Canada Car Seat Stage Checker
Enter your child's age, weight and height and choose your province or territory to see which restraint the law requires: a rear-facing seat, a car seat, a booster seat or a seat belt, with the rule behind the answer and the penalty. Free, and calculated in your browser.
What Ontario law requires
Child car seat (rear- or forward-facing)
9 kg to under 18 kg: a toddler, who must ride in a child seat.
Next stage: Reaching 18 kg or age 8.
Law: Highway Traffic Act s.106; R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 613, s.8.
Penalty: $200 set fine (range $200 to $1,000) and 2 demerit points.
Main exemptions: Taxis and rideshare vehicles and buses carrying passengers for hire (not taxis under a school contract), and ambulances.
This shows the legal minimum only. Your seat's own height and weight limits always apply, and moving a child up a stage is never required just because the law allows it. General information, not legal advice; RecordingLaw.com is not a government body.
Why the Answer Changes by Province
There is no national car seat use law. Federal regulations govern how seats are made and sold; each province and territory decides how children must ride. The rules differ in shape, not just in numbers. Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have separate infant, child seat and booster stages. Manitoba and New Brunswick have one rule for a child restraint until age 9, 36 kg or 145 cm, and leave the choice of device to the seat maker's limits. Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no booster stage in law at all.
Quebec works differently again: a child who is under 145 cm OR under 9 must be in a restraint system or booster seat, so the requirement ends only once the child is both 145 cm tall and 9 years old.
One Child, Thirteen Answers
What the law requires for a 5-year-old who weighs 20 kg and is 110 cm tall:
| Province or territory | Legal requirement |
|---|---|
| Ontario | Booster seat (or a harness seat rated for the child) |
| Quebec | Child restraint system or booster seat |
| British Columbia | Booster seat (or a harness seat rated for the child) |
| Alberta | Seat belt |
| Saskatchewan | Booster seat |
| Manitoba | Child restraining device (car seat or booster) |
| New Brunswick | Child restraining device (car seat or booster) |
| Nova Scotia | Booster seat (or a harness seat rated for the child) |
| Prince Edward Island | Booster seat |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Booster seat (or a harness seat rated for the child) |
| Yukon | Child restraint system |
| Northwest Territories | Seat belt |
| Nunavut | Seat belt |
In the places that show a seat belt for this child, that is the legal minimum only; a booster may still be the safer choice until the seat belt fits, and the seat's own limits always apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can my child stop using a booster seat in Canada?
It depends on the province. In Ontario the booster rule ends at age 8, 36 kg or 145 cm, whichever comes first. In British Columbia it ends at 145 cm or age 9. In Quebec a child needs a restraint system or booster seat until they are both 145 cm tall and 9 years old. Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no legal booster stage.
Is a booster seat required by law in Alberta?
No. Alberta requires a child restraint system for a child under 6 who weighs 18 kg or less. Above that, the law requires a seat belt. A booster until about 145 cm is a safety recommendation there, not a legal requirement.
Do taxis and rideshares have to follow car seat laws?
It varies. Ontario exempts taxis and rideshare vehicles carrying passengers for hire. British Columbia exempts conventional taxis but not ride-hailing vehicles. Newfoundland and Labrador has no taxi exemption at all. Check your province in the checker above.
Does this tool store what I enter?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser.
Rules checked against each province's and territory's statute or regulation as of September 26, 2026. See our guide to car seat laws in Canada for each jurisdiction in detail. General information, not legal advice.
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