The Minnesota car seat laws and the Minnesota seat belt laws are primary laws. This means police can pull over a vehicle if they suspect a violation. In Minnesota, all people in a vehicle are required to buckle up.
Kids under age 8 must ride in a federally approved child safety seat that is appropriate for their height and weight according to the manufacturer. Children under 8 years old who are already 4′-9″ (57″) tall are allowed to use only an adult seat belt. Kids age 8 and older may legally use only an adult seat belt, but it is recommended that they use a booster seat until they are at least 4′-9″ so that it fits correctly.
Minnesota law is considered a minimum requirement. Safety experts recommend keeping your child in each stage of child safety seat use until he or she reaches the maximum height or weight limit for their seat.
Check out the links below for more info on Minnesota laws and best practices for safety.
State and Local Resources for Minnesota Car Seat Laws
Minnesota Department of Public Safety – Minnesota car seat laws
32 page PDF – This Buckle Up Kids booklet contains detailed info on car seat & booster seat choice, installation and much more.
Minnesota car seat check locations – search by county
Free car seat distribution facilities – search by county
2 page PDF – Don’t Skip a Step brochure. This is an easy to read flyer about the 4 steps of child passenger safety, including age, weight, and height ranges. It also covers the law in Minnesota.
National Resources for Minnesota 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.