Booster seat requirements in New Hampshire
A car seat or booster until age 7.
Unless the child is at least 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) tall, which ends the requirement whatever their age.
- Rear facing until
- 24 months
- Seat belt alone from
- age 7
- First offense
- $50
Every figure on this page was read at N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:107-a on 4 October 2026. Read the statute
What the New Hampshire booster seat law says
The stages below are separate rules in the statute, not one rule in steps.
| Rule | Figure | What New Hampshire requires |
|---|---|---|
| Rear facing | under 24 months | Until 24 months (2 years). |
| Car seat or booster | under 7 years | Until age 7, unless the child is at least 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) tall. |
| Adult seat belt alone | from 7 years | Lawful from age 7, or once the child reaches 57 inches (4 ft 9 in). |
| Penalty | $50 | $50 for a first offense. Condition Paragraph III sets $50 for a first offense and $100 for a second or subsequent one. A violation cannot be used as evidence of contributory negligence in a civil action. |
Size ends the requirement, whichever comes first. A child who is at least 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) tall is out of the booster in New Hampshire whatever their age. A child who has not reached that stays in one until age 7. The size is an escape from the age rule rather than a second thing that also has to be true.
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
New Hampshire sets this in N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:107-a. Read it at the source.
This is information, not legal advice. A city or county in New Hampshire 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
- N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:107-a
- Source
- gc.nh.gov
- Jurisdiction
- New Hampshire (NH), 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
- 2023, 163:1, effective 1 January 2024