Seat Belts and Car Seats
Utah Code 41-6a-1805 — an infraction with a fine of $45 at most, and no points
The driver wears a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt, restrains each child younger than eight years old in a child restraint device as its manufacturer prescribes, and secures a safety belt on each older child the section covers. Every passenger 16 years old or older wears a belt too.
Who handles this in Utah: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Utah directory.
- A child younger than eight who is 57 inches tall or taller uses a properly adjusted safety belt instead of a child restraint device.
- An adult riding in a taxicab or a ride service is responsible for the children under that adult's supervision.
- Several unbelted passengers are one offense, and the driver receives one citation for it.
A violation is an infraction with a fine of $45 at most, and no points are assessed for it. The court waives the whole fine for a first child restraint violation on proof that a child restraint device was bought, rented or otherwise acquired.
Not wearing a belt, or not using a child restraint device, is not contributory or comparative negligence, and it may not be introduced as evidence in a civil case on negligence, injuries or the mitigation of damages.
Sources for this section (3)
- Utah Code 41-6a-1803 — Driver and passengers -- Seat belt or child restraint device required
- Utah Code 41-6a-1805 — Penalty for violation
- Utah Code 41-6a-1806 — Compliance -- Civil litigation
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Utah attorney.