Traffic Safety · Car Seat & Booster
Car Seat & Booster Laws in Wyoming
When your child can move from a booster to a seat belt in Wyoming, 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 Wyoming car seat checker →
Check your child's stage in Wyoming
Enter age, height, and weight. We show the Wyoming law separately from best practice.
4′9″ = 57 in. Enter only the boxes you have; this state uses required until age 9; the statute names age, weight, and height as factors but sets no specific numbers, so any “4′9″” or “80 lb” figure is guidance, not Wyoming law.
Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming
Each rung is tagged Law or best practice.
Wyoming requires a restraint “appropriate for the child’s age, weight and height” and is silent on orientation; it does not set a rear-facing age.
AAP/NHTSA best practice: keep a child rear-facing until at least age 2. That is a recommendation, not Wyoming law.
The statute does not prescribe a forward-facing age; it defers to what is appropriate for the child.
Best practice, not Wyoming law: a harness seat after rear-facing.
Every child under 9 must be properly secured in a child safety restraint that is appropriate for the child’s age, weight, and height. Wyoming uses age 9 alone; it sets no numeric booster height or weight line.
Exit rule: required until age 9; the statute names age, weight, and height as factors but sets no specific numbers, so any “4′9″” or “80 lb” figure is guidance, not Wyoming law. 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.
A child under 9 must be secured in a seat other than the front, unless the vehicle has only one row or all rear belts are already in use by other child passengers. A rear-facing infant seat may never be placed in front of an active airbag. This is law (§31-5-1303).
| Booster exit logic | Age only — no statutory height/weight |
| Seat belt OK | Age 9 and older |
| First-offense fine | $50 first offense About $50 for a first offense and $100 for a later one, plus court costs. A first offense can be dismissed if the driver obtains an appropriate restraint. It is a primary offense, so an officer can stop a vehicle for it alone. |
| Statute | Wyo. Stat. §31-5-1303 |
What Wyoming parents get wrong
Wyoming keeps its child-restraint rule short and age-based: every child under 9 must be in a restraint appropriate for the child’s age, weight, and height. The statute names those three factors but does not set numbers, so there is no “4′9″” or “80 lb” line in Wyoming law, and the booster exit is simply age 9. Because the statute is silent on orientation, rear-facing until 2 is best practice here, not a legal requirement. What Wyoming does legislate is placement: a child under 9 must ride in a seat other than the front unless the back is full or the vehicle has one row, and a rear-facing seat may never sit in front of an active airbag. The fine is about $50 first offense, dismissible if you buy the right restraint afterward.
Common questions
When can a child stop using a booster in Wyoming?
At age 9. Wyoming uses age alone, with no height or weight number in the statute, so a child is legally done once they turn 9.
Does Wyoming require rear-facing car seats by age?
No. The statute asks for a restraint appropriate for the child’s age, weight, and height, but it is silent on orientation. Rear-facing until 2 is best practice, not Wyoming law.
Does a child have to ride in the back seat in Wyoming?
Yes, for children under 9. They must ride in a seat other than the front, unless the vehicle has only one row or all rear belts are in use. A rear-facing seat can never go in front of an active airbag.
What is the fine for a car-seat violation in Wyoming?
About $50 for a first offense and $100 for a later one, plus court costs. A first offense can be dismissed if the driver obtains an appropriate restraint, and it is a primary offense.
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.