Car seat laws in North Carolina

North Carolina law does not require rear-facing. 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.

A child under 8 and under 80 pounds must be properly secured in a weight-appropriate child passenger restraint system. The requirement ends when the child turns 8 or reaches 80 pounds. 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?

In a vehicle with an active passenger-side front airbag and a rear seat, a child under 5 and under 40 pounds must ride in the rear seat, unless the child restraint is designed for use with airbags. NHTSA and the AAP recommend going further: keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

A violation carries a fine of up to $25, even if more than one child was unsecured, plus 2 driver license points and no insurance points. A driver charged over a child under 8 can't be convicted if they show the court they have since gotten an approved child restraint for the vehicle the child usually rides in.

NHTSA's locator lists 244 car seat inspection stations in North Carolina, in 157 cities and towns. Wilmington has the most (18), then Ft. Bragg and Rocky Mount (8 each). Certified technicians check seats for free in most cases. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code and call the station before you go.