Louisiana
Louisiana Car Seat Laws: Requirements and Guidelines
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 20, 2026). · Reviewed by the RecordingLaw editorial team. · Law checked current as of August 20, 2026. How we verify our legal content
Louisiana requires children to ride rear-facing until age 2, forward-facing with a harness from ages 2 to 4, and in a booster seat from ages 4 to 9. All children under 13 must ride in the back seat.
A Summary of Child Car Seat Laws in Louisiana
What are the Height and Weight Requirements for Car Seats in Louisiana?
The state of Louisiana requires children to ride on rear-facing child-safety seats until the age of at least 2 years.
The law allows children 2-4 years who have exceeded the rear-facing seat requirements to ride on a forward-facing car seat with an internal harness.
Louisiana requires children ages 4-9 to ride on a booster seat.
The law states that all children under 13 years should ride in the back seat at all times.
What are the Rear Facing Car Seat Laws in Louisiana?
Louisiana car seat laws require children to ride on rear-facing child-safety seats until the age of at least 2 years. This includes rear-facing infant seats and convertible seats. However, the state also insists children should exceed the maximum height and weight requirements of rear-facing seats before graduating to the next seat.
With convertible and 3-in-1 seats having weight limits of up to 40 pounds, your child may exceed the seat's limit when closer to age 4.
Rear-facing seats should always be placed in the rear of the car and away from airbags.
The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) encourages parents to not be in a rush to transition their children, as the main goal is to keep a child rear-facing for as long as possible.
What are the Forward Faceing Car Seat Laws in Louisiana?
The law allows children at least 2 years old who have exceeded the rear-facing seat requirements to graduate to a forward-facing car seat with an internal harness. Lousiana law requires children to remain in this seat until at least the age of 4 years. However, most seats can support children of up to 65 pounds.
This means your child may still be within the manufacturer's weight and height limits until he or she is closer to age 8. Ensure your child is secured in the back seat at all times. The harness straps should have a firm fit above your child's collar bone to avoid excessive movement during a car crash.
What are the Booster Seat Laws in Louisiana?
Louisiana requires children ages 4-9 to ride on a booster seat. They should also exceed the manufacturer's forward-facing seat requirements before transitioning to this type of seat. The seat must be secured with the shoulder belts and lap belts (never use lap belts only). A belt-positioning booster seat is designed to raise a child so that the seat belts can fit properly. The shoulder belt should lie flat across the chest, and the lap belt should be secured in the same manner across the upper thighs.
You can graduate your child to seat belts once he or she exceeds the manufacturer's height and weight requirements. Most experts agree that you should only transition your child once he or she weighs 80 pounds or more and has a height of 4'9".
Additionally, the state insists on children passing the 5 step test before wearing seat belts. The test says a child's back should be straight against the back of the seat, the knees should bend at the edge of the seat while touching the floor, the lap belt should snugly lie across the upper thighs (not the stomach), the shoulder belt should snugly lie across the chest area, and, the child should ride without unnecessarily unbuckling the seat belt.
What are the Requirements for Children to Use the Front Seat in Louisiana?
The law clearly states that all children under 13 years should ride in the back seat at all times if available. This is in line with most experts who agree the front seat exposes children to a greater risk of injury. This is because airbags installed in the front seat are designed for average-sized adults and can be lethal to children when deployed during an accident.
Is it illegal to Leave a Child Alone Inside a Vehicle in Louisiana?
Louisiana law makes it illegal to leave a child under 6 years old unattended and unsupervised in a vehicle (RS 32:295.3). A first offense carries a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 6 months, or both. A second or subsequent offense carries a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 and imprisonment of 1 to 2 years, or both. We recommend never leaving a child unattended in a vehicle alone, regardless of age.
Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car With a Minor Present?
Yes. Under RS 32:300.4, it is illegal for a driver or passenger to smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or vaping devices in a vehicle when a child younger than 13 is present, regardless of whether a window is open. A violation carries a fine of $150 per offense or, at the judge's discretion, a minimum of 24 hours of community service.
Are Car Seats Requiried in Taxis in Louisiana?
The law does not require taxis to comply with the Louisiana car seat laws.
What Are the Penalties for a Car Seat Violation in Louisiana?
Violating Louisiana's child restraint requirements (RS 32:295) carries an escalating fine: $100 for a first offense, $250 to $500 for a second offense, and $500 plus court costs for a third or subsequent offense. A violation limited to using the wrong type of restraint, rather than no restraint at all, carries a maximum fine of $100 including fees and court costs.
What is the Car Seat Replacement Law in Louisiana?
There is no law that covers the replacement of child-safety seats. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends replacing your car seat after a major accident or if the seat is past the expiration date set by the manufacturer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Height and Weight Requirements for Car Seats in Louisiana?
The state of Louisiana requires children to ride on rear-facing child-safety seats until the age of at least 2 years. The law allows children 2-4 years who have exceeded the rear-facing seat requirements to ride on a forward-facing car seat with an internal harness. Louisiana requires children ages 4-9 to ride on a booster seat.
What are the Rear Facing Car Seat Laws in Louisiana?
Louisiana car seat laws require children to ride on rear-facing child-safety seats until the age of at least 2 years. This includes rear-facing infant seats and convertible seats. However, the state also insists children should exceed the maximum height and weight requirements of rear-facing seats before graduating to the next seat. With convertible and 3-in-1 seats having weight limits of up to 40 pounds, your child may exceed the seat's limit when closer to age 4.
What are the Forward Faceing Car Seat Laws in Louisiana?
The law allows children at least 2 years old who have exceeded the rear-facing seat requirements to graduate to a forward-facing car seat with an internal harness. Lousiana law requires children to remain in this seat until at least the age of 4 years. However, most seats can support children of up to 65 pounds. This means your child may still be within the manufacturer's weight and height limits until he or she is closer to age 8.
