Big Changes to Minnesota's Car Seat Laws: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Starting Aug. 1, 2024, Minnesota's car seat law is getting a makeover, and parents have plenty to catch up on.

• The new law states kids must remain rear-facing until a minimum of 2 years old. They must also have outgrown the rear-facing seat by height or weight before switching to a forward-facing car seat with an internal harness. For many children, this means they will remain rear-facing for several years.
• Once your child turns 4 and outgrows their forward-facing seat by height or weight, they can move to a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt. There are backless and high-back booster options. While both are safe, the ultimate choice will depend on your child's maturity.
• Children can only use a regular lap and shoulder belt without a booster once they are at least 9 years old, have outgrown the booster seat and can pass the five-step test to make sure the seatbelt fits right. The five-step test includes:
  1. Children can sit against the back of the seat.
  2. Their knees bend over the seat's edge.
  3. The seat belt fits tight across their hips near the top of their thighs, not their abdomen.
  4. The shoulder belt crosses over their chest and shoulder, not their neck.
  5. They can sit properly without slouching for the entire ride.

Children under age 13 must sit in the backseat if possible. Airbags deploy at more than 200 miles per hour and can cause serious harm to children when used. Watch this video to see what happens to a child in the front seat when airbags are activated. Car seat selection should not be based on age alone, instead, children should remain in a car seat until they meet the maximum height or weight requirements marked on the seat.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS), if a child falls into more than one category,he or she must be placed in whichever is the safer option. MDPS's example includes:

"A child who is 2.5 years old and weighs 35 pounds but has a car seat with a rear-facing limit of 40 pounds must stay rear-facing even though they are over 2 years old. It's very important for parents and caregivers to always read their car seat and vehicle owners' manuals for proper installation."

What's alarming is that out of 81 kids seriously injured in car crashes in Minnesota from 2019 to 2023, only 44 percent were properly secured.

If you're worried about installing your car seat correctly, there are plenty of resources to help. The St. Cloud Area Child Passenger Safety Collaborative offers monthly car seat clinics by appointment, where you can get one-on-one help from a certified child passenger safety technician.

Local law enforcement agencies also offer car seat checks for residents. You can find car seat check locations near you on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website.