What about using a seat from another country?

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gsdguenter

Well-known member
it's illegal but some people choose to do it anyway. if you crash you might have trouble with insurance replacing the seats, or not. if someone pulls you over and knows about car seats (rare) they could be confiscated.

I think it's not very common with all the new seats out now to need to import, but for some people it's worth it.
 

Maedze

New member
Right now it's almost never necessary. A few years back, it would have been an option for parents of very heavy babies/young toddlers who still needed to be rear facing but had outgrown the 30-35 pound rear facing limits on US convertibles.

Now that we have seats that rear face to 40-45 pounds, it's almost never the case that a US baby would need a foreign seat.

I believe Joel, who was injured in a crash when he was forward facing at 18 months old in a US seat, is now riding rear facing in a European seat designed for large children. At the time of the accident, he had outgrown all current US seats available for rear facing, and due to the nature of his injuries particularly needed a rear facing seat. His family, I believe, petitioned NHTSA to legally import the seat. (I *think*, someone correct me if I'm wrong.)
 

Whipple

New member
Yeah, Joel was why I asked. It piqued my interest. But now that I found out there's a rear facing seat to 45lbs in Canada, it really would not be necessary for myself. Actually I tried my daughter in her new Scerena today, and she still has two slots left! Her old seat she was at the top slot and too heavy to rear face. I'm so happy!
 

moonmommy

Senior Community Member
While use of a foreign car seat is technically illegal, importing one is not. If pulled over, the officer would have to know that it is not a federally approved seat and actually care enough to issue a citation. There should be no reason for the seat to be confiscated as owning one is not illegal, but the officer may make you have someone bring you a legal car seat before allowing you to leave. Any parent considering the use of a foreign car seat should thoroughly examine and weigh the possible financial and legal risks against the possible safety benefits.
 

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