In Minnesota, a child can ride in the front seat once they turn 13. Before that, state law requires children under 13 to ride in the back seat whenever a back seat is available, so the question of when a child can sit in the front seat in Minnesota comes down to age 13 by default and a short list of exceptions for younger children when the back is not an option.1Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Child Passenger Safety Law
When a Child Under 13 Can Legally Sit Up Front
The statute uses the phrase “whenever possible,” which creates room for specific situations where a younger child can ride in the front seat without breaking the law:1Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Child Passenger Safety Law
- The vehicle has no back seat, such as a standard-cab pickup or a two-seater.
- Every back seat is already occupied by other children in car seats, boosters, or seat belts.
- The ride is in an emergency medical vehicle and the child’s medical needs make a restraint system unreasonable.
- The vehicle is a motor vehicle for hire, meaning a taxi, airport limousine, or bus. Rented, leased, or borrowed vehicles do not count.
- The child is riding with a peace officer on duty and no child restraint system is available, in which case a seat belt must be used.
- A licensed physician has certified that a medical, physical, or mental condition makes restraint use inadvisable for the child.
Outside those situations, a child under 13 belongs in the back seat whenever one is available in the vehicle.
Airbags and the Front Seat
If a younger child does end up riding in front under one of the exceptions, the passenger airbag is the main hazard to plan around. A rear-facing car seat must never be placed in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger airbag. If the vehicle has a passenger airbag and no way to turn it off, a rear-facing seat cannot safely go there. Some vehicles have a manual airbag on-off switch, and some allow a dealer to install one for this purpose.2National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Air Bags and On-Off Switches Information for an Informed Decision
For a forward-facing car seat or a booster in the front, slide the vehicle seat as far back from the dashboard as it will go. NHTSA’s guidance for children between ages 1 and 12 who must ride in front covers three points: use the correct restraint for the child’s size, keep the child upright against the seatback instead of leaning forward, and push the vehicle seat all the way back. If the vehicle has a manual on-off switch, turn the passenger airbag off while the child is up front and turn it back on when an adult takes that seat.2National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Air Bags and On-Off Switches Information for an Informed Decision
Front-Seat Permission Does Not Waive the Car Seat Rules
Moving a child to the front seat under one of the exceptions does not change the restraint they need. Minnesota’s child passenger safety law still requires the correct seat for the child’s age and size: rear-facing until at least age 2, forward-facing with a harness until at least age 4, a belt-positioning booster until at least age 9 or until the child passes the five-step seat belt fit test, and only then a regular lap and shoulder belt. Every one of those thresholds also depends on the child staying within the manufacturer’s height and weight limits for the seat.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Changes to Minnesota’s Child Passenger Safety Law Go Into Effect Aug. 1
A 13-year-old who has outgrown a booster and passes the fit test can ride up front in a standard seat belt. A 10-year-old who still needs a booster and happens to be riding in front because the back is full needs that booster in the front seat.
Rideshare, Taxis, and Hired Vehicles
Taxis, airport limousines, and buses fall under the “motor vehicle for hire” exemption, so a younger child riding in one is not held to the back-seat rule in the same way. Whether Uber, Lyft, and similar rideshare services qualify as motor vehicles for hire under the statute is not spelled out. In any vehicle that does not qualify, the driver is legally responsible for making sure every child passenger is properly restrained.1Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Child Passenger Safety Law Bringing your own car seat into a rideshare is the safer choice regardless of how the exemption is read.
Penalties for Getting It Wrong
A driver who violates Minnesota’s child restraint law is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and faces a fine of up to $50. The fine can be waived or reduced if the driver shows proof of buying or obtaining a proper car seat within 14 days of the citation.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 169.685 – Child Passenger Safety Minnesota does not use a driver’s license points system, so the citation will not add points, but it does go on your driving record and can affect your insurance at renewal.