According to the Colorado State Law, all children under eight years old should be secured in an appropriate child restraint system that meets the federal motor vehicle standards.
What is the Car Seat Law in Colorado?
Colorado Legislature Law Section 42-4-236. (2) (a) (I) reads: "Every child who is under eight years of age and who is being transported in this state in a motor vehicle or in a vehicle operated by a child care center, shall be properly restrained in a child restraint system, according to the manufacturer's instructions. "
Colorado Car Seat Laws Rear-Facing
Colorado law regulations in Section 42-4-236. (2) (a) (II) requires children below 12 months old and weighing less than 20 pounds to ride in rear-facing car seats in the rear seat of the vehicle.
The Colorado Department of Transportation interpreting the law into a more detailed explanation:
- As long as your child is under 1 year of age, no matter his or her weight or height, the child should travel in a rear-facing car seat.
- If your child is under 20 pounds in weight, no matter his or her age or height, he or she should travel in a rear-facing car seat.
These two rules make it clear for parents to know the rear-facing age and weight requirements.
Safety tips:
It’s better to keep a child in the rear-facing car seats as long as possible unless they outgrow the maximum weight or height limit allowed by the car seat manufacturers.
Colorado Forward Facing Car Seat Laws
According to Colorado law Section 42-4-236. (2) (a) (III), children who are at least 1 year of age but less than 4 years old and weigh 20 pounds or more but less than 40 pounds must ride in rear-facing or forward-facing car seats, whichever best fits the child’s weight and height.
Safety tips:
NOT rush into a forward-facing car seat too soon. You can wait until your child reaches the highest height or weight limit of the rear-facing car seat.
It’s best to follow the car seat manufacturer’s instructions to choose an appropriate child safety seat for properly restraining.
What is The Law for Booster Seats in Colorado?
Interpreting the Colorado law regulations in section Section 42-4-236. (2) (a) (I) (II) and (III), children should use a booster seat until they are 8 years old.
The law does not say this statement but requires the child younger than 8 years of age to use an appropriate child restraint system in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
The Colorado Department of Transportation explains in the age, weight, and height requirements table that a booster can be used if the child is at least 4 years old or weighing 40 pounds or more.
However, the best practice and the safest recommendation is to keep children in a booster seat until they have outgrown the booster seats.
What are the height and weight requirements for a booster seat in Colorado?
40-pound is the minimum weight requirement for a booster seat in Colorado. The other is the age requirement – 4 years of age, no height is mentioned in the rules on booster seats.
How much do you have to weigh to get out of a booster seat in Colorado?
No regulations are found in the law on the weight requirement to get out of a booster seat, only the child is at least 8 years of age can use a seat belt. Check the seat belt laws for Children in Colorado.
Seat Belt Laws for Child in Colorado
The rule in Colorado law section Section 42-4-236. (2) (b) says that children who are at least eight years of age but less than sixteen years of age should be restrained in a safety belt or booster seat, based on the child’s size and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Keep using the booster seat as long as possible until the child reaches the height or weight limit of their seats.
Penalty for Breaking Car Seat Laws in Colorado
Failure to properly restrain a child typically results in a $65 fine, and a $16 surcharge.
However, the court will waive the fine if the offender shows proof of obtaining a proper car seat.
Colorado Car Seat Laws Apply for
The rules in Colorado Legislature Law 42-4-236 2 (c) make it clear about the application:
The parent should be responsible to ensure that the child is properly secured with a child restraint system or safety belt system if the parent is in the motor vehicle.
When the parent is not in the motor vehicle, the driver will take over the responsibility to secure a child properly in an appropriate restraint system.
Exemptions
Vehicles used to transport persons for medical emergencies are exempt from the child restraint requirement. Commercial vehicles used by childcare centers, a common carrier, contract carriers such as buses, are also exempt.
Even the luxury limousine service is exceptional from the child restraint system rules.
When can a child sit in the front seat in Colorado?
According to Colorado law, if your child is 1 year or older and weighs more than 20 pounds, it’s legal for them to stay in the front seat.
But it is not recommended. You should use an appropriate child restraint system until the age of 15.
Please refer to the manufacturer manual to choose the right system. After the age of 15, if the car’s seat belt feels secure, your children can sit in the front seat.
Taxi Car Seat Law in Colorado
Taxicab is not mentioned in the Colorado law on exceptional regulations. It’s supposed the taxis are required to follow the child passenger restraint system law.
However, according to section 42-4-236 2 (c), if the parent is in the taxi, the parents should hold responsibility for their children’s safety in the taxi.
Age, Weight, Height Requirements in Colorado Law
Rear-facing (stage 1): younger than 1-year-old and less than 20 pounds
Forward-facing (stage 2): between 1 to 7 years old, more than 20 pounds
Booster (stage 3): More than 40 pounds
Seat belt (stage 4): under 15 years old
As a good parent, you should always know that the laws are the minimum requirements. You need to follow the car seat manufacturer’s instructions and the vehicle’s manual to install the car seat properly for the best protection.
Further Information
What you Need to Know – Four Car Seat Stages
Best Car Seats to Work with Colorado Laws
Rear-Facing Car Seat for Infants and Small Toddlers
Doona Infant Car Seat Stroller Combo
- Weight Range: 4-35 lbs.
- Height Limit: 32 inches
- Lifespan: 6 years
- Type: Infant
- Stage: 1st
- Suitable for: Birth to 18 months old
More than this Doona car seat and stroller combo, there are a few excellent options available for riding infants in rear-facing. But not all will perform as well as it to allow 1-year-old infants to face the back for this long time, Chicco KeyFit 30 for example, features a low 30-lb weight limit that might not go through the first year.
Forward-Facing for Big Toddlers and Preschoolers
Graco Extend2Fit
- Weight Range: 4-50 lb. (RF) & 22-65 lb. (FF)
- Height Limit: 32 in. (RF) & 49 in. (FF)
- Lifespan: 10 years
- Type: Convertible
- Stage: 1st, 2nd
- Suitable for: Birth to 7 years old
This convertible car seat is great enough to meet the parent’s need to ride their kids in the rear- and front-facing for a longer time. It features 50-lb rear-facing weight limit to be one of the best rear-facing car seats for 2 years old.
When using it facing front, the 65-lb weight limit makes it go through the preschool ages – 3 years old, 4 years old, and 5 years old.
Booster Seats for Big Kids
Graco TurboBooster Backless Booster
- Weight Range: 40-100 lb.
- Height Limit: 43-57 in.
- Lifespan: 10 years
- Type: Booster
- Stage: 3rd
- Suitable for: 4-10 years old
$24.99*
The Graco TurboBooster is the most popular and best budget car seat to meet the State Law to ride older children, six or seven years old, or even bigger. While six years of age is relatively younger than other states’ eight years of age requirement, it’s sooner for Alabama children to get rid of a car seat.
Sources
- Colorado Legislature on Child Restraint Requirements
- Colorado Department of Transportation on child passenger safety law