CAR SEAT REGULATIONS
Pennsylvania
http://www.drivesafepa.org/Traffic-Safety-Information-Center/Child-Passenger-Safety/
PENNSYLVANIA’SSEATBELT LAW
Under Pennsylvania´s primary child passenger safety law, children under the age of four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle. Children from age four up to age eight must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat. Children from age 8 up to age 18 must be in a seat belt.
Car Seat Recommendations forChildren
Select a car seat based on your child´s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time. Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer´s instructions; read the vehicle owner´s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits. To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer´s height and weight requirements. Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
Birth-12 Months Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
1-3 Years Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It´s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat´s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.
4-7 Years Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat´s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it´s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.
8-12 Years Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it´s safer there.
The link also has a way to find fitting stations.
http://www.drivesafepa.org/Traffic-Safety-Information-Center/Child-Passenger-Safety/
PENNSYLVANIA’SSEATBELT LAW
Under Pennsylvania´s primary child passenger safety law, children under the age of four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle. Children from age four up to age eight must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat. Children from age 8 up to age 18 must be in a seat belt.
Car Seat Recommendations forChildren
Select a car seat based on your child´s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time. Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer´s instructions; read the vehicle owner´s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits. To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer´s height and weight requirements. Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
Birth-12 Months Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
1-3 Years Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It´s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat´s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.
4-7 Years Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat´s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it´s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.
8-12 Years Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it´s safer there.
The link also has a way to find fitting stations.
Comments
http://www.dmv.org/oh-ohio/safety-laws.php
Child Car Seat Laws
Ohio law requires children between the ages of four and 15 to be properly restrained by either a child seat, booster seat, or safety seat any time they are being transported by a motor vehicle. (This doesn't apply to children riding in taxicabs or public safety vehicles.)
Drivers who violate this law face a misdemeanor charge and at least a $25 fine.
If you're in the market for one, you can shop online for a child car seat at any time. When ordering, be sure the car seat matches your child's height, weight and age (as described below).
Weight and Height Specifics If your child is under 1 year and under 20 pounds, he must be in a rear-facing child seat. If your child is at least 1 and weighs more than 20 pounds, he can ride in a forward-facing seat until he grows out of that seat. If your child weighs over 40 pounds, he must ride in a booster seat. Boosters properly position the seatbelt. Use a highback booster if the car's backseat is below the top of your child's ears. Your child must use the booster until he is 8 years old, or is at least 4'9" tall.
Children under age 12 should ride in the backseat to prevent airbag injuries and fatalities. The airbag deploys in an angle that will injure or kill a child, so if your child must ride in front, be sure you have an airbag turnoff switch.
http://www.dmv.org/al-alabama/safety-laws.php
Child Car Seat Laws
The state also enforces child safety seat requirements. Follow the guidelines below for any child you transport:
Newborns - 1-year-olds: ride in an approved infant-only, rear-facing car seat, in the back seat of the vehicle. These rules apply until the child is one year old or weighs 20 pounds.
Toddlers, 1-5 years old: ride in a convertible or forward-facing seat, using a lap belt and with the harness at or above the shoulders until the child turns five or weighs 40 pounds.
Ages 5-6, 40 pounds or heavier: ride in forward-facing booster seat, buckled with the vehicle's safety belt.
All children must use seat belts until the age of 15.
