Arkansas Car Seat Laws (2026): Ages, Weight & Fines

Arkansas requires a child under 6 and under 60 pounds to ride in a child passenger safety seat, and lets a seat belt alone satisfy the law once a child reaches either age 6 or 60 pounds, under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-34-104. The current text traces to Acts 2013, No. 224.

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

A single restraint-seat mandate, not a staged system

Arkansas's statute does not split car seat use into rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster stages the way many other states do. Section 27-34-104(b) sets one combined test: "A child who is less than six (6) years of age and who weighs less than sixty pounds (60 lbs.) shall be restrained in a child passenger safety seat properly secured to the vehicle." Both conditions have to be true at the same time, so a child who turns 6 or who reaches 60 pounds, whichever happens first, moves out of this requirement. The statute leaves the specific type of restraint, and questions like rear-facing versus forward-facing, to the seat's own approval and instructions rather than to a separate legal tier.

Seat belt alone satisfies the law after age 6 or 60 pounds

Section 27-34-104(c) states: "If a child is at least six (6) years of age or at least sixty pounds (60 lbs.) in weight, a safety belt properly secured to the vehicle shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of this section." Arkansas's statute has no distinct booster-seat requirement written into it; once either threshold is met, a belt alone is enough under the law, even though a booster seat may still fit the child better in practice.

Who the law covers, and the for-hire vehicle exception

Section 27-34-104(a) frames the underlying duty broadly: "a driver who transports a child under fifteen (15) years of age in a passenger automobile, van, or pickup truck, other than one operated for hire, shall provide for the protection of the child by properly placing, maintaining, and securing the child in a child passenger restraint system properly secured to the vehicle and meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards in effect on January 1, 1995." The exception is built around the vehicle, not the driver's job: a passenger automobile, van, or pickup truck operated for hire falls outside this duty. The specific seat-versus-belt mechanics in (b) and (c) then fill in what "protection" means for a child under 6.

That for-hire carve-out, however, is written into subsection (a) only. Subsections (b) and (c), the actual child-passenger-safety-seat and seat-belt duties, are phrased as free-standing requirements with no for-hire qualifier of their own ("A child who is less than six (6) years of age and who weighs less than sixty pounds (60 lbs.) shall be restrained..."), and Ark. Code Ann. § 27-34-103(a) penalizes "any person who violates this chapter," not just a violation of (a). Whether a for-hire vehicle is excused from the (b)/(c) restraint-seat and belt duties themselves is therefore not settled by the statute's text alone; the for-hire exception is clearly established only for the broader duty in (a).

Penalty

Ark. Code Ann. § 27-34-103(a) sets the fine at "not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100)." Subsection (b) lets the court weigh whether an alternative restraint, such as a seat belt, was in use, and subsection (c) caps the fine at the $25 statutory minimum if the driver presents proof of having acquired, purchased, or rented a conforming child passenger restraint system.

Federal guidance vs. Arkansas law

The federal standard for car seats as products, FMVSS 213 (49 CFR 571.213), governs what a manufacturer may sell. Section 27-34-104(a) incorporates federal motor vehicle safety standards by reference, requiring that the restraint system meet those standards as they were in effect on January 1, 1995, so the federal product standard is written into the state requirement rather than sitting alongside it. Separately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend keeping a child rear-facing as long as the seat's own height and weight limits allow, and moving through a forward-facing harness, a booster, and finally a seat belt only as the child outgrows each stage. That recommendation can call for a longer restraint-seat period than Arkansas's own under-6/under-60-pound statutory floor requires; it is safety guidance, not a separate legal requirement.

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

Related Arkansas traffic law pages

• Arkansas DUI laws
• Arkansas 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

Does Arkansas require a rear-facing car seat by a certain age?

Arkansas's statute doesn't set a separate rear-facing requirement. It requires a child passenger safety seat for any child under 6 who also weighs under 60 pounds, under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-34-104(b), leaving orientation to the seat's own approval and instructions.

When can a child in Arkansas switch to just a seat belt?

Once a child reaches age 6 or 60 pounds, whichever comes first, a properly secured seat belt alone satisfies the law under § 27-34-104(c).

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

The fine ranges from $25 to $100 under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-34-103. It's capped at the $25 minimum if the driver shows proof of having acquired, purchased, or rented a conforming seat.

Are taxis exempt from Arkansas's car seat law?

Section 27-34-104(a)'s broader duty excludes a passenger automobile, van, or pickup truck operated for hire, but that carve-out sits in (a) only. Subsections (b) and (c), which set the actual seat and belt requirements, carry no for-hire qualifier, and § 27-34-103 penalizes a violation of the whole chapter, so it isn't settled by the statute's text alone whether a taxi is excused from the seat or belt duty itself.