Traffic Safety · Car Seat & Booster
Car Seat & Booster Laws in Arkansas
When your child can move from a booster to a seat belt in Arkansas, plus rear-facing, front-seat, and the fine, with the law kept separate from best practice.
Prefer a quick check? Run your child's age, height, and weight through the Arkansas car seat checker →
Check your child's stage in Arkansas
Enter age, height, and weight. We show the Arkansas law separately from best practice.
4′9″ = 57 in. Enter only the boxes you have; this state uses required while under 6 AND under 60 lb; reaching age 6 or 60 lb exits. Arkansas uses no 4′9″ height trigger.
Arkansas does not legislate rear-facing vs forward-facing by age; it requires a restraint appropriate per the manufacturer's instructions. Best practice from AAP (the pediatricians' association) and NHTSA (the federal highway-safety agency), not Arkansas law: rear-facing to age 2+, then a harness, then a booster.
Educational guide to the minimum legal requirement, not legal or safety advice. Best practice is often stricter than the law. Always follow your car seat’s manufacturer instructions, and confirm the current rule with the official source below (last reviewed 2026-07-11).
The four stages in Arkansas
Each rung is tagged Law or best practice.
Arkansas’s statute requires a child under 6 and under 60 pounds to be in a child passenger safety seat but is silent on orientation. It does not set a rear-facing age by law.
AAP/NHTSA best practice: keep a child rear-facing until at least age 2. That is a recommendation, not Arkansas law.
The statute does not prescribe a forward-facing age; it requires only an appropriate child safety seat.
Best practice, not Arkansas law: a harness seat after the child outgrows rear-facing.
A child under 6 years of age AND under 60 pounds must be in a child passenger safety seat, which includes a booster. Once the child reaches age 6 or 60 pounds, a seat belt is sufficient.
Exit rule: required while under 6 AND under 60 lb; reaching age 6 or 60 lb exits. Arkansas uses no 4′9″ height trigger. The adult belt must fit — lap low across the hips, shoulder belt across the chest.
Front seat, the fine & the source
Seating rule, the exact booster logic, and any recent change.
Arkansas’s statute does not require children to ride in the rear seat. NHTSA recommends keeping children under 13 in the back seat, but that is guidance, not Arkansas law.
| Booster exit logic | Age 8 or 80 lb — whichever first |
| Seat belt OK | At age 6, or once the child reaches 60 lb |
| First-offense fine | $25–$100 A violation is fined not less than $25 and not more than $100 (§27-34-103). If the driver shows proof of acquiring an approved seat, the court assesses only the $25 minimum. |
| Statute | Ark. Code §27-34-104 (penalty §27-34-103) |
What Arkansas parents get wrong
Arkansas writes its child-seat law around age and weight, not orientation, so it never sets a rear-facing or forward-facing age. Those stages are best practice here, not law. The single legislated test is the seat requirement itself: a child under 6 AND under 60 pounds must ride in a child passenger safety seat, and reaching either age 6 or 60 pounds allows a seat belt. There is no 4′9″ height rule in the statute. Because the trigger is age or weight, a heavy child can exit the seat before turning 6. Arkansas also does not require a back-seat position. The fine runs $25 to $100, and showing proof of buying an approved seat drops it to the $25 minimum.
Common questions
When can a child stop using a car seat or booster in Arkansas?
When the child reaches age 6 or 60 pounds, whichever comes first. Arkansas requires a child safety seat while a child is under 6 AND under 60 pounds. There is no 4′9″ height rule.
Does Arkansas require rear-facing car seats by age?
No. Arkansas’s statute is based on age and weight and is silent on orientation. Rear-facing until age 2 is best practice, not Arkansas law.
Do children have to ride in the back seat in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas’s statute does not require a rear-seat position. NHTSA recommends the back seat for children under 13, but that is a recommendation, not state law.
What is the fine for a car-seat violation in Arkansas?
The fine is $25 to $100. If you show proof of acquiring an approved child safety seat, the court assesses only the $25 minimum.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.