Oregon Child Occupant Protection Law

Oregon law assists drivers in the decision of how to properly restrain and protect children in motor vehicles.  

When children are properly restrained it significantly decreases the severity of injuries and number of fatalities that occur in a crash.  Oregon’s law reflects national best practice.

Child Restraints

• Child passengers must be restrained in an approved child safety seat until they weigh 40 pounds and 8 years old.
• Infants must ride rear facing until they are two years old. 

Booster Seats

• Children over 40 pounds must use a booster seat until they are age 8 or 4’9” in height.
• The booster seat requirement does not apply when the rear seat of the vehicle is equipped only with lap belts, provided the child is secured by the lap belt.

Safety Belts

• A child taller than 4’9” or age 8 or older must be properly secured with the vehicle’s safety belt.
• The child is properly secured if the lap belt is positioned low across the thighs and the shoulder belt is positioned over the collarbone and away from the neck.

The failure to properly use safety belts or child restraints is a Class D violation with a $142 fine-ORS 811.210 and ORS 815.055, effective October 1, 2009.