What are Colorado Car Seat Laws?

Welcome to the Colorado Car Seat Law Explained in Simple, Plain English!

You are in the right place if you want to brush up on the car seat laws in the state of Colorado.

Look:

I’m a mom of 3 perfectly adorable angles (when mostly they are asleep), plus I used to be a paralegal before I became a stay-at-home mom. So I still have a knack for finding the right laws and breaking them down to bite-size pieces.

You see, most of my readers are sleep-deprived parents. Because of this, I’ve put together this article to explain the car seat laws in the simplest possible way.

No matter what you’re looking for, I have your back. I have researched and answered all the most common questions, such as what’s the booster seat law? Or when can a child be forward-facing? Or Do I need a car seat in a taxi? All this and more questions are answered below.

Let’s get started already!

What Will I Learn? show

By reading this article you agree that it’s for informational purposes and I can’t be held liable for the best advice ask the appropriate person.

Colorado Booster Seat Law

The booster seat law in the state of Colorado goes into great detail, so here’s what you need to know.

If your child is above the age of 4 and weighs more than 40 pounds, then they need to use the appropriate car seat, which would be the booster seat.

Now, in Colorado, if your child is between the ages of 8 and 16, they have to either use the booster seat or the seat belt. Kids can only use the seat belt as a restraint if it fits them and keeps them safe.

Colorado Rear-facing Car Seat Law

According to the law, all kids below the age of 1 and weighing less than 20 pounds have to seat in a rear-facing car seat.

Experts agree that rear-facing car seats are the safest, and the minimum age to turn them around should be at age two. So if you value safety, then you can keep them in rear-facing mode for a longer period.

Colorado Forward-facing Car Seat Law

According to the law, kids in the age range of 1 and 4 with a weight range of 20 to 40 pounds have to be secured with a forward-facing car seat.

Colorado Taxi Car Seat Law

In the state of Colorado, taxis are exempt from the above-mentioned car seat laws. However, if you want to keep your child safe, bring your own car seat.

When Can My Child Sit in the Front Seat in Colorado?

There are no laws that dictate when a child can sit in the front seat. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, only above the age of 13 should be sitting in the front (this is a suggestion, not a law).

Also, it’s legal to have a rear-facing seat in the front with a deactivated airbag, but it’s not the safest for the child.

Colorado Car Seat Laws at a Glance

Here you can find the entire law in one place:

Car Seat Law (Colorado Revised Statue 42-4-236)

Law: According to the law, all kids under the age of 16 have to be secured the following way:

If your child is under the age of one and weighs less than 20 pounds, then they have to ride in a rear-facing car seat.
Suppose your child is between 1 and 4 years of age and weighs between 20 and 40 pounds, then the can be secured either by a rear-facing or forward-facing car seat.
If your child is over 40 pounds and older than 4 years old, then the proper car seat must be used following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Suppose your child between the ages of 8 and 16 can be secured either a car seat or the seat belt depending on what fits and keeps them the safest.

Location in car: There are no laws governing when a child can sit in the front or where they should sit.

Taxi: Taxis are exempt from the above car seat laws. However, I recommend bringing your own car seat because you can never know.

RideSafer legal: Yes. The Ride Safer travel vest qualifies for children at least age 3 and 30 pounds.

Fines: $71

Seat Belt Law

Law: According to the law, all front occupants have to wear a seat belt.
Fine: $71
RVs: The RV law is the same as the regular seat belt law as in all front occupants have to wear a seat belt, and for the kids, car seat laws apply.

What is the law concerning Leaving kids in the Car in Colorado?

There’s no law that would prohibit leaving your child unattended in car. However, since 1998 seven kids have died because of heat in the state of Colorado.

Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car with a Child in Colorado?

It’s legal to smoke in a car if there are kids riding with you; however, it’s not ideal because secondhand smoke is known to cause disease.

Conclusions on Colorado Car Seat Laws

We have reached the end of this article. I hope you’ve got all the answers to your questions. As I promised, I skipped the lawyer jargon and used simple and easy-to-understand words.

Now it’s your turn, by now, you should know how to keep your kids safe and avoid fines.

Just in case you have other questions or I’ve missed something, please contact me, and I will do my best to help you.

Maybe you can help me out by sharing this post so other parents can know exactly how to keep their kids safe and avoid fines in the process. Thank You!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the booster seat law in Colorado?

According to the booster seat law in the state of Colorado, kids between the ages of 4 and 8 have to use the booster seat. Also, kids between the ages of 8 and 16 can use it until the seat belt fits perfectly and keeps them safe.

What are the height and weight requirements for a booster seat in Colorado?

In the state of Colorado the booster seat’s minimum weight requirement is 40 pounds, and the upper one depends on the brand and model, and it can be anywhere from 100 to 120 pounds. The upper height limit is 57”.

When can a child be forward-facing in Colorado?

In the state of Colorado a child can be forward-facing from the age of 1 after they weigh more than 20 pounds.

You might also like: Nevada front seat laws

Does the colorado car seat laws has a separate section for child booster seat laws (booster seats)?

Yes colorado car seat laws have a separate section for booster seats (car seats). However they don’t use the word booster seats instead they mention appropriate child restraint system.

Who can help me to install booster seats in a commercial motor vehicle?

The colorado law doesn’t have a dedicated person mentioned, however you can always turn to a child passenger safety technician. Most child passenger safety will be able to help you install a booster seat or other child restraint system even on the back seat (rear seat) or front seat. Even though the colorado law doesn’t specify when a child child restraint system can be installed on the front seat it’s safe to assume that the back seat is the safest. Infant car seats can only be installed on the front seat if the airbag is deactivated.

When can kids use seat belts?

Seat belts can be used above the age of 8. However for some seat belts don’t provide the necessary safety because everybody is growing differently. So if the seat belts don’t fit go with the car seats instead. That’s what the colorado law says about car seats as well. To have the most protection the shoulder belt and the lap belt has to be in the right position and nice and tight.

Last Updated on May 31, 2022 by Danny Reid