Mississippi Car Seat Laws (2026): Ages, Booster & Penalty

Mississippi requires a child passenger restraint device for every child under 4, and a belt-positioning booster seat for a child age 4 through 6 who hasn't yet reached both 4 feet 9 inches and 65 pounds, under Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-301. 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 Mississippi only. It does not address any other state. For other states, see the car seat laws hub.

Under 4: child passenger restraint device

Section 63-7-301(1)(a) requires every person transporting a child under 4 years old to protect that child with a child passenger restraint device or system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. The statute doesn't split this stage into separate rear-facing and forward-facing sub-rules the way some other states do; it's the restraint's own manufacturer instructions, not a distinct Mississippi statutory provision, that governs when a child within this age group can move from rear- to forward-facing.

The booster stage: get the "or" right

Section 63-7-301(1)(b) requires a belt-positioning booster seat for a child "at least four (4) years of age, but less than seven (7) years of age and measures less than four (4) feet nine (9) inches in height or weighs less than sixty-five (65) pounds." Read that "or" carefully: a child ages 4 through 6 stays covered by the booster requirement as long as either condition, being under 4'9" or being under 65 pounds, is still true. That means a taller child who has passed 4'9" but still weighs under 65 pounds is still required to use a booster, and a heavier child who has passed 65 pounds but is still under 4'9" is also still required to use one. To exit the booster requirement before turning 7, a child has to have grown past both the height threshold and the weight threshold at the same time; reaching only one of the two size markers is not enough on its own to end the requirement early. This is a genuine trap in Mississippi's law: describing it as an "and" for who's covered, or treating either single threshold as an automatic exit, inverts what the statute actually says.

Section 63-7-301(1)(c), in the same subsection, adds a real-world carve-out for a family with more than two booster-age children: "If more than two (2) children who are required under subsection (1) of this section to use a booster seat are being transported in a vehicle at one time, and the vehicle only has two (2) lap and shoulder belts in the rear seat, then only the two (2) children sitting in the seats with the lap and shoulder belts are required to use a belt positioning booster seat system and safety belt, and any other children may be secured with a safety seat lap belt only." In practice, a third or later booster-age child can ride on a lap belt alone when the vehicle's rear seat only has two lap-and-shoulder belt positions.

Exemptions

Mississippi exempts several categories of vehicles and situations from the restraint requirement, under Miss. Code Ann. § 63-2-1(3). Vehicles registered for farm use, including implements of husbandry and farm tractors, are exempt. A passenger car operated by a U.S. Postal Service rural letter carrier or a utility meter reader while on duty is exempt. Buses are exempt. Separately, a person can be exempt from a belt requirement for a documented medical reason, if the operator or passenger has written physician verification of that reason.

No statutory front-seat or airbag rule

Mississippi's child passenger restraint statute doesn't regulate where a restraint may be placed relative to the front seat or an active airbag. If a family has heard advice about keeping a rear-facing seat out of the front seat, that's a safety recommendation from a manufacturer or a national safety organization, not a Mississippi statutory requirement.

Penalty

A violation of section 63-7-301 carries a fine of not more than $25 for each offense, under Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-309. The statute doesn't build in a waiver for a driver who later shows proof of buying a compliant seat; the fine structure is a flat cap rather than a waivable-on-proof scheme. A 2026 bill, SB 2232, would have raised this fine to $100 and diverted the money to driver-safety education funds; it failed on the Senate floor on February 5, 2026, so the $25 cap remains current law.

Leaving a child unattended in a vehicle

Mississippi doesn't have a criminal statute written specifically for leaving a child alone in a parked car. That's a real gap, but it isn't the same as saying Mississippi has no law that could reach the scenario. The state's general child-neglect statute, Miss. Code Ann. § 97-5-39(1)(a), makes it a misdemeanor for a parent, guardian, or other person to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly commit an act, or fail to perform a duty, that contributes to or tends to contribute to the neglect of a child, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment of not more than a year, or both. A parent who leaves a young child alone in a vehicle under circumstances that amount to neglect could be exposed under this general provision, even without a dedicated vehicle-specific statute.

Federal guidance vs. Mississippi law

The federal standard governing car seats as products, FMVSS 213 (49 CFR 571.213), regulates what a manufacturer may sell, not how a parent must use the seat; Mississippi's own statute, described above, sets the use requirement. NHTSA 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, and moving through a forward-facing harness, a booster, and finally a seat belt in stages Mississippi's statute doesn't itself define by orientation. That's safety guidance, not a separate legal floor. A newer federal side-impact standard for car seats themselves, FMVSS 213a/213b, becomes mandatory for manufacturers on December 5, 2026; it changes what a seat must be built to withstand, not what Mississippi law requires a driver to do.

Related Mississippi traffic law pages

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

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

Statutes cited reflect their in-force version as of 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

A child passenger restraint device is required under age 4. From 4 up to 7, a booster is required unless the child has grown past both 4 feet 9 inches AND 65 pounds, under Miss. Code Ann. section 63-7-301.

Can a Mississippi child leave the booster seat once they reach 65 pounds?

Not necessarily. The statute requires a booster if the child is under 4 feet 9 inches OR under 65 pounds. Reaching only one of those two thresholds doesn't end the requirement; the child has to have passed both before turning 7.

What if I have three booster-age children and only two rear belts?

Section 63-7-301(1)(c) covers that. If more than two children who need a booster are riding at once and the vehicle's rear seat has only two lap-and-shoulder belts, only the two children in those belted seats must use a belt-positioning booster; any additional children may be secured with a lap belt only.

What is the penalty for a car seat violation in Mississippi?

A fine of not more than $25 for each offense, under Miss. Code Ann. section 63-7-309. There is no built-in waiver for later showing proof of purchasing a seat. A 2026 bill to raise this to $100, SB 2232, failed in the Senate.

Is it illegal to leave a child alone in a car in Mississippi?

Mississippi has no statute written specifically for leaving a child alone in a vehicle. Its general child-neglect law, Miss. Code Ann. section 97-5-39(1)(a), can still apply to a parent or guardian whose act or omission contributes to a child's neglect, with penalties up to a $1,000 fine or a year in jail.

Does Mississippi law require a rear-facing seat to stay out of the front seat?

No. Mississippi's child passenger restraint statute doesn't regulate placement relative to the front seat or airbags. Any front-seat guidance a family hears comes from safety organizations or seat manufacturers, not Mississippi law.