Nevada Car Seat Laws – Age & Height Requirements

Nevada Revised Statute 484B.157 requires child restraint systems for passengers younger than six years old and less than 57 inches tall. The car seat must be installed securely and appropriate for the child’s size and weight.

It is recommended that children remain in car seats until they outgrow them – usually around age three – before moving on to booster seats. Drivers cited for failing to properly secure child passengers (NRS 484B.157) face fines or community service.


In this article, our Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys will address the following key issues regarding Nevada car seat laws:

• 1. Age & Height
• 2. Approved Car Seats
• 3. Exceptions
• 4. Penalties
• 5. Demerit Points
• 6. Defenses
• 7. Lawsuits
• 8. Seat Belts
• 9. Jury Trials
• 10. Record Seals
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Additional Resources

Under a new law in Nevada, all motor vehicle passengers under 6 years of age and under 57 inches tall must travel in a child restraint system.

1. Age & Height

NRS 484B.157 states that drivers must secure child passengers in an approved child restraint system if they are up to five years old and shorter than 57 inches. In Nevada, the term “child restraint system” comprises car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.

NRS 484B.157 also states that children under 2 years old must be in a rear-facing child restraint system in the back seat of the motor vehicle unless

• Special health care needs of the child require the child to ride in the front seat of the motor vehicle and a written statement signed by a physician certifying the requirement is carried in the motor vehicle, and the airbag is deactivated; or
• All back seats in the motor vehicle are in use by other children who are less than 2 years of age, and the airbag is deactivated; or
• The motor vehicle is not equipped with back seats, and the airbag is deactivated.¹

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that infants travel in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible. Then once the child outgrows the rear-facing car seat manufacturer’s height and weight limits, parents can switch to a front-facing car seat.

Parents should switch to a booster seat only when the child outgrows the car seat. Furthermore, children should not graduate to seat belts until they are big enough to fit into them properly.

NHTSA also recommends that the child always be in the rear seat and not the front seat at least until age 12. This way if there is a collision, they avoid slamming up against airbags.²

2. Approved Car Seats

In Nevada, you may only transport children in child seats approved by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).³

Two of the most common car seat manufacturers that meet federal safety standards are Britax and Graco.

3. Exceptions

Nevada law does not require children to travel in child safety seats on

• public transportation (including taxis),
• school buses, and
• emergency vehicles.

Another exemption is if a car seat would be harmful or impractical for a particular child because of a physical or medical condition. In these cases, though, the driver would need to keep a signed statement from the child’s physician or advanced practice registered nurse in the vehicle.⁴

Note that the law is unclear re. ridesharing vehicles such as Uber and Lyft.

Violating Nevada’s car seat laws under NRS 484B.157 carries a fine or community service.

4. Penalties

In Nevada, failing to properly secure a child passenger in the proper car seat is a misdemeanor. Penalties for violating NRS 484B.157 get harsher with each successive offense.

A first offense carries $100 to $500 in fines or 10 to 50 hours of community service. However, the judge will waive these requirements as long as you complete a child restraint system training class within 60 days of the sentencing.

A second offense carries $500 to $1,000 in fines or 50 to 100 hours of community service. However, the judge will halve these requirements if both:

1. you complete a child restraint system training class within 60 days of the sentencing, and
2. you did not have the fine or community service sentence waived for your first offense.

Meanwhile, a third or subsequent offense triggers a driver’s license suspension of 30 to 180 days.

The most important thing is not to ignore your case if you get cited for failing to use a child restraint system. If you miss court, the judge may issue a bench warrant for your arrest.⁵

5. Demerit Points

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) assigns you no demerit points for violating NRS 484B.157 because it is not a moving violation. However, some auto insurance companies may choose to increase premiums.⁶

If you order an Uber or Lyft and you have a child, you are advised to bring your own car seat.

6. Defenses

Here at Las Vegas Defense Group, we have represented literally thousands of clients charged with traffic offenses such as failing to use a child restraint system. In our experience, three potential defenses that are effective with judges and prosecutors include:

1. The police were wrong, and your child was in fact secured by a car seat. The police’s bodycam footage may be sufficient to vindicate you.
2. You had a doctor’s note explaining why your child’s condition exempts them from having to be in a child restraint system.
3. Your child was too old or too tall to need a child restraint system. Your child’s birth certificate and/or medical records would be useful evidence to prove your child was at least six years old or 57 inches tall.

