What are the West Virginia Car Seat Laws?

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

You have just found the perfect place if you want to know everything there’s about car seat laws in WV.

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I’m a mother of three perfect little darlings (mostly in their sleep), and I know how hard it is to find and interpret laws. You see, in my previous life I was a paralegal, and I had to get acquainted with this language almost instantly. Now it comes naturally to me to translate dry law into easy-to-understand sentences.

This is why I’ve decided to create this article to get you up to speed with car seat laws in WV. I’ve written this article keeping count that many sleep-deprived parents will be reading it, so it has to be as easy as possible to understand.

No matter what your questions might be, I have an answer for them, let it be booster seat laws, rear or forward-facing and if you need a car seat with a taxi. All this and more is explained simply.

Let’s get started already!

[lwptoc]

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.

West Virginia Booster Seat Law

There’s no exact law for booster seats in the state of West Virginia. However, the law mentions that under the age of 8, car seats are mandatory and follow the federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Also, if your child is over the age of 8 and is taller than 57”, then you can use the car seat to keep them safe.

In essence, you could start using a booster seat from the age of 4; experts say it’s better to wait until your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat.

West Virginia Rear-facing Car Seat Law

The car seat law in West Virginia is a blanket law and doesn’t have any specifics to check the AAP and NHTSA for guidance.

They advise keeping your baby rear-facing at least until their first birthday. In other states, 2 years is the minimum for rear-facing. As a mom, I want my kids to be as safe as possible, so I would recommend keeping your little ones rear-facing as long as possible.

West Virginia Forward-facing Car Seat Law

With forward-facing car seats, we have the same issue that there are no specifics. So we have to look at the AAP and NHTSA again.

They recommend keeping your child in rear-facing mode until the first birthday, and also, it’s a good idea to let your child outgrow the rear-facing seat and not rush the forward-facing one simply because that’s the safest way to ride.

West Virginia Taxi Car Seat Law

There are no exemptions for taxis in the state of West Virginia (WV). This means that cabs and ride-sharing vehicles must obey the car seat laws mentioned above.

This means either you have to bring a car seat or arrange it ahead of time.

When Can My Child Sit in the Front Seat in West Virginia?

There’s no law when a child can sit in the front. On the other hand, if we take a look at AAP’s recommendations, they say that only kids who are older than 13 should be sitting in the front.

In some states, you have to disable the airbag if there’s a rear-facing car seat placed in the front seat.

West Virginia Car Seat Laws at a Glance

Here you can find the entire law in one place:

Car Seat Law (17C-15-46)

Law: All kids below 8 years old have to be in a car safety seat or restraint that lives up to the federal motor vehicle safety standards.

If you happen to have a child who’s older than 8 and it’s taller than 57”, then you can use the seat belt to keep them safe.

Location in car: There are no specifications where the child can sit.

Taxi: Taxis are not exempt in the state of West Virginia from the car seat laws. This means that a car seat is mandatory, and you can bring your own or arrange it ahead of time.

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

Fines: $20

Seat Belt Law

Law: This law states that all passengers in the front and all under 18 have to wear a seat belt. Fine: $25
RVs: The RV law follows the standard car seat law, which states that all passengers in the front and below 18 have to wear the seat belt as for kids, have to use the right child car seat or restraint.

What is the law concerning leaving kids in the Car in West Virginia?

There are no laws governing if you should be allowed to leave a child unattended in a car.

Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car with a Child in West Virginia?

At the moment, there’s no law banning smoking in a car while a minor is present. However, in 2019, a bill was proposed, and it was never accepted.

Also, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that secondhand smoke can be harmful to anyone, including kids.

Conclusions on West Virginia Car Seat Laws

We have reached the end of this article. I hope you have found what you’ve been looking for. I’ve done my best to help you navigate these laws.

If you happen to have questions or something doesn’t quite fit, please reach out to me and make the necessary adjustments.

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!

Related state: Ohio child seat laws

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the car seat laws in West Virginia?

According to car seat laws in West Virginia, all kids under the age of 8 have to be secured by a federally approved car safety seat. If the child is over the age of 8 and is taller than 57”, they can ride with the seat belt keeping them safe.

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

The booster seat height and weight requirements in WV are as follows since there’s no law governing, then we have to default to the manufacturer’s recommendations meaning the child should be at least 4 years or and weigh 40 pounds. In the state of WV, you can stop using a booster seat if the child is older than 8 years and taller than 57”.

When can a child sit in the front seat of a car in West Virginia?

There is no law regulating when a child can sit in the front seat in West Virginia. The AAP recommends that children above the age of 13 be in the front seat.

When can a child face forward in a car seat in Virginia (WV)?

There’s no exact law when you can upgrade your child to a forward-facing car seat. Experts say that the child should outgrow the rear-facing car seat. Others recommend keeping your child in rear-facing until the age of 2 and then moving them to a forward-facing car seat.

Who is a child passenger safety technician and what can they do?

A child passenger safety technician is a certified professional to help you pick the right child safety seat like car seats and booster seats. Also they can explain the west virginia car seat laws (west virginia law) in more details. Also they can show you how you can install properly booster seats and other car seats. Plus they can advice you on when to ditch booster seats or other car seats and use the seat belts. This is what a child passenger safety technician does.

Related: Car seat laws in md

What is the child passenger safety program?

The child passenger safety program was created by the governor’s highway safety program receives federal funding to certify people as CPST.

How long should my child sit in the back seat?

According to west virginia law there’s no set age for back seat use. However if we look at other states they recommend that only kids older than 13 years old should sit in the front and other in the back seat. So it means that only kids who use seat belts and not child safety seat should sit in the front.

What are the booster seat requirements in WV?

The booster seat requirements in WV are as follows: the child should be at least 4 years old and weigh 40 pounds. In the state of WV, you can stop using a booster seat if the child is older than 8 years and taller than 57”.

When can a child sit in the front seat in West Virginia?