The Michigan Legislature has voted to change car seat laws for drivers in the state. The law hadn’t been changed since 2008. The new law goes into effect on April 2, 2025.

Rear-facing until Age 2

The biggest change is the time that babies are required to stay in rear-facing car seats. The age has gone up from one to two. Children can switch to forward-facing seats if they have exceeded the height and weight limits for a rear-facing car seat.

Carseat Until Age 5

Under the new law, children need to remain in a harnessed seat until the age of five. The previous law only required a harnessed car seat until the age of four. Children who exceed the height and weight limits of a harnessed car seat can move to a booster seat. Children can move to using just a seat belt when they are too tall for a booster seat and a seat belt can fit securely across their thighs and shoulder.

The following graphic was created by Trinity Health:

Story by Jennie McClelland for BlueWaterParent.com

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