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Occupant Protection > Child Car Seats

When to move to the next stage

Stage 1: Rear Facing Infant Seats
To ensure the best protection, your child should remain in a rear facing seat until he or she is 22 lbs. and walking. Make sure the seat is the right fit for your baby’s height and weight.

• If your child is 20 or 22 lbs. and not yet walking, consider moving the child to an infant/child car seat or infant/child/booster seat. These seats can be used rear facing and then forward facing. The rear facing weight limit is up to 30 lbs.

• If the top of your child’s head reaches within one inch of the top of a rear facing seat, the child should be moved into a rear facing seat that has a higher back, to ensure the needed head/neck protection.

Stage 2: Forward Facing Child Seats
Your baby should be 22 lbs. and walking, approximately one year of age, before being placed in a forward facing car seat, and should remain in this seat until at least 40 lbs. All forward facing seats must be installed using a seat belt/UAS and top tether strap.

• If your child is under four years old but weighs 40 lbs., consider purchasing a child/booster seat that uses the harness system with a higher weight limit.

• If your child weighs less than 40 lbs. but the middle of his or her ears have reached the top of your forward facing seat, you should move the child to a different forward facing seat with a higher height limit.

Stage 3: Booster Seats 
Children must weigh 40 lbs. and have outgrown the height and weight limits of their forward facing child seat before moving into a booster seat.  High back or no back boosters are available. The most important consideration in determining which will work best for your child is adequate head and neck protection.

• If the middle of your child’s ears have reached the top of the booster or top of the head restraint, but your child is not yet ready to move to a seat belt, consider a high back booster with a higher height limit.

Stage 4: Seat Belt
Children should move to a seat belt when the seat belt fits them properly. The lap belt should lie low on the hips and the shoulder belt should come over the shoulder and across the chest. Children should be at least 4 feet 9 inches standing or 29 inches sitting and be tall enough for their legs to bend over the edge of the seat while they are sitting up straight to prevent slouching.

 

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