Alabama Car Seat Laws (2026): Ages, Stages & Penalties

Alabama requires a rear-facing seat until a child turns 1 or reaches 20 pounds, a forward-facing harness seat until age 5 or 40 pounds, a booster until age 6, and a seat belt after that through age 14, all under Ala. Code § 32-5-222. 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 Alabama only. It does not address any other state. For other states, see the car seat laws hub.

Rear-facing: birth until age 1 or 20 pounds

Section 32-5-222(b)(1) requires "infant only seats and convertible seats used in the rear facing position" for a child "until at least one year of age or 20 pounds." Either threshold ends the requirement, so a child who reaches 20 pounds before turning 1 can move out of the rear-facing stage under Alabama's statute at that point, even though many convertible-seat manufacturers and national safety groups recommend staying rear-facing well past the state's floor (see the guidance section below).

Forward-facing: until age 5 or 40 pounds

Once a child ages or grows out of the rear-facing stage, § 32-5-222(b)(2) requires "convertible seats in the forward position or forward facing seats" until the child reaches "at least five years of age or 40 pounds." As with the rear-facing stage, either number ends the requirement.

Booster: until age 6

Section 32-5-222(b)(3) is a single sentence: "Booster seats until the child is six years of age." Alabama's booster requirement is age-only, with no separate weight or height trigger written into the statute.

Seat belt: age 6 through 14

Section 32-5-222(b)(4) requires a seat belt "until 15 years of age," meaning Alabama's child-restraint statute governs seat belt use through age 14, with Alabama's general adult seat belt law taking over at 15.

No statutory front-seat or airbag rule

Alabama's restraint statute does not address where in the vehicle a car seat may be installed, and it contains no airbag-related provision. Keeping a rear-facing seat out of a front seat with an active passenger airbag is a widely repeated safety recommendation from car seat manufacturers and safety advocates, but it is not something § 32-5-222 requires. A driver who installs a seat correctly in the front seat is not violating Alabama's statute on that basis alone.

Exemption for taxis and large-capacity vehicles

Section 32-5-222(h) exempts "taxis and all motor vehicles with a seating capacity of 11 or more passengers" from the restraint requirements. No other exemption (medical, emergency, or for-hire rideshare) appears in the statute.

Penalty

Under § 32-5-222(d), a violation carries a fine of "twenty-five dollars ($25) for each offense." The same subsection lets the trial judge dismiss the charges and waive court costs "upon proof of acquisition of an appropriate child passenger restraint." Separately, § 32-5-222(g) assesses 1 driver's-license point for a first offense and 2 points for a second or subsequent offense; the dollar fine itself does not escalate by offense count, but the point total does.

Leaving a child unattended: the Amiyah White Act

Alabama has a dedicated unattended-child statute, Ala. Code § 13A-11-290, known as the "Amiyah White Act." Its scope is narrower than a general duty on every parent or driver: it applies to a licensed day care center, child care facility, or exempt child care service (or an employee of one), and to a person paid to be responsible for a child under 7 or an incapacitated person. It prohibits leaving that child or incapacitated person unattended in a motor vehicle in a way that creates an unreasonable risk of injury or harm. The penalties escalate with the outcome: a minimum $2,000 fine, rising to a Class C misdemeanor for a second or later offense, a Class A misdemeanor if the child is physically injured, a Class C felony if the injury is serious, and a Class B felony if the child dies. A parent who briefly leaves their own child alone in a private vehicle, outside a day care or paid-care context, is not covered by this specific statute.

Federal guidance vs. Alabama law

The federal standard for car seats as products, FMVSS 213 (49 CFR 571.213), sets crash-test and construction requirements a seat must meet to be sold; it does not tell an Alabama parent how to use the seat once purchased. 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, well beyond Alabama's statutory floor of age 1 or 20 pounds, and moving through a forward-facing harness, then a booster, then a seat belt only once the child outgrows each stage. That recommendation is safety guidance, not a legal requirement; Alabama's own age-and-weight thresholds in § 32-5-222 are what the law actually requires.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Alabama'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 Alabama about a specific situation.

Related Alabama traffic law pages

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age can a child stop using a rear-facing car seat in Alabama?

Alabama requires rear-facing until the child reaches at least one year of age or 20 pounds, whichever happens first, under Ala. Code § 32-5-222(b)(1).

Does Alabama require a booster seat?

Yes. Section 32-5-222(b)(3) requires a booster seat until the child turns 6, after which a seat belt alone satisfies the law through age 14.

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

A violation carries a $25 fine per offense under § 32-5-222(d). A judge can dismiss the charge and waive court costs if the driver later proves they acquired an appropriate restraint.

Is it illegal in Alabama to leave your own child alone in a car?

Alabama's specific unattended-child statute, the Amiyah White Act (§ 13A-11-290), applies to licensed day care centers, child care facilities, and paid caregivers, not to a parent driving their own vehicle, so it does not create a general private-parent offense.

Is it illegal in Alabama to put a rear-facing car seat in the front seat?

No. Alabama's car seat statute has no front-seat or airbag provision. Avoiding a rear-facing seat near an active front airbag is a safety recommendation from manufacturers and safety groups, not an Alabama legal requirement.