Tools · Car Seat
Rhode Island Car Seat & Booster Checker (2026)
Enter your child's age, height, and weight to see the minimum seat stage Rhode Island law requires and the first-offense fine ($85). This is the legal minimum — not best safety practice.
Rhode Island car seat checker
4′9″ = 57 in. Enter only the boxes you have. Rhode Island uses a booster is required while under 8 AND under 57″ AND under 80 lb; reaching age 8, 57″, or 80 lb exits (Rhode Island captures all three factors).
- Child
- Not entered
- Minimum legal stage
- Enter age / height / weight
- Booster-exit rule
- a booster is required while under 8 AND under 57″ AND under 80 lb; reaching age 8, 57″, or 80 lb exits (Rhode Island captures all three factors)
- First-offense fine
- $85
Plain-language summary, not legal advice.
This shows the minimum legal requirement in Rhode Island, not best safety practice, which is usually stricter, and not legal or safety advice. Always follow your car seat's manufacturer instructions. For the full four-stage rules, front-seat rule, and citation, see the Rhode Island car seat law reference, cited to R.I. Gen. Laws §31-22-22 (last reviewed 2026-07-11).
How Rhode Island car seat law works
Rhode Island is one of the few states whose booster rule captures three factors at once: a child under 8 who is under 57″ (4′9″) tall AND under 80 lb must be in a child restraint or booster, and it has to be in a rear seat. Reaching any one of age 8, 57″, or 80 lb ends the child-restraint requirement. Rear-facing is also codified here and, unusually, uses both age and weight: rear-facing until 2 years old or 30 lb. The rear-seat placement is real law, not a recommendation, because §31-22-22 puts the child restraint "in any rear seating position." The fine is $85 for a first offense and $100 after that, and a driver who buys an approved restraint within seven days may have the ticket voided.
This checker shows the Rhode Island minimum legal requirement — not best safety practice, which is usually stricter — and is not legal or safety advice. For the full four-stage rules, front-seat rule, and citation, see the Rhode Island car seat law reference.
Car seat checkers for other states
Same tool, each with its own booster-exit rule.