North Dakota Car Seat Law Change
North Dakota has a new car seat law going into effect on Tuesday, August 1st, 2017. The new law states that kids must travel in a federally approved car seat or booster seat appropriate for their height and weight until age 8. Kids 4′-9″ (57″) or more must wear a seat belt.
The current law requires kids to ride in a safety seat only until age 7, so the new law will keep more kids safe.
It’s still important to make sure your child’s car seat or booster seat is installed correctly, and that kids are buckled in correctly. Booster seats should always be used with both a lap belt and shoulder belt. (Using a booster with only a lap belt can cause serious injuries.) If your vehicle does not have shoulder belts in the back seat, or they’re being used by smaller children in car seats, please consult your local police or fire station to ask about the next safest (legal) option in your area.
Also, with this new law extending booster seat use, be aware of weight limits. Make sure the maximum weight allowed for your current 3-in-1, All-in-1, or booster seat will be sufficient to protect your child for another year.
LATCH systems (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) have a weight limit, too. This varies depending on the year of the vehicle. If you’re anchoring an All-in-1 car seat or 3-in-1 car seat with LATCH, you might want to check your vehicle manual to be sure your growing child is still under the limit.