How-to
Car seats by age, and checking the installation
Match each child's car seat to their age and size, install it in the back seat by the manual, have a technician check it and register it for recalls.
Satisfy+ Editorial · Published July 14, 2026 · 2 min read · 30 min to do
At a glance
- Rear-facing
- Birth until age 2 to 4
- Forward-facing
- Until at least age 5
- Booster
- Until the seat belt fits, usually age 9 to 12
- Back seat
- Until age 13
In 2023, 1,019 child passengers aged 14 and younger were killed in crashes in the U.S., and more than 142,000 were injured. Of the children killed, 43 percent weren't buckled up. These steps check each seat against the child and its manual.
What you need
- The car seat's manual
- The child's current height and weight
- About half an hour, and the car the seat rides in
Steps
- 1
Match the seat to the child's stage
Children ride rear-facing from birth until age 2 to 4. Then they ride forward-facing in a seat with a harness and a top tether until at least age 5, or until they reach that seat's top weight or height. After that, a booster seat until the seat belt fits without it, usually at about age 9 to 12. The ages for each type differ from seat to seat, so the manual has the final word.
5 min
- 2
Check the seat's limits
Keep a child rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the seat's weight or height limit. The limits are in the manual and on the seat's label.
5 min
- 3
Read the installation section
Install the seat in the back seat, following the manual. Never put a rear-facing seat in the front, where a passenger air bag can injure or kill a young child in a crash.
10 min
- 4
Check the seat belt fit, for an older child
The lap belt should lie across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should cross the middle of the shoulder and chest, not the neck or face.
3 min
- 5
Have the installation checked
Find a child passenger safety technician or a car seat inspection station near you, and book a check.
5 min
- 6
Register the seat
Registering a seat with its maker gets you told about a future recall. Mail the card that came with it, which needs no postage, or register on the maker's website using the label on the seat.
2 min
- 7
Confirm it's right
The seat matches the child's stage and is within its limits. It's in the back seat, a technician has checked it, and it's registered.
1 min
Check each child's car seat
- Check each seat's height and weight limits in its manual
- Book a check at a car seat inspection station
- Fill in each car seat's registration form
Keeping it current
Check each child against the seat's height and weight limits every few months, and move to the next stage once they outgrow it. Keep children buckled in the back seat until age 13. Check for recalls on the seat at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
FAQ
When can a child face forward?
Keep children rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the seat's weight or height limit. That's usually between birth and age 2 to 4.
When can a child sit in the front seat?
Keep children buckled in the back seat until age 13.
Sources
Checked October 20, 2026
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Child passenger safety (2026)
- Safe Kids Worldwide. Register your car seat (2026)
- Car
- SUV
- Free
- Either