http://www.utahsafetycouncil.org/child-safety-seat.asp
Child Safety Seat Basics
Nearly 80% of child safety seats are used incorrectly! The two minutes you take each time you buckle up your child correctly can save their life. The Utah Safety Council offers car seat inspection to help with your children's safety, by appointment only. Please contact the Information Specialist at 801.746.SAFE (7233) ext. 303 to schedule your appointment.More information about child safety seats for different ages.InfantsToddlersBooster SeatsOlder ChildrenInformation about Utah's Booster Seat Law
Infants
For the best possible protection all infants should be restrained rear-facing in the back seat. There are two types of rear facing car seats: infant seats and convertible seats. Generally, infant seats are designed for children from 5 pounds to about 20 pounds and convertible seats are designed for children from 5 pounds to about 35 pounds rear-facing.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain rear facing as long as possible until they have reached the maximum height and weight limits of the car seat (check your seat's manufacturer instructions for exact weight limits) or at about age two. At minimum, children less than one year and less than 20 pounds must be restrained rear-facing in the car.Children are 5.32 times safer riding rear-facing into the second year of life (until their 2nd birthday).Children under age 2 are 75% less likely to sustain a serious injury when rear-facing, regardless of the direction of the crash (frontal impact, side impact, etc).Lower extremity injuries in crashes are less common than 1/1,000 children. Whether the child is rear-facing or forward-facing, the risk of lower extremity injury remains the same.Some infants will reach the weight or height limit of the infant seat, but are still not ready to face forward in the vehicle. In this situation, the child should be restrained rear facing in a convertible seat designed to hold children up to 35 pounds rear facing. More and more convertible seats are being made to accommodate higher weight limits rear-facing. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.Adjust the seat so that the child is reclining at about a 30-45 degree angle. Each car seat will have an angle indicator that will help you determine the correct angle for that seat.Harness straps should be in the slots at or below the infant's shoulders and should fit snugly against the child.Place the retainer clip at armpit level to keep the harness strap on the baby's shoulders.Never place an infant in a front seat with a passenger-side airbag.Harness baby in snugly and then cover the baby with a blanket.Make sure the seat is installed tightly. A child safety seat should not move more than one inch side to side at the belt path.Always use a federally approved child safety seat and not a regular household carrier.
Toddlers
When children outgrow their rear-facing car seat they should be restrained in a forward facing car seat in the back seat (at a minimum age of 1 yearand 20 pounds).Most forward-facing car seats are for children between 20 and 40 pounds. More and more forward-facing car seats are being made with higher harness weight limits, some up to 65 pounds. Read the manufacturer's instructions to check your seat's guidelines.A forward-facing seat must have the harness straps in the harness slots at or slightly above the child's shoulders and should fit snugly against the child.Place the retainer clip at armpit level to keep the harness strap on the child's shoulders.Built-in safety seats are federally approved and safe for children over 20 pounds and 12 months (make sure to check manufacturer instructions for exact age, weight and height requirements).Always make sure the seat is installed tightly. A child safety seat should not move more than one inch side to side at the belt path.
Booster Seats
When children outgrow their forward-facing car seats, generally around age 4 and 40 pounds, they should be restrained in a booster seat.Booster seats are for children between 40 and 100 pounds and under 4'9” tall. Always check the manufacturer's instructions for the height and weight requirements for your particular seat.In Utah, children under age 8 are required by law to be in a child safety seat or a booster seat.Booster seats are designed to be used with a lap and shoulder belt combination. Do not use a booster seat with a lap belt only seat belt. If you have lap belt only seatbelts, or are not ready to put your child in a booster seat only, check out these alternatives to boosters for children over 40 pounds. There are two types of booster seats: high-back belt positioning boosters and no-back belt positioning boosters. High-back boosters are generally used for children between 30 and 100 pounds and must be used if the vehicle has a low seat back to provide head protection for the child. No-back boosters are typically used for children 40 to 100 pounds. Always check the manufacturer's instructions for your booster seat's height and weight requirements as they may vary from seat to seat.
Older Children
When children have outgrown their booster seats (When they have reached 4'9'' tall, usually between ages 8 and 12) they should use a safety belt in the back seat.Older children are ready to use vehicle safety belts when their knees bend comfortably over the vehicle seat, the lap belt stays low and sung across the hips, and the shoulder belt lies on the shoulder/collarbone and does not cross the face or in the front of the neck. If the child can sit this way for the entire trip, they are ready for the seat belt.Never allow a child to put the shoulder belts behind their back or under their arm.All children 12 and under should be restrained in the back seat.
http://www.dmv.org/nm-new-mexico/safety-laws.php
Child Car Seat Laws
The rules concerning safety seats vary with the child's age.
Children under the age of one need to be properly secured in an approved rear-facing safety seat placed in the back seat of the vehicle. In a vehicle without a rear seat, place the child in a safety seat on the front passenger seat, as long as the passenger-side air bag has been deactivated.
