Driving Through New Mexico? Know The Booster Seat Laws (2024)
The state of New Mexico legally requires children under the age of 7 and children who weigh less than 60 pounds to be secured in a booster seat (or car seat).
Children under the age of 5 must be secured in a car seat with an internal harness, but children age 5 and older may be secured in a booster seat instead.
Booster Seat Requirements New Mexico
According to the laws on booster seats in New Mexico, child passengers must ride in a booster seat (or forward-facing car seat) until they reach BOTH of the following requirements:
- Booster Seat Age: 7 years
- Booster Seat Weight: 60 pounds
- Booster Seat Height: unspecified
Children who are 7 years old, but who weigh less than 60 pounds, must continue to ride in a booster seat until they reach 60 pounds.
Children who are under 7 years old, but who weigh more than 60 pounds, must continue to ride in a booster seat until they reach 7 years old.
Where can I get my booster seat checked or installed in New Mexico?
Safer New Mexico helps manage Car Seat Fitting Stations and Car Seat Inspection Clinics throughout the state.
Car Seat Fitting Stations are permanent locations with certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on staff who can help you with your booster seat installation (or check your installation) by appointment.
Car Seat Inspection Clinics are drive-up events that offer the same services.
To make an appointment at a Fitting Station, contact Safer New Mexico.
To attend an Inspection Clinic, see Safer New Mexico’s calendar of events.
General Booster Seat Laws FAQ
Are booster seats effective?
Yes. Very.
According to the CDC, “booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children age 4-8, when compared with seat belt use alone.”
When can a child use a booster seat?
A child can use a booster seat when she outgrows her forward-facing car seat with a harness.
Though the laws on front-facing car seats and booster seats differ by state, for safety’s sake your child should stay in a front-facing (harnessed) child seat until he reaches the maximum height or weight on the seat.
When can a kid stop using a booster seat?
The minimum safe height for use of a regular seat belt without a booster seat is 4’9”.
Due to this, it is recommended your child ride in a booster seat until they are at least 4’9” tall, regardless of their age.
Not all state laws support this.
Many states have minimum ages at which children may transition to regular seatbelts, no matter how tall they are.
But if you want your child to be the safest they can be on the road, you should keep them in a booster seat until they reach 4’9”.
What is the booster seat weight limit?
Different booster seats have different weight limits, typically 100-120 pounds.
But weight isn’t the main determiner of when a child should move from a booster seat to a seat belt.
Height is more important to a seat belt’s fit.
That said, your child should never ride in a booster seat once they exceed the weight limit.
The seats are designed to be safe only for those under the maximum weight.
So, if your child has outgrown the weight limit on their booster, upgrade them to a booster with a higher weight limit or make the transition to a regular seatbelt.
What’s the best booster seat?
The best booster seat is the one that will do the most effective job of keeping your child safe in the event of an accident.
According to Consumer Reports, the top-performing booster seats on the market (as of July 2022) are:
Nuna AACE
Buy at:
Graco Turbobooster Grow
Buy at:
Peg Perego Viaggio Shuttle Plus 120
Buy at:
But you don’t have to buy a separate booster seat if you have a convertible car seat.
For convertible toddler-booster seats and all-in-one car seats with booster functionality, see our car seat buying guide Which Car Seat To Buy: Making Sure Your Little Ones Stay Safe On The Road.
When were booster seats invented?
The very first child seats for cars were more booster seats than car seats.
They were literally designed to “boost” children up so they could see better (and so parents could see them), but they had no built-in safety features.
Booster seats as we know them today, with their focus on transitional safety between car seats and seatbelts, have only been around since the late-1990s to early 2000s when laws requiring them started being implemented.
When did booster seats become mandatory?
Booster seats are not mandatory in all states.
Some states have younger minimum ages and no height requirements for transitioning children from child seats to seatbelts.
In those states, children can typically move directly from forward-facing car seats to regular seatbelts.
As for the states that do have mandatory booster laws, the first laws (Tennessee and South Carolina) went into effect in 2001.
Bridging the Gap Between Car Seats and Seatbelts
Car seats are designed to protect the smallest of children, while seatbelts are only safe for children over a certain height (4’9”).
Booster seats bridge the gap between the two.
While New Mexico doesn’t require children over 7 years old who weigh more than 60 pounds to be secured in a booster seat, we recommend following expert guidelines and keeping your kid in a booster until they reach the safe seatbelt height of 4’9″.
And, before that, follow the state’s car seat laws.
For more on New Mexico’s car seat laws, see New Mexico Car Seat Laws.
And for more on child passenger safety in New Mexico, see New Mexico Front Seat Law.