7. Lawsuits

Drivers who break Nevada child restraint system laws are not automatically deemed negligent or reckless in any ensuing lawsuits.⁷

Example: Marie is driving her 3-year-old daughter when Rod crashes into them. The daughter was not properly secured in her car seat and sustains serious injuries. If Marie sues Rod for the car accident, Rod cannot argue that Marie was negligent for violating NRS 484B.157. It does not matter that the daughter might have escaped injury had she been secured in the car seat.

Note that Nevada followed the “modified compared fault” rule in personal injury cases. This means that you can recover money in an accident as long as you were no more than 50% at fault for the accident: Your ultimate payout would just be reduced by your degree of fault.

Also note if your child was injured in part due to a defective car seat, you may be able to sue the car seat manufacturer for products liability.

Infants should switch to forward-facing seats only when they outgrow the rear-facing seats.

8. Seat Belts

Children who outgrow booster seats must wear safety belts in vehicles as adults do. This safety belt requirement lasts for the rest of their lives.

Drivers or passengers who fail to wear safety belts as required face a civil infraction charge. The penalty is a fine of up to $25 or community service. Note that if both the driver and a child passenger(s) are not wearing safety belts, the police officer can issue just one citation for both violations.

Although safety belts are required, Nevada law enforcement officers are not allowed to pull over drivers just because someone is not wearing a safety belt. Instead, the police may issue a safety belt citation only if:

1. the vehicle is already stopped, and the police then notice that someone is not wearing a safety belt, and/or
2. the driver is being arrested for another (primary) offense.⁸

Learn more about Nevada seat belt laws (NRS 484D.495). Safety belts typically consist of a shoulder belt and/or a lap belt.

9. Jury Trials

Since failing to use a car seat is only a misdemeanor in Nevada, you cannot get a jury trial.⁹ Instead, you can have a bench trial where the judge (and not a jury) decides the verdict.

In practice, car seat cases almost always resolve through negotiations and not a trial.

10. Record Seals

If you are convicted in Nevada of failing to use child restraints in a vehicle, you can petition for a record seal one year after the case closes. Though if the charge gets dismissed (meaning that there is no conviction), then you can petition for a record seal right away.¹⁰

Car seat convictions can be sealed one year after the case closes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Nevada’s basic car seat requirements for children?

Children under 6 years old AND under 57 inches tall must use an approved child restraint system. Children under 2 years must be in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat unless specific medical exemptions or vehicle limitations apply.

What are the penalties for violating Nevada’s car seat laws?

First offense: $100-$500 fine or 10-50 hours community service (can be waived with training).

Second offense: $500-$1000 fine or 50-100 hours community service (can be reduced by half with training if there was no waiver with the first offense).

Third offense: 30-180 day driver’s license suspension.

Are there any exceptions to Nevada’s car seat laws?

Yes, exceptions include public transportation, school buses, emergency vehicles, and cases where a physician provides written documentation that car seats would be harmful/impractical for a child’s medical condition.

When can my child switch from a car seat to regular seat belts?

Children can switch to regular seat belts when they are at least 6 years old AND 57 inches tall. However, it’s recommended children stay in appropriate restraint systems until they can properly fit in regular seat belts.

Additional Resources

For more information related to car seat laws, refer to the following:

1. Nevada State Police Office of Traffic Safety: Information on state car seat laws and recent recalls
2. Safe Kids Worldwide – Nevada: Overview of Nevada car seat regulations with links to other states’ laws
3. Zero Fatalities – Nevada’s traffic safety program with the aim of eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries on Nevada roadways.
4. Vegas Family Guide – Information on how to get free car seat safety checks.
5. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Car Seats and Booster Seats: General information on car seats and how to install them correctly
6. American Academy of Pediatrics – Car Seat Safety: Discussion of how to safely restrain small children during car rides
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Child Passenger Safety: Get the Facts: Statistics on child deaths due to motor vehicle crashes

Legal References