Explained: the law on child car seats

The law on child car seats can be confusing, especially as your children’s needs change. To help you keep them safe and stay on the right side of the law, comparison site for cheap car insurance quotes, mustard.co.uk explains the rules around child car seats.

What is the law on child car seats in the UK?

All children must use a car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes first. There are a few exceptions but these only apply to specific situations.

Your child can stop using a car seat when they turn 12 or when they reach 135cm in height. If they aren’t using a car seat they must wear a seat belt.

What car seat do I need to use?

You can choose from two types of car seat:

Height-based car seats

Also known as ‘i-Size’ seats, these can be rear facing or front facing. Your child must be in a rear-facing seat until they are over 15-months old.

Remember that only EU-approved car seats can be used in the UK (so if you’ve bought your car seat elsewhere you may not be able to use it). You can check it’s EU-approved by looking for the capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘R129’.

Weight-based car seats

Weight-based car seats are split into different groups so depending on how much your child weighs, you could choose a seat from more than one group. You should look for seats that are EU-approved to regulation ECE R44 (which you can find on the label of the car seat):

When can a child use a booster seat in the UK?

Children can use a booster if they weigh enough to use a group two car seat.

What’s confusing is that in February 2017, it was ruled that manufacturers could no longer make backless booster seats for children weighing less than 22kg. Since then, manufacturers can only make booster seats for the group three category.

Existing group two backless booster seats are still perfectly legal and you can still use them. The law simply stopped firms from labelling them as suitable for smaller children.

What is the penalty if a child is not in a car seat?

If you’re the driver, it’s your responsibility to make sure children under 14 years old are using the correct seat or are using seat belts properly. So, if they’re under 12 years old or less than 135cm tall, they must use the correct car seat. Children older than 12 or at least 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.

If the children in your car aren’t using what they should be, you can be fined up to £500.

What is the law on seat belts if my child has a medical condition?

If your child has a medical condition, the rules still apply. They must use the correct car seat for their height or weight or must use a seat belt. Your car may need to be adapted to suit their needs.

If your doctor thinks your child cannot use a seat belt or use a car seat, they will need to give you an exemption certificate.

When can children travel without a car seat?

The rules are a little more flexible if you’re using a taxi and children won’t need a car seat if there isn’t one. That said, they must sit on the back seat and wear an adult seat belt if they’re three or over. Under threes do not need to wear a seat belt.

For more details and for information about travelling with children in a coach, minibus or van, take a look at GOV.UK.

Compare great value car insurance in minutes

Like car seats and seat belts, car insurance is there for your protection – covering your financial losses if something goes wrong. At mustard.co.uk, you can compare a wide range of quotes from a number of leading UK insurers. Simply answer a few questions to start an online quote or speak to an expert on 0330 022 8812.