Child car seats and restraints

Child car seat and restraint road rules

In Victoria, it is the driver’s responsibility to make sure anyone under 16 years in a motor vehicle travel in a child car seat, booster seat or seatbelt that is right for their size.

Rules for child car seats and restraints

The back seat of a car is the safest place for children under 12 years to travel.

Drivers must make sure passengers are wearing seat belts or child restraints correctly.

Download a brochure on child restraints, booster seats and seatbelt readiness (PDF).

You may be fined if you ignore the law

Drivers can be fined and get demerit points if people in the vehicle aren’t properly restrained.

Children travelling in motor vehicles

The table below shows what restraints you must legally use for children in a motor vehicle.

Child's age	Requirements
0 to 6 months	rear facing child car seat
7 months to under 4 years	rear facing child seat then forward facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness when they outgrow rear facing seat
4 years to under 7 years	forward facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness then booster seat when they outgrow the forward facing seat
7 years to 16 years	booster seat or forward facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness then adult seat belt when the lap sash seatbelt properly fits them. Achieving a good seatbelt fit usually happens when childre are 145cm tall and can pass the five step test

Only move your child into the next category of restraint when your child outgrows the restraint they’re using. If your child is within the size requirements of a restraint for a lower age group, we recommend you keep your child in that restraint until they are too big for it.

Find out more about the different types of child car seats and restraints.

Learn how to choose and install a child restraint.

Five step test

Follow a five step safety test to see if your child can move to an adult seatbelt. To achieve a good seatbelt fit your child must be able to pass all five steps.

sit with their back flat against the back of the seat
sit with their legs bent over the seat edge
the seatbelt sits over the middle of their shoulder and does not dig into their neck
the seatbelt sits low and firm across the child’s hips and touches their thighs
they can sit comfortably in this position for the whole trip.

Children with disabilities or medical conditions

Children with additional needs may be:

exempt from child restraint rules
need special car seats.

To be exempt, your child needs a medical certificate.

You may need help deciding which restraint is best for your child. Talk to a health professional, like an occupational therapist.

View other useful resources:

When children can sit in the front seat

Child's age	When they can sit in the front seat
5 to 7 years	Only if all of the back seats are taken by passengers under 7 years old. The child must travel in a suitable child restraint.
8 years and older	They can travel in the front seat, but it is safer if they sit in the back. Children who cannot pass the 5 step test are at risk of injury if an airbag deploys in a crash.

If your vehicle only has one row of seats

Children under the age of 4 must travel in the back seat, unless your vehicle only has one row of seats (e.g., a ute or van).

In these cases, your child is allowed to travel in a child restraint, child seat or booster seat in the front seat provided it is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Using child restraints in the front seat

Child restraint	Guidelines for use in the front seat
Rear facing child restraint	Don't use rear facing child restraints if there is a passenger airbag due to the high risk of injury in a crash
Forward facing child restraints	You can use these child restraints if there is an airbag. However, move the seat back (away from the airbag) as far as possible. This will help avoid injury to your child in a crash. The top tether must be used if the restraint has one. If there are no anchorage points in the front seat, only some booster seats without a top tether strap can be used. This option is only suitable for children who are big enough to safely travel in a booster seat.
Booster seats

Children travelling in taxis

In Victoria, taxi drivers do not have to provide child restraints, child car seats or booster seats for customers.

We recommend taking your child’s restraint or booster seat with you. Taxis are exempt from rules that apply to private cars as shown in the table below.

Child's age	Restraint requirements in taxis
Under 1 year old	Must travel in the back seat, but does not have to use a child restraint. Instead they can be carried by the accompanying adult.
1 year old and over	Must be in their own seat, with a seat belt if there is no child restraint or booster seat available.

Taxis must have at least one anchorage point if passengers want to bring their own child restraint.

Children travelling in rideshares (such as Uber)

The child restraint rules for rideshare vehicle and hire cars in Victoria are the same as private cars.

This means that all children under the age of 16 must be in an appropriate child restraint, booster seat or use the adult seat belt that is properly adjusted and fastened.

Children travelling in buses

Different rules for using child restraints or booster seats apply depending on the size of the bus.

If the bus has more than 12 seats (including the driver’s seat), children are not required to use child restraints or booster seats. Where possible, use child restraints and booster seats in buses. Otherwise, children must use the seat belts provided.

If the bus or vehicle has 12 or fewer seats (including the driver’s seat), then all children under the age of 7 must use an appropriate child restraint or booster seat.