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What are the New Mexico car seat laws?
In this article, you’ll learn about:
Let’s dig in.
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New Mexico car seat laws require children under 8 years old to be in a child restraint device.
Child restraint devices are either:
Children that are 4 – 12 years old can use a booster seat.
Children that are 8+ years old can sit in the back seat with just a seat belt.
They can only sit in the back seat at 8 years of age if they exceed:
You should follow the weight and height recommendations from car seat manufacturers.
They design their car seats based on height and weight, not age.
Following these car seat guidelines will make sure your child is safe in a car accident.
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (NM MVD) enforces:
The penalty for breaking car seat laws in New Mexico is a non-moving traffic infraction.
The penalty includes:
| Beginning Age | Age Limit | Beginning Weight | Weight Limit | Beginning Height | Height Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear Facing Seats | 0 years old | 3 years old | 4 lbs | 30 lbs | 19 inches | 37 inches |
| Forward Facing Seats | 1 years old | 7 years old | 20 lbs | 50 lbs | 30 inches | 48 inches |
| Booster Seats | 4 years old | 12 years old | 35 lbs | 90 lbs | 40 inches | 59 inches |
Here is a car seat weight chart for New Mexico’s car seat laws.
Here is a car seat age chart for New Mexico’s car seat laws.
You should change your car seat once your child exceeds the:
Whichever one happens first.
A child’s age doesn’t necessarily a deciding factor.
Your child could be smaller than average for their age.
Moving them into the next type of car seat could put them in danger of serious injuries.
This is especially true if they don’t meet the height or weight requirements.
This is because car manufacturers design car seats around height and weight.
The NHTSA recommends that all children under the age of 13:
In general, the NHTSA guidelines state that:
Note that these are not the state of New Mexico statutes on car seat laws.
The NHTSA provides guidance to New Mexico for:
They work with the American Academy Of Pediatrics to come up with these guidelines.
The NHTSA makes sure that child car seats:
To meet the rear-facing car seat requirements, a child should:
These are the minimum weight and height requirements to put a child in a rear-facing car seat.
The NHTSA recommends you hit the limits of a rear-facing car seat before turning them around.
This would mean that you keep them rear-facing until they are at:
The types of rear-facing car seats are:
The rear-facing car seat ages in New Mexico is infants and toddlers up to 3 years old.
The rear-facing car seat heights in New Mexico are up to 37 inches.
The rear-facing car seat weights in New Mexico are up to 30 lbs.
The infant car seat weight limit is up to 30 lbs.
You should forward face a car seat when a child reaches 30 lbs or 37 inches.
These are the rear-facing car seat’s:
For infants, the rear-facing car seat height limit is 37”.
But some rear-facing car seats are convertible car seats.
Meaning that you can spin them around from rear-facing to forward-facing.
To meet the forward-facing car seat requirements, a child should:
These are the minimum weight and height requirements to put a child in a front-facing car seat.
The NHTSA recommends you hit the limits of a rear-facing car seat before turning them around.
This would mean that you turn them around at either:
The child also needs to be able to sit upright without assistance from the car seat.
This makes sure that:
You should install your car seat based on your manufacturer’s recommendations.
And follow New Mexico’s car seat laws.
Front-facing car seats are essential for keeping children safe when riding in a car.
The two most common types of front-facing car seats are the:
The convertible car seat can be in both the:
Convertible car seats are great for:
Both types of front-facing car seats have:
The front-facing car seat ages in New Mexico are 1 to 7 years old.
The front-facing car seat heights in New Mexico are 30 to 48 inches.
This is based on the average heights for the weight ranges for forward-facing car seats.
The front-facing car seat weights in New Mexico are 20 to 50 lbs.
You should turn a car seat around when a child reaches 30 lbs or 48 inches.
These are the rear-facing car seat’s:
Most babies can safely ride forward-facing once they:
You should consult the car seat’s instructions.
These will give you proper car seat installation instructions.
And will tell you when a baby’s car seat can face forward.
A child can use a booster seat in New Mexico once they exceed either:
A child booster seat is a car seat designed to help children sit in the right position in a car.
It helps raise a child so that the seat belt fits properly across their chest and hips.
A booster seat helps to protect a child in the event of a crash.
To meet the booster seat requirements, a child should:
These are the minimum weight and height requirements to put a child in a front-facing car seat.
The NHTSA recommends you hit the limits of a booster seat before turning them around.
This would mean that you turn them around at either:
The child also needs to be able to sit upright without assistance from the car seat.
This makes sure that:
You should install your booster seat based on your manufacturer’s recommendations.
And follow New Mexico’s car seat laws.
In New Mexico, booster seat laws are in place to ensure children’s safety while riding in a vehicle.
Booster seats raise children to the correct height to use a seatbelt.
Seatbelts get designed to protect adults.
And booster seats get used to adjusting the seatbelt to fit a child’s body.
Booster seat laws in New Mexico require that children must be in a booster seat if:
Parents should understand and follow the booster seat laws in New Mexico.
This will ensure the safety of their children.
It ensures that the seat belt fits the child properly.
And it will reduce serious bodily injuries in a car accident.
Booster seats help distribute the impact of a car crash better than a seat belt alone.
Following New Mexico’s booster seat laws will reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash.
The types of booster seats available on the market are:
The booster seat ages in New Mexico are 4 to 12 years old.
The booster seat heights in New Mexico are 40 to 59 inches.
This is based on the average height for booster seats’ weight ranges.
The booster seat weights in New Mexico are 35 to 90 lbs.
High-back booster seats get designed to provide support to a child’s:
High-back booster seats get used to transition from a car seat to a seatbelt.
To ensure optimal safety, high-back booster seats must meet the following requirements:
The height and weight for a booster seat are:
The weight limit for a booster seat is 90 lbs.
A child can stop using a booster seat in New Mexico when they:
Your child can stop using their booster seat in New Mexico when any of these occur.
Kids can sit in the front seat in New Mexico when they are 13 years old.
Just make sure that they follow the seat belt laws in New Mexico.
You must be 13 years old in New Mexico to sit in the front seat.
Children over 59” tall can sit in the front seat in New Mexico.
This is from the New Mexico Penal Codes on child passenger safety laws:
These are other questions that clients ask us about New Mexico’s car seat laws.
A 4-year-old can either be in a forward-facing car seat or a booster seat.
Which car seat a 4-year-old should be in depends on height and weight.
They should be in a forward-facing seat if they are:
But, they can move up to a booster seat if they are:
Yes, a 4-year-old can be in a booster seat if they are:
Child car seats are good for up to 6 years.
This is because their materials degrade over time.
The plastics and foams will weaken from:
Expiration dates on car seats ensure that the seat is safe to use.
If your child was injured in a car accident in New Mexico, fill out the form on this page.
Our personal injury attorneys have the experience you need to:
Your family and your children deserve help.
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