Child Passenger Restraints and Seatbelts

Child Booster Seat Guidelines

As of January 1, 2007, children ages 4 through 7 years old are required to ride in a child safety seat or booster seat when traveling in a motor vehicle. The only exemptions are if the child is over 4 feet, 9 inches tall, or if the vehicle has lap-only seat belts in the rear seats.

A child under 4' 9" is generally too small for an adult seat belt. The adult seat belt rides up over a child's stomach and the shoulder belt cuts across the neck, potentially causing critical or even fatal injuries during a crash.

When children outgrow child restraints with a harness, between 40 and 65 lbs. depending on seat weight limit, they should be restrained in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit in an adult seat belt (approximately 80 lbs. and 4'9" tall).

A Hawaii State tax credit of $25 per year applies to the purchase of a booster or child safety seat. The dnver will be held responsible for compliance with the law. Violators of Hawaii's Child Passenger Restraint Law are required to attend a 4-hour class and may be assessed a fine of between $100 to $500, depending upon the number of offenses.

Each year, more than 700 children between the ages of 4 and 7 years old are involved in major car crashes in Hawaii. Statistics show that children restrained by seat belts are at least 50 percent more at risk for injury than children placed in a child safety seat or booster seat.