Booster seat requirements in Indiana
A car seat or booster until age 8.
Indiana sets no height or weight that ends the requirement early. Age is the only test.
- Seat belt alone from
- age 8
- First offense
- $25
Every figure on this page was read at Ind. Code §§ 9-19-11-2, 9-19-11-3.6 on 4 October 2026. Read the statute
What the Indiana booster seat law says
The stages below are separate rules in the statute, not one rule in steps.
| Rule | Figure | What Indiana requires |
|---|---|---|
| Car seat or booster | under 8 years | Until age 8. |
| Adult seat belt alone | from 8 years | Lawful from age 8. |
| Penalty | $25 | $25 for a first offense. Condition A Class D infraction, for which IC 34-28-5-4(d) allows a judgment of up to $25. A first-time violator who possesses or has since acquired a child restraint system owes no costs and no money judgment at all (IC 9-19-11-5), and one who does not possess one escapes costs and judgment by proving possession within thirty days of the court’s order (IC 9-19-11-6). No license points are assessed (IC 9-19-11-10) and the violation cannot count towards habitual violator status (IC 9-19-11-11). Judgments collected go to the child restraint system account, which funds free and low-cost seats. |
Where this and size guidance disagree, follow the stricter one. A belt that crosses the neck rather than the middle of the chest is worse protection than a booster even where the statute allows it.
The statute
Indiana sets this in Ind. Code §§ 9-19-11-2, 9-19-11-3.6. Read it at the source.
This is information, not legal advice. A city or county in Indiana can set a stricter rule than the state one, and an officer enforces the text of the statute rather than a summary of it. Where this page and the statute differ, the statute is right and this page is a bug.
Where this comes from
- Statute
- Ind. Code §§ 9-19-11-2, 9-19-11-3.6
- Source
- iga.in.gov
- Jurisdiction
- Indiana (IN), state law only
- Last reviewed
- 4 October 2026 0 days ago
- Read at the statute
- 4 October 2026
- Signed off by a person
- Not yet
- Amendment history
- P.L.129-2018, SEC.2 (§ 9-19-11-2); § 9-19-11-3.6 as added by P.L.67-2004, SEC.7