Children between the ages of one and five and those weighing under 40 pounds must be properly secured in an approved safety seat.
Children ages five and six and those weighing under 60 pounds must be properly secured in an approved booster seat or another appropriate car seat.
Children between six and 12 years old may be properly secured in a car seat or booster seat, or by a seat belt.
If you're in the market for one, you can shop online for a child car seat at any time. When ordering, be sure the car seat matches your child's height, weight and age.
Penalties
Drivers may be fined $25, have two points assessed on their license, and face possible additional fees depending on where they live for failing to properly secure children riding in their vehicle.
Safety Seat Fitting Locations
Those needing direction on selecting the proper safety seat should make an appointment to consult with an expert at a child safety seat fitting location.
Additional Information
For more information on seat belt or child safety seat laws, call the Traffic Safety Bureau at (505) 827-0427 or (800) 541-7952. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also has a lot more information.
I posted New Mexico for you, not much but there is a number you can call if you need more.
http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/safety-laws.php
Child Car Seat
As of January 1, 2012, all children younger than eight years old, or under four feet and nine inches in height, must be secured in a car seat or booster. In addition, all kids younger than eight, must be secured in the back seat.
Read our How to Buy a Child Safety Seat and How to Install a Child Safety Seat for more details, including information on how the seats differ.
When a Child May Ride in Front
Children under the age of six weighing less than 60 pounds may ride in the front seat of a vehicle, but only when:
There is no rear seat or the rear seats are either side-facing jump seats or rear-facing seats. The child passenger restraint system cannot be installed properly in the rear seat. All rear seats are already occupied by children under the age of 12 years. A medical reason requires the child to ride in the front seat.
Some vehicles, usually those with no backseats, come with an airbag-off switch for this purpose.
When a Child May Not Ride in Front
However, a child may not ride in the front seat of an airbag-equipped vehicle if the child:
Is under one year of age. Weighs less than 20 pounds. Is riding in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system.
General Seat Belt Laws
With a few exceptions, everyone riding in a car must be contained by an approved safety restraint system (seat belts and/or safety seats). Some passengers may be exempted from this requirement due to medical issues if they have a letter from their doctor excusing them from the seat belt law.
Passengers who are at least 16 years old can be cited for failing to comply with the law. Drivers are responsible for their own conduct along with their passenger's behavior, and can be cited for any seat-belt violation that occurs within their vehicle.
Fines
First offense―$20 Subsequent Offense―$50
@everyone thanks for contributing!!
http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafety_laws.html
VIRGINIA'S CHILD RESTRAINT DEVICE LAW
(Code of Virginia Article 13 - Section 46.2)
The major requirements of Virginia's Child Safety Seat Law:
Child restraint devices are required for children through the age of seven (until 8th birthday). Safety seats must be properly used and approved by Department of Transportation standards. There is no height or weight requirement associated with this law. The Virginia law is based solely on age.
Rear-facing child restraint devices must be placed in the back seat of a vehicle. In the event the vehicle does not have a back seat, the child restraint device may be placed in the front passenger seat only if the vehicle is either not equipped with a passenger side airbag or the passenger side airbag has been deactivated.
Children can no longer ride unrestrained in the rear cargo area of vehicles.
The law applies to anyone (i.e. parents, grandparents, babysitters, friends) who provides transportation for a child in any vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1968. Public transportation (taxis, buses), regulation school buses, and farm vehicles are exempted.
The child restraint law is primary enforcement -- no other violation need be committed prior to ticketing for failure to have a child in an approved seat.
A $50 civil penalty fine is imposed for failure to have a child in a child restraint device. Any person found guilty a second or subsequent time, on different dates, will be fined up to $500. An additional $20 civil penalty fine is assessed when persons transporting a child exempted from this law due to medical reasons do not carry a written statement of the exemption. All fines collected go into a special fund to purchase safety seats for low-income families.
There are assistance programs for low-income residents who cannot afford a safety seat. Contact Virginia Department of Health, Division of Injury and Violence Prevention at 1-800-732-8333 for more information.