Requirements guide
Understand age, height, weight, and seat belt fit.
Read requirementsState law page
Nebraska Booster Seat Laws & Requirements (2026)
Under 2 yrs until height or weight limit reached in rear-facing seat | Under 8 yrs in child safety seat and in rear seat if available
| Field | Nebraska snapshot |
|---|---|
| Age requirement | Under 2 yrs until height or weight limit reached in rear-facing seat | Under 8 yrs in child safety seat and in rear seat if available |
| Height requirement | See child-restraint rule; includes height language where listed. |
| Weight requirement | See child-restraint rule; includes weight language where listed. |
| Fine / penalty | Verify fine with state source; GHSA notes first-offense fines vary by state. |
| Last checked | GHSA reviewed by SHSOs June 2025; extracted 2026-07-23 |
| Verification level | Index source; official state verification pending |
| Child restraint required | Under 2 yrs until height or weight limit reached in rear-facing seat | Under 8 yrs in child safety seat and in rear seat if available |
| Adult safety belt permissible | 8-17 yrs | Previous | Page | 1 | Page | 2 | Page | 3 | Page | 4 | Page | 5 | Page | 6 | Next | Related Resources | View All Resources | GHSA Reports | Term raw: GHSA Reports | Slug: ghsa-reports | March 3, 2026 | A National Action Plan for School Bus Safety | Drivers in the United States illegally pass school bus stop-arms approximately 39 million times each year. GHSA's action plan is the first-ever comprehensive 50-state roadmap for eliminating the urgent crisis of illegal school bus passings and the death, injuries and emotional trauma that are associated with them. | Read More | News Releases | Term raw: News Releases | Slug: news-releases | March 3, 2026 | GHSA, BusPatrol Release National Action Plan to End Illegal School Bus Passings | A first-of-its-kind 50-state roadmap presents 69 concrete recommendations for a range of stakeholders to work together to make it safer for kids getting on and off the bus. | Read More | Newsletters | Term raw: Newsletters | Slug: newsletters | November 25, 2025 | Directions in Highway Safety: Fall 2025 Issue | Read about the growing momentum for roadway safety heading into 2026, a tribute to former GHSA Executive Director Barabara Harsha, how to improve drug-impaired driving data, and much more in the latest edition of GHSA's newsletter. | Read More | 660 N. 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An estimated 160,850 children were injured in crashes in 2024. | That's an average of 3 children killed and 439 children injured every day. | Of the 677 children who were killed as passengers in a motor vehicle, 39% were unrestrained. Whether the driver buckles up plays a role in a child being properly restrained. Based on known restraint use, 64% percent of the children riding with unrestrained passenger vehicle drivers were also unrestrained. Additional studies show that: | Use of a child safety seat reduces the risk of injury for infants and toddlers by 71-82% compared with the use of seat belts alone | , according to | multiple | research studies | . | Booster seat use | reduces the risk for serious injury | by 45% for children ages 4-8. | GHSA has been a permanent voting member of the | National Child Passenger Safety Board | since its establishment in 1999. As the voice for the State Highway Safety Offices, our representative has a unique place on the Board. | Child Safety Seat Education | Although manufacturers have improved child safety seat | ease of use ratings, | caregivers often want help or assurance that they are using their child's safety seat correctly. There are places for them to get help: | Car seat manufacturers | : In addition to phone support, many manufacturers offer video hands-on education. | Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) | : Nationally certified by Safe Kids Worldwide, these individuals can provide direct, and often video, hands-on help and answer questions. | Inspection Stations | : The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) maintains a directory of many inspection stations for hands-on help either by appointment or at public events. | CPS Roadmap | GHSA and State Farm® partnered in 2025 to create a | comprehensive guide | that helps State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO) more effectively partner with community leaders, CPSTs and others working to protect kids in motor vehicles. It includes practical advice, case studies from the states and best practices for making child passenger safety a top priority and programs more efficient. | Last updated June 2026. | GHSA Policy | GHSA Policy on Occupant Protection | Read More | CPS Guide | Child Passenger Safety: A Roadmap for State Highway Safety Offices | Read More | State Laws Overview | In 1971, the federal government established minimum standards for child safety seats and restraint systems to reduce the number of children killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes. Today all states and territories have child passenger safety laws, although requirements vary based on age, weight and height. | Traffic safety groups agree that a strong child passenger safety law should: | Cover all children up to age 16 in all seating positions. | Be primary enforcement. | Require all children to be in age- and size-appropriate restraint systems (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seat). | Require children younger than 13 to be properly secured in rear seats (provided the vehicle has them), unless all available rear seats are in use by children younger than 13. | Apply to all vehicles equipped with seat belts; no vehicles (such as pickup trucks, taxis, or rental cars) should be exempt. | Make the driver responsible for restraint use by children under 16, regardless of the relationship to the child. | Allow passengers to ride only in seating areas equipped with seat belts and prohibit passengers in the cargo areas of pickup trucks. | Ensure that children with special needs use proper restraints. | Contain no exemptions, such as allowing children to be unsecured if all seat belts are in use, attending to the personal needs of the child, medical waivers, out-of-state vehicles, and/or drivers who are not the vehicle owner or who are not related to the child. | Many current state laws require all children to ride in the rear seat whenever possible, and most states permit children over a particular age, height or weight to use an adult safety belt. | First offense fines for not complying with a state's child passenger safety laws vary from $10 to $500. Some states also use driver's license points as an additional penalty for noncompliance. | Most states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico | require booster seats or other appropriate devices for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely. | NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on child passenger safety laws other than what is presented here. For more information, consult the appropriate | State Highway Safety Office | (SHSO). | Sources: | Insurance Institute for Highway Safety | (IIHS) and | SHSOs | . | Last updated in October 2025. Laws last reviewed by SHSOs in June 2025. |
| Verification level | Index source; official state verification pending |
Sources
Law and source links
Index source: https://www.ghsa.org/state-laws-issues/child-passengers
Statute/source text: GHSA child passenger law summary; Safe Kids state law tracker cross-check
Safety guidance
Even when Nebraska law allows a seat belt, NHTSA, CDC, and AAP guidance may still recommend a booster until the vehicle belt fits properly.
Age guide
See when children typically start and stop using boosters.
Read age guideForward-facing guide
Know when to move from harnessed seat to booster.
Read transition guide