Michigan Car Seat Laws: What You Need To Know
This blog is meant to help parents become familiar with the Michigan car seat laws.
Michigan car seat laws are meant to help us safely protect our children.
Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13, according to NHTSA’s “Car Seats and Booster Seats.” 39% of the child passengers who were killed in car accidents in 2022 were “unrestrained,” i.e., not secured in any child restraint system, according NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts for Children.
These statistics are not meant to scare parents or anyone else who may have young children as passengers in their vehicles. They are to show that many child fatalities from car accidents are preventable if children are safely secured in child restraint systems.
As a car accident lawyer who focuses his practice on helping people injured in serious car accidents, I’ve seen firsthand how devastating it can be for parents to lose a child. There is nothing more tragic than a car accident that takes the life of a child.
This blog reviews the Michigan car seat laws and what the mandates require as well as tips to keep our children safe.
New Michigan Car Seat Laws Take Effect April 2, 2025
The changes under the new Michigan car seat laws on April 2, 2025 require: children until 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat, children under 5 must ride in a forward-facing seat, and children under 8 must ride in a booster seat. All children under 12 years of age must ride in the rear seat.
What are the car seat laws in Michigan?
The Michigan car seat laws require that:
- Children until 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat
- Children under 5 must ride in a forward-facing seat
- Children under 8 must ride in a booster seat
- All children under 12 years of age must ride in the rear seat.
What are the laws based on a child’s age?
Because the Michigan car seat laws are based on children’s ages, I will discuss what the laws require for kids at the following ages:
- Children under 2 years of age must be secured in a rear-facing car seat. (MCL 257.710d(2)(a)(ii))
- Children under 5 years of age must be secured in a forward-facing car seat. (MCL 257.710d(2)(b)(ii))
- Children under 8 years of age must be secured in a booster seat. (MCL 257.710d(2)(c)(ii))
- Children under 13 years of age must (1) wear a seat belt and (2) sit in the rear seat of the vehicle. (MCL 257.710d(4))
- Children who are 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age may sit in the front seat or the rear seat of the vehicle, but wherever they sit, they must wear a seat belt. (MCL 257.710d(4) and (5); 257.710e(3) and (5))
- Children who are 16 years of age or older may sit in the front seat or the rear seat of the vehicle, but they are only required to wear a seat belt if they are seated in the front seat. (MCL 257.710e(3))
What do the laws say about children’s height and weight?
The laws state that even if a child has not reached the age requirement for graduating from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing car seat or from a forward-facing car seat to a booster seat , the child may be moved to the next level of car seat if the child has reached the weight or height limit as set by the manufacturer of the car seat that the child is currently using. (MCL 257.710d(2)(a)(i) and (b)(i))
However, with respect to booster seats, the laws also allow for a child to remain in a booster seat until he or she has reached the weight or height limit of the child booster seat as set by the seat’s manufacturer. (MCL 257.710d(4))
What are the laws for rear-facing car seats?
In accordance with the Michigan car seat laws, a child must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until either of the following conditions occur: (1) the child has reached the seat’s weight or height limit as set by the seat’s manufacturer or (2) the child is 2 years of age or older. (MCL 257.710d(2)(a))
Once those conditions are met, the child will switch to a forward-facing car seat.
What are the laws for forward-facing car seats?
A child must be secured in a forward-facing car seat until either of the following conditions occur: (1) the child has reached the seat’s weight or height limit as set by the seat’s manufacturer or (2) the child is 5 years of age or older. (MCL 257.710d(2)(b))
Once those conditions are met, the child will switch to a booster seat.
What are the laws for booster seats?
A child must be secured in a “belt-positioning child booster seat” until either of the following conditions occur: (1) the child has reached the height of 4 feet 9 inches or (2) the child is 8 years of age or older. (MCL 257.710d(2)(c))
Once those conditions are met, the child is no longer required to sit in a child car seat.
How long must a child sit in the rear seat?
Children must be seated in the rear seat of the vehicle until they reach 13 years of age or older. (MCL 257.710d(4))
This is consistent with the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics that:
“All children less than 13 years old should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.”
This is also consistent with the recommendations of NHTSA: “Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.”
When can a child sit in the front seat in Michigan?
Once a child reaches the age of 13 or older, he or she may sit in the front seat of the vehicle. Under Michigan’s car seat laws, the rear-seat restriction only applies to children who are “less than 13 years of age.” (MCL 257.710d(4))
However, if a child is who is 13 years of age or older sits in the front seat of a vehicle, he or she must wear a seat belt. (MCL 257.710e(5))
Are there motor vehicles for which the Michigan car seat laws do not apply?
The Michigan car seat laws as set forth in MCL 257.710d(6) and MCL 257.710e(1) do not apply to any of the following motor vehicles:
- Bus
- School bus
- Taxicab
- Moped
- Motorcycle
- Other motor vehicles that are “not required to be equipped with safety belts under federal law or regulations.”
- Motor vehicles that were manufactured before January 1, 1965.
Are there other exceptions to the Michigan car seat laws?
Yes. For all child passengers, there may be exceptions to the laws for physical and/or medical reasons. (MCL 257.710d(9); 257.710e(1)(e))
What are the penalties for violating Michigan’s car seat laws?
A violation is a civil infraction. (MCL 257.710d(7); 257.710e(9)) It may result in a fine ranging from $10 to $20. (MCL 257.907(2)(n) and (o))
However, drivers face no jail time, no community service, no license suspensions (MCL 257.319), and no points on their driving records. (MCL 257.710d(8); 257.710e(13))
Drivers may be required to pay court costs up to $100 and a “justice system assessment” of $40. (MCL 257.907(4) and (12))
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