Car seat laws in South Carolina

A child under 2 must ride in a rear-facing seat in a rear seat until the child exceeds the seat's height or weight 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 seat must use a belt-positioning booster with a lap and shoulder belt in a rear seat until meeting the adult-belt height and fit requirements. 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?

Children under 8 must ride in a rear seat. They may ride in front, in the proper seat, only if there is no rear seat or all rear seats are occupied by children under 8. NHTSA and the AAP recommend going further: keeping all children younger than 13 in the back seat.

Fine of not more than $150. The court must waive the fine if, before or on the court date, the driver shows proof of acquiring, buying or renting an appropriate child restraint.

NHTSA's locator lists 140 car seat inspection stations in South Carolina, in 71 cities and towns. Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Summerville have the most (7 each). NHTSA flags 1 of them as Spanish-speaking. Certified technicians check seats for free in most cases. Search NHTSA's locator by ZIP code and call the station before you go.