Maryland Car Seat Laws in 2022

Editor’s note: This article was updated in 2022 to link to a more appropriate section of the relevant statute.

In Maryland law, a child under eight years old and less than 4’9” tall must be secured in a child safety seat, a child eight to fifteen years old must be secured in a child safety seat or seat belt, and a child sixteen to seventeen years old must be secured by a seat belt while being transported. Only one person at a time may use a child safety seat or seat belt.

The child safety seat law defines a motor vehicle as a Class A (passenger), Class E (truck), or Class M (multipurpose) vehicle. The seat belt law defines a motor vehicle as a Class A (passenger), Class E (truck), Class F (tractor), Class M (multipurpose), or Class P (passenger bus) vehicle required by federal motor vehicle safety standards to have seat belts.

A motor vehicle used by a nursery school, camp, day nursery, or child care center for children with intellectual disabilities to transport children must have seat belts for each seat unless the motor vehicle is or was registered as a school vehicle.

Babies and Children Up to Eight Years Old

A child under eight years old must be secured in a child safety seat according to the child safety seat and vehicle manufacturer’s instructions while being transported unless the child is 4’9” tall or taller.

A child safety seat is defined as a device intended to restrain, seat, or position a child being transported in a motor vehicle which is certified by the manufacturer to comply with applicable federal safety standards and includes a child booster seat but does not include a seat belt or combination seat belt and shoulder harness.

A child safety seat must be installed and used according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Children Eight to Fifteen Years Old

A child between the ages of eight and fifteen years old must be secured in a child safety seat according to the child safety seat and vehicle manufacturer’s instructions or by a seat belt while being transported. A seat belt is defined as a restraining device which may include a combination seat belt and should harness.

Children Sixteen to Seventeen Years Old

A child between the ages of sixteen and seventeen years old must be restrained by a seat belt as a passenger in the front seat adjacent to a door or the rear seat of a motor vehicle.

Penalties for Violations

A violation of the child safety seat law is not a moving violation. If you fail to secure more than one child in a child safety seat or seat belt in the same vehicle at the same time, the violation must be treated as a single violation.

You may be fined $50.00 for a violation of the child safety seat law. If you did not possess a child safety seat at the time of the violation but you acquire a child safety seat prior to your hearing date and provide proof to the court, the court may waive the fine.

A violation of the seat belt law is not a moving violation. You may be fined up to $50.00 for a violation of the seat belt law.

Law Enforcement May Not Stop Your Vehicle for a Suspected Violation of the Seat Belt Law

A police officer may not detain you only for a suspected violation of the seat belt law. A police officer may enforce the seat belt law only as a secondary action if you are detained for a suspected violation of another provision.

Seat Belt Requirements for Motor Vehicles Registered, Offered for Sale, or Sold in Maryland

A motor vehicle manufactured or assembled after June 1, 1964 and registered in Maryland must have two front seat belts. A motor vehicle manufactured or assembled with a rear seat after June 1, 1969 and registered in Maryland must have two rear seat belts. A motor vehicle in violation of these requirements may not be sold or offered for sale. This requirement does not apply to motorcycles (other than three-wheeled motorcycles), buses, trucks, or taxicabs.

Exemptions

Your child may be exempt from the child safety seat requirement if a physician licensed in the state in which your vehicle is registered provides written certification that using a child safety seat would be impractical due to your child’s weight, height, physical unfitness, or other medical reason.

Your child may be exempt from the seat belt requirement if a physician licensed in Maryland provides written certification that a seat belt would not appropriately restrain your child due to a physical disability or other medical reason.

Your vehicle may be exempt from the seat belt law if it is a Class L (historic) vehicle.

FAQ

What are the booster seat requirements for Maryland?

Although there are no child booster seat laws in Maryland, the Maryland car seat law states that you should keep your child secured in a child passenger restraint system until they reach eight years old. Children between eight and fifteen years old have to ride in either a seat belt or another child passenger restraint system. Make sure that your child meets the child passenger restraint system’s height and weight requirements before securing your child.

What are Maryland car seat laws for rear facing car seats?

Maryland car seat laws do not state when you can switch your child from a rear facing to a forward facing car seat. However, Maryland safety officials urge parents to keep their child riding in a rear facing car seat as long as they still meet the height and weight requirements. Generally, most children can ride in a rear facing car seat until they are two years old. Check your child passenger restraint system’s height and weight requirements before switching your child to a forward facing car seat.

What is Maryland front seat law?

Maryland car seat law does not give any recommendations on when a child can ride in the front seat. Maryland safety officials advise parents to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations and keep their children under thirteen years old in the back seat.

* Ms. Blake is licensed in the state of Maryland. The information provided in this article does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.


Attorney Denise A. Blake*

Denise practices family law at Blake Law, LLC in Westminster, Maryland. She holds a Juris Doctor with an emphasis in Family Law from the University of Baltimore School of Law.