Child Safety Seat Laws in Michigan to Change

OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Apr. 1, 2025) – Michigan’s child car seat laws are changing, effective Wednesday.

Under the new regulations, children up to two years must be in a rear-facing car seat; they can then switch to a forward-facing car seat from age two to five. The next three years, youngsters can ride in a belt-positioning booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt. Weight and height can play a factor in these guidelines, and all kids 13 and under need to be in the back seat if available.

Just as when the hands-free smart phone law went into effect nearly two years ago, law enforcement will be taking an informative angle to these changes to start with, according to Ottawa County Sheriff Eric DeBoer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that correctly-used child restraints reduces crash fatalities by 71 percent for newborns, and by 54 percent for youngsters aged one through five. More information is available here.