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

Children under the age of 2 will travel in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the height and weight limit set by the seat manufacturer.

By law, children are required to travel in a forward-facing car seat when they reach the weight and height limit of the rear-facing car seat. These limits are put in place by car seat manufacturers.

All children under the age of 8 must travel in a child restraint system, according to Virginia law. When the child outgrows the forward-facing seat, they must be gradated to the booster seat. Again, in law, there is no age when you can eliminate the use of the forward-facing seat. You have to refer to seat manual.

According to law, your child can sit in the front seat after they are 8 years old, given, they are using a seat belt. Virginia law also says you can’t put a rear-facing car seat in the front. If the car has no back seat or it is unavailable, you have to deactivate the airbags.

There are currently no laws in Virginia regarding leaving children in the vehicle unattended.

According to the Virginia law, if your car is in a major crash, and it is not possible to drive it away from the accident, then you have to replace the car seat. Of course, you don’t have to be a lawmaker to realize this. Car seats are not indestructible and their structural safety can get compromised with a crash.

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