New Hampshire Car Seat Laws (2021): Current Laws & Safety Resources for Parents

According to New Hampshire state law, any child under the age of eighteen riding as a passenger in a motor vehicle be secured by either a seat belt or a child safety seat and that any child under the age of seven be secured by an approved child restraint (RSA 265:107-a)

New Hampshire law requires all children under the age of seven should be secured in a federally approved restraint system. It is prescribed by the experts that children from birth to 12-month age should travel in infant-only seats.  

As the New Hampshire law requires a proper restraint system, a rear-facing seat is a good choice for children who are 12-months to 2 years of age. However, the best practice is to keep the child rear-facing as long as possible; it is safest for them.

There are no age, height and weight requirements for forward-facing seats in the New Hampshire law. Instead, you’ll follow car seat manufacturer’s guidelines for your seat and they fall within the law.

Booster seats are used when the child has outgrown the safety limits of the forward-facing child seat. Booster seats are required up to the age of 8 years unless the child has reached 57” height. The best practice is to also look at the size of your child. You could have a 7-year-old who is tall, but extremely lightweight. You want to pay attention to where the seat belt is laying on the child. Again you should take into consideration child and seat.

Note that these too are best practices. According to New Hampshire law you need to use an appropriate safety system until the age of 7.

There are no laws in New Hampshire for front seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children under the age of 13 should travel in the back seat. Airbags can prove fatal for the child; the back seat is the safest option for children.

No law exists in New Hampshire regarding leaving children unattended in a vehicle. The NH statute 639:3 Endangering the Welfare of a Child could and has often been applied, depending on the circumstances.  The language of this law doesn’t specifically mention children unattended in cars, but it could realistically be applied. 

There is no law in New Hampshire that will force you to buy a new car seat in case of an accident. However, we should remember that using a car seat that has been in a major crash is highly dangerous. Most insurance companies replace car seats in case of an accident. Tip: make sure the police officer is writing down what brand, serial number, and where the seat was located.

Here are some resources that can help you with the car seat inspection and provide you further help.