Nevada car seat laws simply state that children under six years old and under 60 pounds must ride in a federally approved safety seat appropriate for their age, weight, and height.
Drive Safe Nevada recommends following the best practices of safety experts. This means that infants travel in a rear facing infant seat until at least 2 years old, but preferably until they exceed the weight or height limit for the seat. At that point, they can transition to a forward facing seat with a five point harness. When the child reaches the maximum height or weight limit of that seat, he or she can transition to a booster seat (used with BOTH a shoulder belt and lap belt to reduce risk of injury).
A seat belt fits correctly when a child can sit up straight against the seat back, knees bent at the seat front. The shoulder belt should cross the shoulder and chest, avoiding the neck and face. The lap belt should cross at the hips and upper legs, not the belly. This usually happens between 8-12 years old, and around 4′-9″ (57″) tall.
In Nevada, everyone in a vehicle is required to buckle up. While the seat belt law is a secondary law, the child passenger safety law is primary. This means you can be stopped if an officer suspects a passenger under 6 is not properly restrained. At a maximum of $500, Nevada has one of the highest fines for a first time infractions.
For more information on Nevada car seat laws and booster seat laws, check out the links below.
State Resources for Nevada Car Seat Laws
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles – Seatbelt and Car Seat Laws PDF (English)
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles – Seatbelt and Car Seat Laws PDF (Spanish)
Nevada Department of Transportation – Car Seat Laws and Fines
Renown Children’s Hospital – Car Seat Check Information
Humboldt General Hospital – Car Seat Check Information
SafeKids.org – What to Expect During a Car Seat Checkup
National Resources for Nevada 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.