Booster seat requirements in New York
A car seat or booster until age 8.
Unless the child is taller than 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) or weighs at least 100 lb.
Condition The height and weight exits are an affirmative defense under subdivision 5, available only where the passenger was in fact belted. They do not prevent a ticket being issued. Both figures are exclusive: the defense requires a passenger who "measures more than four feet nine inches in height and/or weighs more than one hundred pounds", so a child of exactly 57 inches, or exactly 100 pounds, is still inside the booster stage.
- Rear facing until
- 24 months
- Seat belt alone from
- age 8
- First offense
- $25
Every figure on this page was read at N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1229-c on 4 October 2026. Read the statute
What the New York booster seat law says
The stages below are separate rules in the statute, not one rule in steps.
| Rule | Figure | What New York requires |
|---|---|---|
| Rear facing | under 24 months | Until 24 months (2 years). |
| Car seat or booster | under 8 years | Until age 8, unless the child is taller than 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) or weighs at least 100 lb. Condition The height and weight exits are an affirmative defense under subdivision 5, available only where the passenger was in fact belted. They do not prevent a ticket being issued. Both figures are exclusive: the defense requires a passenger who "measures more than four feet nine inches in height and/or weighs more than one hundred pounds", so a child of exactly 57 inches, or exactly 100 pounds, is still inside the booster stage. |
| Adult seat belt alone | from 8 years | Lawful from age 8, or once the child reaches more than 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) or 100 lb. |
| Penalty | $25 | $25 for a first offense. Condition A civil fine of not less than $25 and not more than $100 under subdivision 5, for a violation of subdivision 1 or 2. |
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 York sets this in N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1229-c. Read it at the source.
This is information, not legal advice. A city or county in New York 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.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1229-c
- Source
- www.nysenate.gov
- Jurisdiction
- New York (NY), 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