Ranking · all 51
Rear-Facing Car Seat Laws by State
Verified · JUN 2026Rear-facing is the safest position for the youngest children. This ranks every state by the age its law requires a rear-facing seat until. Many states set no rear-facing age at all and instead defer to the car seat manufacturer limits.
| # | State | Rear-facing required until |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California CA | Age 2 unless 40 lb or 3'4" |
| 1 | Colorado CO | Age 2 unless 40 lb |
| 1 | Connecticut CT | Age 2 |
| 1 | Delaware DE | Age 2 unless 30 lb |
| 1 | District of Columbia DC | Age 2 |
| 1 | Hawaii HI | Age 2 |
| 1 | Illinois IL | Age 2 unless 40 lb or 3'4" |
| 1 | Louisiana LA | Age 2 |
| 1 | Maine ME | Age 2 |
| 1 | Maryland MD | Age 2 |
| 1 | Michigan MI | Age 2 |
| 1 | Minnesota MN | Age 2 |
| 1 | Montana MT | Age 2 |
| 1 | Nebraska NE | Age 2 |
| 1 | Nevada NV | Age 2 |
| 1 | New Jersey NJ | Age 2 unless 30 lb |
| 1 | New York NY | Age 2 |
| 1 | Oklahoma OK | Age 2 |
| 1 | Oregon OR | Age 2 |
| 1 | Pennsylvania PA | Age 2 |
| 1 | Rhode Island RI | Age 2 |
| 1 | South Carolina SC | Age 2 |
| 1 | Vermont VT | Age 2 |
| 1 | Virginia VA | Age 2 |
| 1 | Washington WA | Age 2 |
| 26 | Alabama AL | Age 1 unless 20 lb |
| 26 | Alaska AK | Age 1 |
| 26 | Iowa IA | Age 1 |
| 26 | New Mexico NM | Age 1 |
| 26 | Tennessee TN | Age 1 |
| 26 | U.S. Virgin Islands VI | Age 1 |
| 26 | Wisconsin WI | Age 1 |
| 33 | American Samoa AS | No statutory age |
| 33 | Arizona AZ | No statutory age |
| 33 | Arkansas AR | No statutory age |
| 33 | Florida FL | No statutory age |
| 33 | Georgia GA | No statutory age |
| 33 | Guam GU | No statutory age |
| 33 | Idaho ID | No statutory age |
| 33 | Indiana IN | No statutory age |
| 33 | Kansas KS | No statutory age |
| 33 | Kentucky KY | No statutory age |
| 33 | Massachusetts MA | No statutory age |
| 33 | Mississippi MS | No statutory age |
| 33 | Missouri MO | No statutory age |
| 33 | New Hampshire NH | No statutory age |
| 33 | North Carolina NC | No statutory age |
| 33 | North Dakota ND | No statutory age |
| 33 | Northern Mariana Islands MP | No statutory age |
| 33 | Ohio OH | No statutory age |
| 33 | Puerto Rico PR | No statutory age |
| 33 | South Dakota SD | No statutory age |
| 33 | Texas TX | No statutory age |
| 33 | Utah UT | No statutory age |
| 33 | West Virginia WV | No statutory age |
| 33 | Wyoming WY | No statutory age |
How we ranked this
Ranked by the statutory rear-facing age (rearFacing.requiredUntilAgeYears). States with no statutory rear-facing age are listed last; for those, follow the rear-facing height and weight limits printed on your car seat, which the AAP recommends using to the maximum.
Frequently asked questions
What states require rear-facing until age 2?
Several states set a statutory rear-facing requirement to age 2 (often with a weight or height exemption). The ranked table above lists every state with a rear-facing age, longest first.
My state has no rear-facing age. What do I do?
Use the rear-facing height and weight limits on your car seat. The AAP recommends keeping children rear-facing until they reach the maximum the seat allows, which is usually well past age 2.