State law page
Mississippi requires children younger than 4 to use a child passenger restraint device, and children ages 4 through 6 to use a booster seat if they are shorter than 57 inches or weigh less than 65 pounds.
Quick answer
Mississippi requires children younger than 4 to use a child passenger restraint device or system. Children ages 4 through 6 must use a belt-positioning booster seat if they are shorter than 57 inches, or 4'9", or weigh less than 65 pounds.
The Mississippi State Department of Health also gives families a practical exit point: adult safety belts may be used without a booster when the child reaches age 7, is at least 57 inches tall, or weighs at least 65 pounds.
If your child still needs a booster, a backless model such as the Graco TurboBooster 2.0 Backless Booster Car Seat is the simplest way to meet the rule once they have vehicle head support (a lower-cost backless option works too); younger children often do better in a high-back booster. Not sure which? Use the seat finder, or run the 5-step belt fit test before dropping the booster. Shopping links — see our affiliate disclosure.
Front seat: No statutory front-seat age in Mississippi Code 63-7-301. See front seat age by state for all 50 states.
Quick check
Enter age and height to see the usual next stage and the guide to read. This is a navigation aid, not a substitute for the Mississippi rule above or the seat label.
Snapshot
This table gives the legal minimum first, then the practical booster-exit rule families usually need.
| Question | Mississippi answer |
|---|---|
| Who needs a child passenger restraint device? | Children younger than 4 must use a child passenger restraint device or system. |
| Who needs a booster seat? | Children ages 4 through 6 need a belt-positioning booster if they are shorter than 57 inches or weigh less than 65 lb. |
| When can an adult belt be used? | MSDH says an adult safety belt may be used without a booster at age 7, at least 57 inches tall, or at least 65 lb. |
| Fine | Mississippi Code 63-7-309 lists a $25 penalty for child passenger restraint violations. |
| Source checked | 2026-09-06; Mississippi State Department of Health and Mississippi Code 63-7-301 were checked. |
2026 check
Mississippi deserves a direct state-law answer because families often need the age rule, the 57-inch rule, and the 65-pound rule in one place.
For 2026 checks, the parent answer is specific: children under 4 need a child passenger restraint device, and children 4 through 6 need a belt-positioning booster if they are shorter than 57 inches or weigh less than 65 pounds.
Mississippi also has a practical exit rule in MSDH guidance: an adult safety belt may be used without a booster when the child reaches age 7, is at least 57 inches tall, or weighs at least 65 pounds.
Age rule
The Mississippi rule has two main age bands. Children younger than 4 are in the child passenger restraint device stage. Children ages 4 through 6 are in the booster decision window, but the law also checks size. A 4-, 5-, or 6-year-old who is shorter than 57 inches or weighs less than 65 pounds needs a belt-positioning booster.
This is more specific than a simple birthday rule. A 6-year-old who has not reached either size threshold can still need a booster under the Mississippi rule. A child who reaches age 7, 57 inches, or 65 pounds may be allowed to use the adult belt under the MSDH summary, but parents should still check actual belt fit before removing the booster.
Height and weight
Mississippi uses both height and weight for booster-age children. The height number is 57 inches, which is the same as 4 feet 9 inches. The weight number is 65 pounds. For children ages 4 through 6, being under either threshold keeps the booster rule in play.
The reason is belt positioning. A booster helps the lap belt stay low across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt cross the shoulder and chest. Without a booster, a small child can have the belt on the stomach, neck, or face. That poor fit can happen even when the child is close to the legal cutoff, especially in third rows, pickups, rideshares, and vehicles with deep seats.
Exceptions
The Mississippi statute includes a narrow practical exception for vehicles carrying more than two booster-age children when only two lap-and-shoulder belts are available in the rear seat. In that situation, children who are more than 4 years old and less than 7 years old must be secured by a properly fastened safety seat belt if they cannot all be placed in belt-positioning booster seats.
Do not treat that exception as the normal setup. A booster with a proper lap-and-shoulder belt is the cleaner answer when the seating position and product instructions allow it. If the vehicle only has a lap belt in the position you planned to use, check the booster manual and consider a different seating position.
Fines
Mississippi Code 63-7-309 lists a $25 penalty for violating the child passenger restraint requirements. Local handling, fees, or court details can vary, so families should treat the official statute and state safety materials as the source to recheck before relying on a ticket amount.
The practical reason to fix the restraint is bigger than the fine. The same seat-belt-fit problem that can trigger a child passenger restraint violation is also the problem that makes the adult belt less protective for a small child in a crash.
Parent scenarios
Only if the child is outside the booster requirement and the belt fits correctly. A 6-year-old who is shorter than 57 inches or weighs less than 65 pounds still needs a belt-positioning booster under the Mississippi rule.
This page found a child passenger restraint rule, not a separate adult booster seat law. Searches about adult belts usually point back to when a child can move from a booster to the adult safety belt.
Mississippi uses 57 inches as one legal threshold, but the safer check is belt fit. The lap belt should stay low on the thighs, and the shoulder belt should cross the shoulder and chest.
Check the same child in the exact vehicle seat. Belt anchors, seat depth, and third-row seats can change fit, so a child who fits in one vehicle may still need a booster in another.
Shopping picks
Shopping links, separate from the law and safety guidance on this page; they do not change what the state requires. See our affiliate disclosure.
Cosco Topside Backless Booster Car Seat — no-frills, rated 40 to 100 lb. Common for a second car or carpool duty.
Graco TurboBooster 2.0 Backless Booster Car Seat — the best-selling backless option, with cup holders, for a child who has vehicle head support.
Graco TurboBooster 2.0 Highback Booster Car Seat — for a child who still needs head and side support, or a vehicle seat with a low head restraint.
Britax Skyline 2-Stage Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat — converts from high-back to backless as the child approaches the thresholds on this page.
Not sure which type fits your child? Use the seat finder — enter age, height, and weight to see the stage and a matching seat.
Official sources
State safety source: Mississippi State Department of Health child passenger safety
Requirement statute: Mississippi Code 63-7-301
National safety guidance: NHTSA car seats and booster seats, CDC child passenger safety prevention, and AAP car safety seats guidance.
This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Recheck Mississippi statutes and state agency materials before relying on a requirement after a law change.
Next guides
Compare age, height, weight, and state-law requirements across the U.S.
Read requirementsUse the age and stage timeline before moving from a booster to a seat belt.
Read age guideReturn to the 50-state laws hub and compare nearby states before travel.
Open laws hubNearby states
Child passenger rules change at the state line. If you drive out of Mississippi, the neighboring state's rule applies while you are there, so check it before a road trip or a regular cross-border commute.
Compare all 50 states · Seen a notice about adults under 5'2" or 5'4"? Read the adult booster seat law fact check.