Under the Michigan booster seat law, a child must ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they turn eight years old or reach four feet nine inches tall, whichever comes first. The requirement sits inside Michigan’s broader child restraint statute, MCL 257.710d, which was updated effective April 2, 2025.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required
When Your Child Can Stop Using a Booster
Your child can legally leave the booster seat when they meet either condition: age eight, or a height of four feet nine inches. Both milestones are not required.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required A tall six-year-old who already measures four feet nine inches can move to a regular seat belt. An eight-year-old who is still shorter than that can also transition out.
Legal and safe are not always the same thing. A booster works by raising your child so the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder belt sits across the correct parts of the body: the shoulder belt across the chest rather than the neck, and the lap belt across the hip bones rather than the stomach. If you remove the booster and the belt rides up across your child’s neck or abdomen, the booster is still doing important work. The Michigan State Police recommends keeping children in each stage of restraint as long as they fit within the manufacturer’s height and weight limits.2Michigan State Police. Child Passenger Safety
How the Booster Fits Into Michigan’s Restraint Stages
The booster is the third of four stages. Children move up when they either reach the age trigger or outgrow the manufacturer’s size limits for their current seat.
- Birth to age 2: rear-facing car seat, until the child turns two or exceeds the manufacturer’s weight or height limit.
- Age 2 to 5: forward-facing car seat with an internal harness, until age five or the manufacturer’s limits are exceeded.
- Age 5 to 8: belt-positioning booster seat with a lap-and-shoulder belt, until age eight or four feet nine inches.
- Age 8 and up: standard seat belt. Children between 8 and 15 must wear a seat belt in both front and back seats.
Every restraint must meet federal safety standards and be installed according to both the car seat manufacturer’s and the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required
Children Under 13 Must Ride in the Back
Michigan requires all children under 13 to ride in the rear seat when the vehicle has one available. The rule applies at every stage, including after your child has moved out of the booster.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required An eight- to twelve-year-old who no longer needs a booster still belongs in the back.
A child may ride in the front only if all rear seats are already occupied by other children. If a child in a rear-facing car seat must be placed in front, the passenger airbag must be deactivated.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required NHTSA advises that children under 13 should ride in the back to avoid airbag-related injuries.3National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Air Bags
Exemptions
The child restraint requirements do not apply in buses, school buses, taxicabs, mopeds, motorcycles, or any vehicle that is not required to have safety belts under federal law or regulation.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required Older vehicles manufactured before safety belts became federally required fall into that last category.
The Michigan Secretary of State may also exempt certain children by administrative rule when a child restraint is impractical because of a physical condition, medical problem, or body size.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required The statute does not specifically require a physician’s note, but keeping medical documentation in the vehicle is a practical safeguard if your child has a qualifying condition.
Penalties for a Violation
A child restraint violation is a civil infraction, not a criminal charge.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710d – Child Restraint System Required The Michigan State Police reports that fines are generally around $120, though the exact amount varies by jurisdiction and may include additional court costs.5Michigan State Police. Michigan Seat Belt and Child Passenger Safety Law Information
No points are assessed on your driving record for the violation.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 257.710e – Safety Belt Required The infraction still becomes part of your driving history. A judge has discretion to waive the fine if you show the court that you purchased an appropriate child restraint after the citation, but is not required to do so.
Get Your Installation Checked for Free
Even parents who understand the law often install car seats incorrectly. Michigan has free car seat inspection stations where certified Child Passenger Safety technicians will check your installation and help you adjust it. You can find a station through the Safe Kids inspection station finder, which the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services links on its child passenger safety resource page.7Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MIHP Car Seat Distribution Program