Booster seat requirements in North Dakota
A car seat or booster until age 8.
Unless the child is at least 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) tall, which ends the requirement whatever their age.
- Seat belt alone from
- age 8
- First offense
- $25
Every figure on this page was read at N.D. Cent. Code § 39-21-41.2 on 4 October 2026. Read the statute
What the North Dakota booster seat law says
The stages below are separate rules in the statute, not one rule in steps.
| Rule | Figure | What North Dakota requires |
|---|---|---|
| Car seat or booster | under 8 years | Until age 8, unless the child is at least 57 inches (4 ft 9 in) tall. |
| Adult seat belt alone | from 8 years | Lawful from age 8, or once the child reaches 57 inches (4 ft 9 in). |
| Penalty | $25 | $25 for a first offense. Condition A $25 statutory fee, set by § 39-06.1-06(2)(c), and one point against the driving record under the § 39-06.1-10 schedule. A violation is not in itself evidence of negligence. |
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 North Dakota whatever their age. A child who has not reached that stays in one until age 8. 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
North Dakota sets this in N.D. Cent. Code § 39-21-41.2. Read it at the source.
This is information, not legal advice. A city or county in North Dakota 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.D. Cent. Code § 39-21-41.2
- Source
- ndlegis.gov
- Jurisdiction
- North Dakota (ND), 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