The Arizona Car Seat Law states that children under age 5 must ride in a child restraint system. The child restraint must be federally approved and used according to manufacturer’s recommendations for the child’s height and weight.
Kids between 5 and 8 years old also need to ride in a car seat or booster seat, unless he or she is 4′-9″ tall. Arizona law does not take the child’s weight into account.
Safety experts suggest kids use a booster seat regardless of age until an adult seatbelt fits correctly. See the Parents Central link below for more information on best practices.
Arizona police can pull over vehicles if they see a child who is not riding in a child restraint. Also of note, some cities in Arizona add their own fine in addition to the statewide fine.
State and Local Resources for Arizona Car Seat Law
About.com/travel/Phoenix – Arizona Car Seat Law
Arizona State Legislature – Arizona Car Seat Law statute
Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) blog – 6 Things You Need to Know About Arizona’s Booster Seat Law
City of Phoenix – Car seat fitting station locations
City of Phoenix – Car seat Safety Information – PDF in English and Spanish
CAPP (Children Are Priceless) Tempe area – Car Seat Use Safety Classes in English and Spanish
SafeKids Yuma County – Car Seat Use Safety Classes in English and Spanish
National Resources for Arizona Car Seat and Booster Seat Laws
nhtsa.gov – U.S. Department of Transportation / National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website
safercar.gov – Also known as Parents Central, this is the child safety section of the safercar.gov website, published through the NHTSA. This is an awesome info packed site, so if you have general questions, definitely stop here.
iihs.org – Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, child safety page
safekids.org – A global organization all about keeping kids safe, especially from preventable injuries or fatalities. Their site includes tips on car seat choice and car seat inspection events, among other things.