Seat Belts and Safety Restraints
- Wisconsin Statute 347.48 explains the mandatory use of seat belts and the appropriate use of child safety seats.
- Seat belts are the simplest and most effective tools we have to reduce highway fatalities and serious, life altering injuries.
- Children ages four to eight must be restrained in a vehicle seat belt or car safety seat.
- No one may transport a child unless the child is properly restrained, meaning it must be fastened in a manner prescribed by the manufacturer of the system, which permits the system to act as a body restraint.
WI locations for booster and car seat fitting stations:
Car seat installation locations
Guidelines
Wisconsin law provides that all persons transporting children must have the children properly restrained to comply with the following criteria:
Rear-facing child safety seat in the back seat* is required when the child:
- is less than 1 year old or
- weighs less than 20 pounds
Forward -facing child safety seat in the back seat* is required when the child:
- is at least 1 year old but less than 4 years old
- weighs at least 20 pounds but less than 40 pounds
Booster seat is required when the child:
- is at least 4 years old but less than 8 years old
- weighs at least 40 pounds but less than 80 pounds
- is not 57 inches (4 feet, 9 inches) or taller
Safety belt is required when the child:
- is 8 years old or older or
- weighs 80 or more pounds or
- is 57 inches or taller
*Child safety seat must be in the back seat if the vehicle is equipped with a back seat.