Minnesota's Stricter Car Seat Law Just Went Into Effect

ST. PAUL, MN — Heads, up, parents: As of Thursday, Aug. 1, stricter rules on child seats, booster seats, and seat belts go into effect in Minnesota. The new laws may change how your children ride in a vehicle.

Crashes are a leading cause of injury and death among children in Minnesota, but state officials note that correct car seat use can drastically reduce injuries.

State crash data from 2019 to 2023 shows that:

• Of the 12,827 children ages 0-7 properly restrained, 89 percent were not injured.
  • Another 10 percent sustained minor injuries.
• 20 children ages 0-7 were killed in motor vehicles
  • Of those, only 10 were known to be properly secured
• Of the 81 children (ages 0-7) seriously injured in motor vehicles, only 44 percent were known to be properly secured

"The new law lays out best practices and will help parents make the best decision to protect their child," said Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson in a statement.

Ok, so what's changed?

Previously, state law required car seats to be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions on height and weight. And that will still be the case going forward.

But the new law also specifies ages for rear- and forward-facing car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. And the booster seat requirement has been increased from 8 to 9 years old.

The state released the graphic below to explain the changes:

The 5-step test shows that:

1. The child sits all the way back against the vehicle seat.
2. The child’s knees bend over the edge of the vehicle seat.
3 The lap belt fits snugly across the hips near the top of the child’s
thighs, not the child’s abdomen.
4. The shoulder belt snugly crosses the center of the child’s chest
and shoulder, not the child’s neck.
5. The child sits correctly, without slouching, for the duration
of the ride.

Go to buckleupkids.dps.mn.gov for more guidance.

Find the specific language from the new state law below:

Subd. 4a. Child passenger restraint systems.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c), every driver in this state who transports a child or children under the age of 18 years in a motor vehicle that is in motion or a part of traffic and is required under federal motor vehicle safety standards to be equipped with a safety belt or lower anchors and tethers for children in a passenger seating position must have the child or children secured as follows:

(1) a child who is younger than two years of age must be properly restrained in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system with an internal harness, until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system;

(2) a child who is at least two years of age and exceeds the rear-facing weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system must be properly restrained in a forward-facing child passenger restraint system with an internal harness, until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system;

(3) a child who is at least four years of age and exceeds the weight or height limit of the forward-facing child passenger restraint system must be properly restrained in a booster seat and secured with a safety belt;

(4) a child who is at least nine years of age or exceeds the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system or the booster seat must be secured with a safety belt adjusted and fastened around the child's body to fit correctly. The safety belt fits correctly when the child sits all the way back against the vehicle seat, the child's knees bend over the edge of the vehicle seat, the lap strap fits snugly across the child's thighs and lower hips and not the child's abdomen, and the shoulder strap snugly crosses the center of the child's chest and not the child's neck;

(5) a child who is younger than 13 years of age must be transported in the rear seat of a motor vehicle, when available, and must be properly restrained in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat or secured with a safety belt; and

(6) a child who, because of age or weight, can be placed in more than one category under this paragraph must be placed in the more protective category, where clause (1) provides for the most protective and clause (5) provides for the least protective.