California Car Seat Law

scoutingbear

New member
Thanks in advance for the help. I am asking for help in finding wording for California Laws for infants in car seats for foster parent friends of mine who picked up the baby from a visit yesterday (5.5 months old) and the bio parents had her in a FF seat! She is a small baby too....

Anyway, I was looking up California car seat laws for them to give her documentation to give to the bio parents and all we could find was "Under 6 and under 60 lbs and in a seat that meets federal motor vehicle safety standards." So, if anyone has a more in-depth copy of the law or knows where I can find it so they can pass it on that would be terrific. Unfortunately, I don't think they care that they are going against manufacturer regulations of the seats.
 
ADS

natysr

New member
And...you can thank Arnie for vetoing a much better, clearer law that would have required RFing to 1 year AND 20 pounds and to require booster use to 8 years or 4' 9".
 

rochelle

New member
scoutingbear,

found a nice PDF for you. the california highway patrol here does give out citations for car seat violations :thumbsup:

http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/pdf/4_steps_for_kids.pdf

the Step1 says
"Babies must ride rear facing until 1 yr of age AND at least 20lbs."

so the small baby have to weigh more than 20lbs at 1yr of age to be forward facing.

natsyr,

unless people dont use US 101, I-5, they can get citated by the CHP.
 

scoutingbear

New member
THANK YOU!!! That PDF is perfect (especially since it shows that she can get fined for having the baby ff). Everything I have is more geared to ERF which we will address later...need to have her safe NOW.
 

natysr

New member
natsyr,

unless people dont use US 101, I-5, they can get citated by the CHP.

They already can get cited by any agency no matter which road they are on (not just CHP) as the law states that the seat must be properly used and there isn't a seat on the US market that states that it is okay to FF a child under one year and 20 pounds.

The CHP's statement is an interpretation in the law to make it easier for parents.

I would like the law itself to be more clear. (as it would have been if it wasn't for Arnie. :thumbsdown:)
 

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