Car Seat and Booster Seat Laws in Rhode Island: What Parents Need to Know

Rhode Island requires any child under 8 years old who is also under 57 inches tall and under 80 pounds to ride in the back seat in a federally approved car seat or booster. Infants and toddlers under age 2, or weighing less than 30 pounds, must be rear-facing.

These rules come from R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-22, and the age, height, and weight thresholds work together rather than independently.

What Are Rhode Island’s Car Seat Requirements by Age and Size?

The statute builds a progression from birth through the seat belt years:

• Under age 2, or under 30 pounds: rear-facing car seat, in a rear seating position.
• Age 2 and up, or once the child outgrows rear-facing by height or weight: forward-facing car seat with a harness, used up to the maximum the seat’s manufacturer allows.
• Under age 8, and under 57 inches, and under 80 pounds: a DOT-approved child restraint system in a rear seating position.
• Under age 8 but at least 57 inches tall or at least 80 pounds: a seat belt and shoulder harness, still in a rear seating position.
• Age 8 through 17: a seat belt in any seating position. The driver is responsible for compliance.
• Age 18 and older, including the driver: a properly worn seat belt.

Note how the thresholds interact. A 7-year-old who hits 80 pounds can move out of a booster into a belt, but must stay in the back. A 7-year-old who is 50 pounds and 48 inches still needs a restraint system.

The Rhode Island DMV and the Rhode Island State Police both publish guidance, and safety agencies recommend keeping children rear-facing as long as the seat permits, which often exceeds the legal minimum.

When Can a Child Legally Sit in the Front Seat?

Rhode Island’s default is the back seat for children under 8. The statute allows front-seat placement only in two situations:

• The vehicle has no back seat, such as a pickup truck.
• All rear seating positions are already occupied by other children.

“Rear seating position” means any seat behind the driver and front passenger. A crowded car is not a general excuse. The exception applies specifically when other children fill the rear seats.

What Are the Penalties for a Car Seat Violation?

Fines are set by § 31-41.1-4, which was last updated effective June 2025:

• No child restraint: $100
• Child restrained but not in a rear seating position: $100
• No seat belt, passenger or operator: $40

There is also a provision worth knowing. If you receive a citation under subsection (a) and present proof of purchase of an approved child restraint to the issuing police department within seven days, the department must void the violation. Otherwise, the matter goes before the traffic tribunal. Child restraint convictions are not recorded on your driving record.

A few narrow exemptions apply to the seat belt provisions, including vehicles built before July 1, 1966, vehicles not federally required to have belts, drivers or passengers with a physician’s written verification that they cannot wear a belt, and postal letter carriers performing their duties.

Can a Car Seat Violation Be Used Against You in an Injury Claim?

No, and this is the provision most parents do not know about. Subsection (h) of § 31-22-22 states that failure to be properly restrained by a child restraint system or safety belt cannot be considered negligence and is not admissible as evidence in the trial of any civil action. Subsection (a)(2) says the same thing about contributory or comparative negligence.

In plain terms: if another driver caused the crash and your child was hurt, the defense in a Rhode Island car accident claim cannot stand up in a Rhode Island courtroom and argue your child’s compensation should shrink because the booster was installed wrong or a strap was loose. That evidence is barred.

Insurance adjusters do not always behave as though the statute exists. If an adjuster suggests your claim is worth less because of a restraint issue, that argument has no legal footing at trial, and it is worth having a lawyer say so directly.

What Should You Do If Your Child Was Hurt in a Crash?

Children’s injuries can be harder to spot than adults’, and car seats themselves need attention afterward:

• Get a medical evaluation right away. Kids often cannot describe symptoms like dizziness or nausea clearly.
• Do not reuse a car seat that was in a moderate or severe crash. Manufacturers and federal guidance generally call for replacement.
• Keep the seat. It can be evidence, and its replacement cost is a recoverable expense.
• Photograph the installation, the vehicle, and the scene.
• Save the police report and all medical records, which support the damages you can claim.

Rhode Island also gives injured children extra time. Because the limitations clock is paused while a child is a minor, an injured child generally has until their 21st birthday to bring a claim, though a parent can file on their behalf much sooner and usually should.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can my child stop using a booster seat in Rhode Island?

Once the child is 8 years old, or is at least 57 inches tall or at least 80 pounds. Children under 8 who meet the height or weight threshold still must ride in a rear seating position with a seat belt.

Does Rhode Island require rear-facing until age 2?

Yes. Infants and toddlers under 2 years old, or under 30 pounds, must be in a rear-facing car seat.

What is the fine for not using a car seat?

$100 under the current schedule. Presenting proof of purchase of an approved restraint within seven days can void the citation.

Can my child ride in the front seat if the back is full of adults?

Generally no. The exception applies when all rear seating positions are occupied by other children, or the vehicle has no back seat.

Will a car seat mistake reduce my child’s injury settlement?

Under § 31-22-22, restraint non-use is not admissible as evidence of negligence in a civil action, so it should not reduce a recovery at trial.

Talk to a Providence Child Injury Lawyer

Rhode Island’s child passenger law is detailed, and it is written to protect families twice over: once on the road, and again in the courtroom, by keeping restraint questions out of civil trials.

If your child was injured by another driver’s negligence, Louis W. Grande Injury Lawyer can review the crash, handle the insurance company, and pursue compensation for medical care and long-term needs. Contact us today for a case review.