Child Passenger Safety

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Hawaii law requires children from birth through the age of ten years old to ride in an appropriate child safety seat or a booster seat when traveling in a motor vehicle.
On June 27, 2022, Act 122 amended the requirements for child passenger restraint by requiring rear facing child safety seats for children less than two years of age, increases the age through which a child must use a child passenger restraint or booster seat to 10 years old unless they are over four feet nine inches tall, and raises fines for certain violations

Child Safety Seats Types

Rear-Facing:

  • Always read instructions for both the car seat and vehicle for proper installation.
  • Keep children in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, until child meets the height or weight maximum of the seat (minimum of 2 years of age).
  • Harness straps should be routed through slots that are at or below the child’s shoulders.
  • Keep harness straps snug (should not be able to pinch harness at shoulders).
  • Place chest clip at armpit level.
  • Never put a rear-facing seat in the front seat with an active airbag.
  • Recline car seat according to the level indicator on the car seat.
  • Thread vehicle belt or LATCH anchor strap through rear-facing belt path.
  • Never leave baby alone in and around vehicles.

Forward-Facing with Harness:

  • Always read instructions for both the car seat and vehicle for proper installation.
  • Keep children in a forward-facing car safety with a harness seat as long as possible, until child meets the height or weight maximum of the seat (minimum of 4 years of age).
  • Harness straps should be routed through slots that are at or above the child’s shoulders.
  • Keep harness straps snug (should not be able to pinch harness at shoulders).
  • Place chest clip at armpit level.
  • Thread vehicle belt or LATCH anchor strap through forward-facing belt path.
  • Use the Top Tether according to the instructions.
  • Never leave a child alone in and around vehicles.

Booster seats:

  • Always read instructions for both the booster seat and vehicle for proper use.
  • Children should ride in the back seat until at least the age of 13.
  • Always use the shoulder and lap belt.
  • Shoulder belt should be across the chest and lap belt should be low across the hips.
  • Never allow the child to place the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back.
  • Use a high-back booster seat if the vehicle does not have a head restraint.
  • Never leave a child alone in and around vehicles.

Seat Belts:

  • Most children need to ride in a booster seat until age 10-12 years (at a minimum of 9 years old).
  • Children should ride in the back seat until at least the age of 13.
  • The child must sit back all the way with the back against the vehicle seat.
  • The child’s knees must bend comfortable over the seat cushion.
  • The shoulder belt must fit comfortably across the shoulder and chest (never on the neck).
  • The lab belt needs to be worn low across the hips (never on the stomach).
  • The child needs to sit this way for the entire trip.

 

A Hawaii State tax credit of $25 per year applies to the purchase of a booster or child safety seat.

For more information on child passenger safety and for information on child safety seat inspection sites, please visit the Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition website at www.kipchawaii.org. Another resource on child safety seats is SafetyBeltSafe’s website www.carseat.org.

Last updated on March 21, 2023