHTSA, October 2026

0

of 12 records updated since 2023

Newest: September 12, 2022

Cities with the most stations

  1. Jackson2 stations
  2. Biloxi1 station
  3. Canton1 station
  4. Columbus1 station
  5. Indianola1 station
  6. Madison1 station
  7. Natchez1 station
  8. Olive Branch1 station

Plus 3 more cities and towns. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code for the ones near you.

1 is a mobile station that travels to checkup events, so call for the next date and place.

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 Mississippi

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

Mississippi law has no rear-facing requirement. The state health department recommends rear-facing seats. 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 Mississippi?

A child who is at least 4 but under 7 must use a belt-positioning booster seat if the child is shorter than 4 feet 9 inches or weighs less than 65 pounds. If more than two children need boosters and the rear seat has only two lap-and-shoulder belts, only the two children in those seats need boosters; the others may use a lap 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 Mississippi?

No Mississippi law says where in the car a child must sit. The state health department advises children under 13 to ride in the back seat. 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 Mississippi?

A violation of § 63-7-301 is punishable by a fine of not more than $25 for each offense (§ 63-7-309).

Where can I get a car seat inspection in Mississippi?

NHTSA's locator lists 12 car seat inspection stations in Mississippi, in 11 cities and towns. Jackson has the most (2). 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 Mississippi

Sources

  1. 1.House Bill 1022 (2026 Regular Session), amending Miss. Code § 63-7-309 and bringing forward §§ 63-2-1 and 63-7-301 (current text) Mississippi Legislature. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. 2.House Bill 1022 (2026) history: died in committee 02/03/2026 Mississippi Legislature. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. 3.Child Passenger Safety (Safe Riders) Mississippi State Department of Health. 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.

Car seat laws in other states

Compare every state