Car seat & booster law
American Samoa
Verified · JUN 2026Quick answer · American Samoa
A car seat or booster is required until your child is in a proper restraint.
A child under 3 must ride in a federally approved child passenger restraint system. A child 3 to under 4 must be in a restraint or a seat belt. American Samoa law sets no booster, rear-facing, height, or back-seat requirement.
Car seat law checker
The legally required restraint, by state.
General information, not legal advice.
SeatCheckerRequired vs recommended
What the law enforces, and what pediatricians advise. They are not the same.
The law requires
Minimum, or it's enforceable
- Rear-facing until
- Not specified by law
- Booster until
- Not specified
- Back seat
- Not required
Pediatricians recommend
AAP — safer, not the law
- Rear-facing until
- To seat limit (often age 2+)
- Booster until
- 4'9" — typically age 8–12
- Back seat
- Until age 13
AAP guidance is a safety best practice and is separate from American Samoa’s legal minimum. The territory requires a restraint only through age 3 and has no booster rule, so pediatric guidance goes well beyond the statute.
Every stage, by the law
Dual units shown throughout (in + cm, lb + kg). Rows marked Guidance are best practice, not a statutory requirement in American Samoa.
| Stage | Age | Height | Weight | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear-facing | Infant (per seat) | — | — | Guidance |
| Forward-facing | Toddler (per seat) | — | — | Guidance |
| Booster | — | — | — | Guidance |
| Seat belt | 4 yr + | — | — | A.S.C.A. § 22.0332 |
| Back seat | Recommended < 13 | — | — | Guidance |
- Age
- Infant (per seat)
- Age
- Toddler (per seat)
- Age
- —
- Age
- 4 yr +
- Age
- Recommended < 13