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Car seat & booster law

Northern Mariana Islands

Verified · AUG 2026

Quick answer · Northern Mariana Islands

A car seat or booster is required until your child is 4'6" tall.

A child under 5 must ride in a child passenger restraint system. A child under 5 who has outgrown a standard car seat and is under 80 pounds and under 54 inches must use a booster. No child under 5, under 80 pounds, or under 54 inches may ride in a front seat with an active passenger airbag. Everyone else must wear a seat belt.

Rear-facing per seat Forward per seat Booster Belt 5+ yr
9 CMC § 4108 Read the statute

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3 yrs

General information, not legal advice.

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Required 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
4'6"
Front seat
Airbag limits apply

Pediatricians recommend

AAP: safer, not the law

Rear-facing until
To seat limit (often age 2+)
Booster until
4'9", typically age 8 to 12
Front seat
Back seat until 13

AAP guidance is a safety best practice and is separate from the CNMI legal minimum. CNMI requires a car seat only through age 4 and ties the booster rule to an 80-pound / 54-inch threshold, 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 Northern Mariana Islands.

Rear-facing Guidance
Age
Infant (per seat)
Forward-facing Guidance
Age
Toddler (per seat)
Booster Guidance
Age
—
Height
< 4'6" / 137 cm
Seat belt 9 CMC § 4108
Age
5 yr +
Back seat / front seat Guidance
Age
Recommended < 13

Frequently asked questions

What is the car seat law in the Northern Mariana Islands in 2026?
A child under 5 must ride in a child passenger restraint system. A child under 5 who has outgrown a standard car seat and is under 80 pounds and under 54 inches must use a booster, and no such child may ride in a front seat with an active airbag.
Is the Northern Mariana Islands car seat law changing?
No. As of August 1, 2026, when SeatChecker last checked the statute, no enacted change to the Northern Mariana Islands car seat law is scheduled. Current law: A child under 5 must ride in a child passenger restraint system. A child under 5 who has outgrown a standard car seat and is under 80 pounds and under 54 inches must use a booster. No child under 5, under 80 pounds, or under 54 inches may ride in a front seat with an active passenger airbag. Everyone else must wear a seat belt.
How much is the fine for a child car seat violation in the CNMI?
A minimum fine of $250 for a child-restraint violation. A general seat-belt violation is a minimum of $25.
Does the Northern Mariana Islands require rear-facing car seats?
CNMI law does not set a rear-facing age. It requires a child under 5 to ride in a federally approved child passenger restraint system. Pediatricians recommend keeping a child rear-facing as long as the seat allows, up to the highest weight or height the manufacturer permits.
What age can a child sit in the front seat in the Northern Mariana Islands?
Northern Mariana Islands law sets no general back-seat age, but it does limit who can ride in the front seat. No blanket back-seat rule, but no child under 5, under 80 pounds, or under 54 inches may ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side airbag, unless the front seat is the only seating (9 CMC § 4108(e)(2)). The child restraint rules still apply: a car seat or booster is required until 4'6". The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the back seat for all children under 13. That is best practice, not a legal requirement in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Sources

Verified · AUG 2026

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