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Minnesota child car seat laws changing Aug. 1: What you need to know

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  July 18, 2024 11:51am CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 9

New child car seat laws go into effect in MN

New car seat rules are going into effect in Minnesota on Aug. 1. The new rules clarify when a child should move from a rear-facing to a front-facing car seat and also lays out a five-step test to make sure a seat belt fits correctly.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota laws regulating child seats, booster seats and seat belts in vehicles are set to change on Aug. 1.

Past state law deferred to the car seat manufacturer's instructions on a child's height and weight. The new laws specifically state how old a child should be for rear-and forward-facing car seats or booster seats while also increasing the booster seat requirement from 8 years old to 9 years old. 

States push for better car seat guidelines

Attorneys general from Wisconsin and Minnesota are pushing for change they say would lessen the confusion and improve safety.

READ MORE: New Minnesota laws starting July 1 that could affect you

The following rules will begin Aug. 1 and include the following: 

  • An infant who is younger than 2 years old must be placed in a rear-facing or convertible child safety seat.
  • A child who is at least 2 years old and has outgrown the rear-facing seat can be placed in a forward-facing car seat with an internal harness that matches the child's height and weight.
  • Children who are at least 4 years old and have outgrown the forward-facing seat with an internal harness can ride while restrained in a booster seat with a seat belt that secures the lap and shoulder.
  • A 9-year-old child who has outgrown the booster seat can ride with a seat belt that passes the five-step seat belt test. The five steps include making sure the shoulder belt crosses between the neck and shoulder and across the mid-chest, having the child’s back against the vehicle seat, making sure the lap belt stays on the upper thighs and across the hip bones, having the child’s knees bend at the end of the seat and making sure the child is able to sit correctly, without slouching, for the entire ride.
  • A child under the age of 13 must also sit in the back seat if possible.

Officials say a child must be placed in the safer restraint option if they fall into more than one category. For instance, a 2.5-year-old child who weighs 35 pounds but has a car seat with a rear-facing limit of 40 pounds must stay rear-facing despite being more than 2 years old. Parents and guardians must always read their car seat and vehicle owner manuals to install seats properly. 

The updated information from the Department of Public Safety, as well as the five-step test, can be found here. 

The new law can be found here.

Minnesota child passenger safety law update (Courtesy: MN Office of Traffic Safety). (Supplied)

READ MORE: AGs call for more federal standards on child car seats

Data from the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among children.

The state also shared the following statistics regarding crashes and restrained vs. unrestrained child passengers from 2019 to 2023: 

  • 89% of the 12,827 children between the ages of 0–7 years old who were properly restrained during a crash were not injured while about 10% sustained only minor injuries
  • 20 children between the ages of 0–7 years old died in motor vehicles, only 10 of which were "properly secured"
  • 81 children between the ages of 0–7 years old were seriously injured in motor vehicles, with only 44% of them known to be "properly secured"

Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Director Mike Hanson said, "We all want our children to be as safe as possible while we’re driving, and that means making sure they are in the proper child restraint.  The new law lays out best practices and will help parents make the best decision to protect their child."