What are the Booster Seat Laws in Louisiana?
Louisiana requires children ages 4-9 to ride on a booster seat. They should also exceed the manufacturer's forward-facing seat requirements before transitioning to this type of seat. The seat must be secured with the shoulder belts and lap belts (never use lap belts only). A belt-positioning booster seat is designed to raise a child so that the seat belts can fit properly. The shoulder belt should lie flat across the chest, and the lap belt should be secured in the same manner across the upper thighs.
What are the Requirements for Children to Use the Front Seat in Louisiana?
The law clearly states that all children under 13 years should ride in the back seat at all times if available. This is in line with most experts who agree the front seat exposes children to a greater risk of injury. This is because airbags installed in the front seat are designed for average-sized adults and can be lethal to children when deployed during an accident.
Is it illegal to Leave a Child Alone Inside a Vehicle in Louisiana?
Louisiana law makes it illegal to leave a child under 6 years old unattended and unsupervised in a vehicle (RS 32:295.3). A first offense carries a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 6 months, or both. A second or subsequent offense carries a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 and imprisonment of 1 to 2 years, or both. We recommend never leaving a child unattended in a vehicle alone, regardless of age.
Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car With a Minor Present?
Yes. Under RS 32:300.4, it is illegal to smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or vaping devices in a vehicle when a child younger than 13 is present, regardless of whether a window is open. A violation carries a fine of $150 per offense or, at the judge's discretion, a minimum of 24 hours of community service.
Are Car Seats Requiried in Taxis in Louisiana?
The law does not require taxis to comply with the Louisiana car seat laws.
Updates
Corrected the unattended-vehicle law to state it applies to children under 6 (not any child) and disclosed the full second-offense penalty range; sourced and corrected the smoking-in-vehicle claim to the actual statute (RS 32:300.4, under-13 threshold) instead of leaving it uncited; and added a new section disclosing the child-restraint law's own fine schedule, which the page never stated.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes
Reviewed and approved by an editor
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Louisiana Revised Statutes
§ 32:295Child passenger restraint systemIn force
A. Except as provided in Subsections C, D, and E of this Section, every driver in this state who transports a child or children under the age of eighteen years in a motor vehicle that is in motion and is required by federal safety standards to be equipped with a safety belt system or lower anchors and tethers for children in a passenger seating position shall have the child properly restrained according to the vehicle and child safety seat manufacturer's instructions, as follows: (1) A child who is younger than the age of two years shall be restrained in a rear-facing child restraint system that complies with all applicable federal regulations until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child restraint system as set by the manufacturer. (2) A child who is at least two years of age or older and has reached the rear-facing weight or height limits of the child restraint system as set by the manufacturer, shall be restrained in a forward-facing child restraint system with an internal harness until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child restraint system set by the manufacturer.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-10 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
Cited in 5 court opinionsMost recently applied by a court: 2025
Leading cases:
- Salaiman v. Louisiana Casino Cruises, Inc. (Louisiana Court of Appeal 2002, 835 So. 2d 823)“…E, [1] JJ. FOIL, J. At issue in this appeal is whether La. R.S. 32:295, which requires that children under the…”
- Opinion Number (Louisiana Attorney General Reports 1999)“…t of your opinion request relating to the following: Does La. R.S. 32:295 allow the assessment of court costs fo…”
- Louviere v. State (Louisiana Court of Appeal 1993, 625 So. 2d 1129)“…he statute. Defendant bases its argument on the language in La.R.S. 32:295.-1(E) which refers to the “... failure…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 32:295.3Leaving children unattended and unsupervised in motor vehicles; prohibition; penaltiesIn force
A. It is unlawful for any driver or operator to leave a child or children under the age of six years unattended and unsupervised in a motor vehicle. B.(1) The term "unattended" as used in this Section means a child who has been left in a motor vehicle when the driver or operator of the vehicle is more than ten feet from the vehicle and unable to continuously observe the child. (2) The term "unsupervised" as used in this Section means an unattended child when a person ten years of age or older is not physically present in the motor vehicle. C.(1) A law enforcement officer who observes a child left unattended and unsupervised for a period in excess of ten minutes in violation of the provisions of this Section shall use whatever means are reasonably necessary to protect the child and remove the child from the motor vehicle. (2) If the child is removed from the immediate area by a law enforcement officer pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the law enforcement officer shall place notification on the motor vehicle. The law enforcement officer shall hold the child until the parent or guardian returns. D.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
§ 32:300.4Smoking in motor vehicles prohibited; penaltiesIn force
A. It shall be unlawful for the operator or any passenger in a motor vehicle to smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars, or any vaping devices in a motor vehicle, passenger van, or pick-up truck when a child who is younger than thirteen is also present in such vehicle, regardless of whether windows of the motor vehicle are down. For purposes of this Section, the term "smoke" shall mean to inhale, to exhale, to burn, or to carry any activated aerosol or vapor or any lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, weed, plant, or other combustible substance in any manner or in any form. B. Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined one hundred fifty dollars per offense, or at the discretion of the judge, may be sentenced to no less than twenty-four hours of community service. C. Probable cause for a violation of this Section shall be based solely upon a law enforcement officer's clear and unobstructed view of a person smoking as prohibited by this Section.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
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Sources and References
- Governors Highway Safety Association: child passenger safety laws by state(ghsa.org)
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: child safety seat research and state laws(iihs.org)
- RS 32:295: child passenger restraint system required (penalty schedule)(law.justia.com)
- RS 32:295.3: leaving children under 6 unattended and unsupervised in motor vehicles; penalties(law.justia.com)
- RS 32:300.4: smoking in motor vehicles prohibited when a child under 13 is present; penalties(law.justia.com)