Maryland Car Seat Laws (2023)
The state of Maryland legally requires children under the age of 8 years old and 4'9" to be secured in a child-restraint system.
The law does not specify type of child seat by age, but they do have recommended guidelines for child safety.
Car Seat Requirements Maryland
Rear-Facing Car Seat Law Maryland
Rear-Facing Car Seat Guidelines Maryland
Forward-Facing Car Seat Law Maryland
Front-Facing Car Seat Guidelines Maryland
Where can I get my car seat checked or installed in Maryland?
General Car Seat Laws FAQ
Are car seats effective?
What's the best car seat?
How do you install a car seat?
Does AAA do car seat inspections?
When were car seats invented?
When did car seats become mandatory?
Who is responsible for child restraint laws in the U.S.?
Car Seats Save Young Lives
There is no legal specification for how long a child must ride in a rear-facing car seat in Maryland.
Maryland law only dictates children under 8 years old who are shorter than 4'9" be secured in a child seat "according to the vehicle and child restraint instructions" and that rear-facing car seats be installed away from airbags.
However, the state does provide safety guidelines for when you should use a rear-facing car seat.
Rear-Facing Car Seat Age: unspecified
Rear-Facing Car Seat Weight: determined by manufacturer
Rear-Facing Car Seat Height: determined by manufacturer
There is no set age or weight or height limit at which Maryland suggests switching kids to forward-facing car seats.
Instead, the state advises keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the height or weight limit on their rear-facing seats.
There is no legal specification for how long a child must ride in a forward-facing car seat in Maryland.
Maryland law only dictates children under 8 years old who are shorter than 4'9" be secured in a child seat "according to the vehicle and child restraint instructions."
This means a child can switch from a forward-facing car seat to a booster seat as soon as they reach the minimum height, weight and age requirements for the booster seat.
However, the state does provide safety guidelines for when you should use a forward-facing car seat.
According to state guidelines, children should ride in a front-facing car seat in Maryland until they reach ONE of the following requirements:
Forward-Facing Car Seat Age: unspecified
Forward-Facing Car Seat Weight: determined by manufacturer
Forward-Facing Car Seat Height: determined by manufacturer
There is no set age or weight or height limit at which Maryland suggests transitioning kids from forward-facing car seats to booster seats.
Instead, the state advises keeping children in forward-facing car seats (with separate harness systems) as long as possible, until they reach the height or weight limit on their forward-facing seats.
The Maryland Department of Health offers car seat safety checks by appointment.
You can contact them to speak to a certified technician.
Many local fire departments, police departments, and county health departments also have certified Child Seat Safety Technicians on staff who can help you install a car seat (or check your installation) by appointment.
Yes. Very.
According to the CDC, "car seat use reduces the risk for injury in a crash by 71-82% for children, when compared with seat belt use alone."
Different types of car seats (infant, convertible, etc.) have different uses.
But, no matter what type of car seat you're using, the best car seat is the one that will do the most effective job of keeping your child safe in the event of an accident.
See Which Car Seat To Buy: Making Sure Your Little Ones Stay Safe On The Road for our recommendations.
Car seat installation varies depending on whether the seat is being installed rear- or forward-facing and the manufacturer of the seat.
For help installing a rear-facing car seat, see Passenger Safety For Babies at Safe Kids Worldwide.
And for help installing a forward-facing car seat, see Passenger Safety For Little Kids at Safe Kids Worldwide.
Yes, the American Automobile Association (AAA) has certified child passenger safety technicians on staff.
If you are a member of AAA, you can have your car seat installation inspected for free (when available in your area).
Go to AAA.com/carseats to make an appointment for inspection.
Two precursors to car seats as we know them today were both invented in 1962. (Though, they weren't available until the late-60s.)
The first of these seats, and the one most similar to the car seats we use today, had a Y-shaped harness and was rear-facing.
The seat was invented by British inventor (and mother) Jean Ames.
The second of these seats was metal-framed seat designed to face forward, and was invented by American inventor Leonard Rivkin.
Before that, the only type of child seat for cars were booster-style car seats, which simply lifted children higher in the seat, but had no safety features and had been manufactured since the 1930s.
Car seats became mandatory between 1978 and 1986.
Though car seats were available in the late 1960s, and the data showing their effectiveness was available in the early 1970s, they remained optional safety devices, and most parents didn't opt to use them.
So, it became a matter of enacting laws.
In the U.S., car seats became mandatory as most things do – on a state-by-state basis.
In 1978, Tennessee became the first state to enact a child restraint law of any kind (the law passed in 1977), a successful campaign that prompted other states to follow suit.
Over the next few years, all U.S. states passed and implemented child restraint laws, with all states enacting laws by 1986.
While there were experts and activists all over the country working to pass child restraint laws, Dr. Robert Sanders and his wife Pat are largely credited with getting the first Tennessee law passed.
Dr. Sanders was a pediatrician and he and his wife lobbied for the legislation for years.
Dr. Sanders even got a moniker out of his activism.
He became affectionately known as "Dr. Seat Belt."
Car seats are designed to protect the smallest, most vulnerable of children, and, since car seat rules first went into effect nationwide in the mid-1980s, they have done a stellar job at saving kids' lives.
That's why car seats are required in every state in the U.S. up to a certain age (with some states also having booster and front seat laws), and why the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC recommend using some form of child restraint system in vehicles until children are big enough to be protected by a car's built-in safety features (4'9").
So, definitely follow Maryland's car seat laws to protect the smallest of children.
And continue to follow the booster and front seat laws (or expert guidelines) to ensure your child is well-protected on the road.
For more on Maryland's booster seat laws, see Maryland Booster Seat Laws.
For more on Maryland's front seat guidelines, see Maryland Front Seat Law.