Oklahoma Car Seat Laws in 2022

Editor’s note: This article was updated in 2022 to link to a more appropriate section of the relevant statute.

In Oklahoma law, a child under eight years old must be properly secured in a child restraint system when being transported in a motor vehicle on a roadway, street, or highway. A child eight to seventeen years old must wear a seat belt properly secured to the motor vehicle.

Babies and Children Up to Four Years Old

A child under four years old must be properly secured in a child passenger restraint system. The child passenger restraint system must be rear-facing until the child is at least two years old or until the child reaches the manufacturer’s weight or height limits of the rear-facing child passenger restraint system, whichever occurs first. A child passenger restraint system is an infant or child passenger restraint system meeting federal standards.

Children Four to Seven Years Old and Not Taller Than 4’9”

A child between the ages of four and seven years old and not over 4’9” tall must be properly secured in either a child passenger restraint system or a child booster seat.

Children Eight to Seventeen Years Old or Taller Than 4’9”

A child between the ages of eight and seventeen years old or taller than 4’9” must wear a seat belt properly secured to the motor vehicle.

Penalties for Violations

You may be fined $50.00 and ordered to pay all court costs for a violation of Oklahoma’s child passenger restraint system law. You will not be assessed points to your driving records. For a first offense, the fine will be suspended and courts costs will be limited to no more than $15.00 if you provide proof that you purchased or borrowed a child passenger restraint system.

Exemptions

Your child may be exempt from Oklahoma’s child passenger restraint system law if he or she is being transported in a school bus, taxicab, ambulance, or emergency vehicle; on a moped or motorcycle; or in other motor vehicles not required to be equipped with safety belts under state or federal laws.

Your child may be exempt from Oklahoma’s child passenger restraint system law if he or she is being transported in a motor vehicle in which all seat belts are in use.

Your child may be exempt from Oklahoma’s child passenger restraint system law if he or she is wearing only a lap safety belt, weighs more than forty pounds, is being transported in the back seat of a motor vehicle, and the seat is not equipped with a combination lap and shoulder safety belts or all combination lap and shoulder safety belts are being used by other children weighing more than forty pounds.

Your child may be exempt from Oklahoma’s child passenger restraint system law if he or she is wearing only a lap safety belt, weighs more than forty pounds, is being transported in any seat located behind the front seat in a motor vehicle operated by a licensed child care facility or church, his or her seat is not equipped with combination lap and shoulder safety belts or all combination lap and should safety belts are in use by other children weighing more than forty pounds, and the licensed child care facility or church provides a written statement verified by you that your child weighs more than forty pounds.

Your child may be exempt from Oklahoma’s child passenger restraint system law if you have written documentation from a physician that he or she is unable to be placed in a child passenger restraint system, child booster seat, or seat belt for medical reasons.

Your child may be exempt from Oklahoma’s child passenger restraint system law if he or she is under four years old, is being transported in a forward-facing child passenger restraint system, and the driver transporting your child has in the motor vehicle a valid letter of forward-facing exemption from the Department of Public Safety and either a rightfully-issued detachable placard indicating physical disability or a physically disabled license plate.

FAQ

What is the Oklahoma booster seat law?

Oklahoma car seat laws state that any child between the ages of four and seven who are 4’9” tall or less must be secured in a booster seat or another appropriate child restraint system that meets federal standards.

What is the law for forward facing car seats in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma law does not state when a child should ride in a forward facing car seat. State car seat laws provide that all children under four years old should ride in a properly secured child passenger restraint system. Children must ride in a rear facing car seat until they are two years old or they outweigh the manufacturer’s guidelines for weight and height.

What are Oklahoma front seat laws?

Oklahoma car seat laws do not say when a child can ride in the front seat of a vehicle. The Oklahoma State Department of Health recommends children should ride in the back seat for safety reasons.

* Ms. Blake is licensed in the state of Maryland. The information provided in this article does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.


Attorney Denise A. Blake*

Denise practices family law at Blake Law, LLC in Westminster, Maryland. She holds a Juris Doctor with an emphasis in Family Law from the University of Baltimore School of Law.