Congratulations MN!!!
Living on the border of WI/MN, I'm very excited about this too because our law goes to 8 OR 80 lbs OR 4'9" tall, so of course, 8 yr olds are out of booster seats before they're ready to be. Now I can tell people that they might as well follow the MN law because when they go into MN (and everyone does regularly) with their 4'2", 58 lb, 8 yr old, they could get a ticket! :thumbsup:
If you look at the actual text, this law is probably the same as yours. Once the child is 8, they don't need a booster seat. If the child is 4'9" before 8, they don't need a booster.
Here is the verbiage of the law:
Subd. 5. Violation; petty misdemeanor.
(a) Every motor vehicle operator, when transporting a child who is both under the age of four eight and shorter than four feet nine inches on the streets and highways of this state in a motor vehicle equipped with factory-installed seat belts, shall equip and install for use in the motor vehicle, according to the manufacturer's instructions, a child passenger restraint system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.
(b) No motor vehicle operator who is operating a motor vehicle on the streets and highways of this state may transport a child who is both under the age of eight and shorter than four feet nine inches in a seat of a motor vehicle equipped with a factory-installed seat belt, unless the child is properly fastened in the child passenger restraint system. Any motor vehicle operator who violates this subdivision is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $50. The fine may be waived or the amount reduced if the motor vehicle operator produces evidence that within 14 days after the date of the violation a child passenger restraint system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards was purchased or obtained for the exclusive use of the operator.
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0099.2.html&session=ls86
The way the law reads is:
Child needs booster or carseat if both under the age of 8 and shorter then 4 feet nine inches
This can be viewed as:
If both A and B then C
where:
A: child 0-7
B: Child under 4'9" tall
C: Child needs booster/carseat
If both True and True then C must occur
If both False and True then C does not have to occur as False and True will always = False
If both True and False then C does not have to occur as True and False will always = False
Since C will not occur unless both A is true and B is true, the law really allows for an 8 year old to not be in a booster regardless of current weight. Also, if a child is 4'9" prior to being 8, they don't need a booster.