How old does your child need to be to legally graduate from a booster seat in Illinois?

If your child is ready to move on from rear-facing child restraint systems, you may be wondering when they can eventually move up to a booster seat under Illinois law. Illinois also has a minimum age recommendation for when children can ride in the front seat.

There were 863 children killed in crashes in 2021, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Of the 863, officials knew whether restraints were used in 769 cases, of which 40% were unrestrained.

Along with lack of restraint use, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports another issue is when children stop using a booster seat before they are physically ready.

“Age-appropriate restraint use typically decreases as children get older,” the CDC website says.

The Office of the Illinois Secretary of State lays out child passenger safety requirements for children.

Here’s what the Child Passenger Protection Act requires for Illinois children.

Illinois law on child passenger safety

The Land of Lincoln’s Child Passenger Protection Act requires children under 2 years old to sit in a rear-facing restraint system unless the child is more than 40 pounds or 40 inches tall.

Children between the ages of 2 and 8 must be secured in an “appropriate child restraint system,” Illinois law says. Parents and guardians are also required to provide the proper equipment for anyone else who may be transporting their children for them.

Child restraint systems are commonly referred to as booster seats, and Illinois law requires parents to choose seats that meet federal safety guidelines.

Illinois law requires children 8 years and younger to use booster seats.

The NHTSA recommends children use rear-facing child seats until age 3 , forward facing car seats through age 7 and booster seats up to age 12, unless the child is tall enough to safely use a seat belt. After age 12, seat belts are recommended in lieu of booster seats.

The penalty for breaking Illinois law on child restraint system use is $75 and considered a petty offense for the first occurrence, then the fine increases to $200 for any subsequent offenses.

The Illinois Department of Transportation says children under the age of 13 should sit in the back seat.

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