Wyoming Car Seat Laws (2026): Age, Airbags & Penalty

Wyoming requires a child who hasn't reached age 9 to ride in a child safety restraint system, generally outside the front seat, under Wyo. Stat. § 31-5-1303. This page reflects the statute's text as of September 2026.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers car seat and child-restraint law in the state of Wyoming only. It does not address any other state. For other states, see the car seat laws hub.

Under age 9: a child safety restraint system, generally not up front

Wyo. Stat. § 31-5-1303(a) requires the operator of a passenger vehicle to properly secure each child who has not reached their ninth birthday in a child safety restraint system, and to put that restraint in a seat of the vehicle other than the front seat. Wyoming's statute doesn't write separate rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster stages into the law; it's a single under-9 mandate, with the restraint type left to the device itself.

When front-seat placement is allowed, and the airbag limit that still applies

The back-seat rule has two built-in exceptions. If the vehicle has only one row of seats, or if every safety belt in the rows behind the front seat is already occupied by other child passengers, the restraint may be placed in the front seat instead. Even then, one limit stays in force: a rear-facing infant seat cannot be placed in a seating position in front of an active airbag. That's written into the statute as a binding rule, not offered as advice.

The fit-based off-ramp: when regular belts can substitute early

Subsection (b)(vii) lets a child under 9 move to the vehicle's own lap and shoulder belts before turning 9, but only if those belts actually fit the child correctly: properly across the collarbone, chest, and hips, without posing a danger to the neck, face, or abdominal area in a crash or sudden stop. This is a fit test written into the statute itself, not a separate booster-seat stage; once a child's fit genuinely meets that standard, the belts satisfy the law on their own.

Other exemptions

A licensed physician can determine that a child's weight, or a physical or medical condition, means the child should not be secured in a restraint system at all. When that applies, the vehicle's operator must carry the physician's signed statement in the vehicle. Separately, the restraint requirement doesn't apply when the driver is rendering aid or assistance to the child or to the child's parent or guardian.

Penalty

A violation results in a citation with a fine of no more than $50 for a first offense, under § 31-5-1304(a). That fine must be waived by the court if the offender provides proof of having purchased, leased, or otherwise acquired a conforming child safety restraint system. A second or subsequent violation carries a fine of no more than $100.

Section 31-5-1304(b) reaches misuse separately: "Any person who uses a child safety restraint system in a manner other than in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions is guilty of a violation of this article and shall be fined as provided in subsection (a) of this section." Section 31-5-1303 itself says nothing about manufacturer instructions, so an incorrectly installed or improperly used restraint is only an offense in Wyoming through this separate subsection, fined under the same $50/$100 schedule as the base requirement.

Wyoming also limits how a violation can be used outside this statute. Under § 31-5-1305, a violation of this article is not, by itself, evidence of negligence or recklessness, and it can't serve as the basis for a criminal prosecution except as this article itself sets out. In practice, that means a car seat citation is narrower in its legal consequences than it might otherwise seem; it isn't automatically usable against a driver in a separate civil or criminal case.

Leaving a child alone in a vehicle, and smoking with a minor present

Title 31, chapter 5, article 13 of the Wyoming statutes, the article that covers child restraint systems and its penalties, contains no dedicated vehicle-specific unattended-child law and no statute banning smoking in a vehicle with a minor present. Neither subject is addressed anywhere in sections 31-5-1303 through 31-5-1305.

Federal guidance vs. Wyoming law

The federal standard governing car seats as products, FMVSS 213 (49 CFR 571.213), sets crash-test and construction requirements a manufacturer must meet before selling a seat; it does not tell a Wyoming driver how or when to use one. That's the job of § 31-5-1303, described above. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics separately recommend keeping a child rear-facing as long as the seat's own height and weight limits allow, then moving through a forward-facing harness, a booster, and finally a seat belt. That progression is safety guidance layered on top of Wyoming's own statutory floor, not a separate legal requirement, and it can call for a longer restraint period than the state's own under-9 threshold, or its fit-based off-ramp, requires.

Related Wyoming traffic law pages

• Wyoming DUI laws
• Wyoming window tint laws
• Car seat laws in every state

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Wyoming's car seat law as of September 2026. It is not legal advice. Statutes, exemptions, and penalties change; verify the current text of the law before relying on it, and talk to a lawyer licensed in Wyoming about a specific situation.

Statutes cited reflect their in-force version as of 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-17.

Frequently Asked Questions

Until what age does a child need a car seat in Wyoming?

Until age 9, under Wyo. Stat. section 31-5-1303. Wyoming's statute does not split this into separate rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster stages; it's a single under-9 restraint mandate, with an early off-ramp if the vehicle's own belts fit the child properly.

Can a car seat go in the front seat in Wyoming?

Generally no, but there are two exceptions: a vehicle with only one row of seats, or a vehicle where every rear safety belt is already occupied by other child passengers. Even then, a rear-facing infant seat can never be placed in front of an active airbag.

What is the fine for a car seat violation in Wyoming?

No more than $50 for a first offense, and that fine must be waived if the offender proves they've since acquired a conforming child safety restraint system. A second or later violation carries a fine of no more than $100.

Can a Wyoming car seat citation be used against a driver in another case?

Not automatically. Under section 31-5-1305, a violation of Wyoming's car seat law is not, by itself, evidence of negligence or recklessness, and it can't be the basis for a criminal prosecution beyond what the statute itself provides.

Does Wyoming require a booster seat for older kids?

Wyoming's statute does not name a separate booster-seat stage. A child stays in a child safety restraint system until age 9, or moves earlier to the vehicle's own belts once those belts fit properly under the section 31-5-1303(b)(vii) fit test.

Is it a violation to install a car seat wrong in Wyoming?

Yes. Under section 31-5-1304(b), using a child safety restraint system in a manner other than the manufacturer's instructions is its own violation of the article, fined under the same $50-for-a-first-offense, $100-for-a-later-offense schedule as the base restraint requirement.

Does Wyoming have a law against leaving a child alone in a car or smoking with a child in the car?

The Wyoming statutes covering child restraint systems, title 31, chapter 5, article 13, contain no dedicated vehicle-specific unattended-child law and no vehicle smoking-with-minor law.