Colorado Child Passenger Safety Law

Effective 01/01/2025 updates to child passenger safety will be put place in Colorado. These updates reflect the latest research-based recommendations on car seat, booster seat and seat belt use for children. The changes are outlined below.

Rear-Facing car seats:

• Must be used for children under 2 years of age AND less than 40 pounds;
• The seat must be in the back seat if one is available;
• Continue to rear-face beyond 2 years of age and 40 pounds if the child restraint allows it (please always check car seat manual for height and weight guidelines).

Forward-Facing car seats:

• Under 2 years of age AND over 40 pounds;
• 2-4 years of age AND at least 20 pounds;
• The seat must be in the back seat if one is available;
• Continue to forward-face beyond 4 years of age and 40 pounds if child restraint allows it (please always check car seat manual for height and weight guidelines).

Booster seats:

• 4-9 years of age AND at least 40 pounds;
• The seat must be in the back seat if one is available;
• Can continue to use a booster seat beyond 9 years of age (please always check car seat manual for height and weight guidelines).

Seat belt:

• 9+ years of age;
• Must fit in seat belt properly.

If you have any questions on the updates to the law, you can email carseatscolorado@gmail.com or visit Colorado Department of Transportation: 2024 Child Passenger Safety Law.