Car Seat Laws

This is the site I refered to when I thought my daughter was responsible enough for a booster seat. I know she can handle keeping the seat belt on in the right place while driving, her brother however, will probably be in a 5 point harness until he doesn't fit anymore. I can see him pushing the release, or crawling out, and joining me in the front seat, or crawling around in the back. Hope this helps.

http://www.infant-car-seats.com/states/car-seats-laws-Rho...

In massachusetts its at least 4 and 40lbs for a booster seat

I'm pretty sure not till she's 4, 40 lbs, and 40 inches.

I can't recall since my god-daughter & her younger brother have long since passed that (they are now 17 & 13). I know with my god-daughter, she was almost 8 before she came out of a booster seat since she was always short for her age and underweight for her height. The police department where they lived was a great help to their mom with keeping her informed on what the weights were before she could finally come out of it. I am not sure about where you live but I often hear where the police or fire department have days where they check that all car seats & booster seats are secured right. Maybe when they have one of these days you could go down and ask or maybe just call the local police department's non-emergency line and ask them. After all, the police would know better than anyone else as I do believe rules may vary from state to state on weight requirements for booster seats. I think some states even have a height requirement as well.

I moved my 3 year old (also 37lbs) into a Britax Regent a few months ago. It has the highest forward facing seat capacity and allows them to stay in a 5pt. harness up to 80lbs. I didn't feel comfortable putting him a booster seat with a seat belt, I wanted him in a 5 point harness as long as possible. He loves his new seat (it is big and comfy), and I feel better with him in it and should last him quite a few years.

It is recommended that you keep your child in a 4 point harness for as long as possible. I am 95% sure that the booster seat recommendations are 40lbs AND 40 inches.

I know it is exciting to think of your daughter moving up to a booster seat, but really at 3 they are not mature enough to sit correctly in it. My son who will be 7 in Septemeber just switched out of his 5 point harness into a booster, and that was only because I needed to take my daughter out of her bucket seat and put her in my 3 year old's car seat and move the 3 year old up to the big 5 point harness seat.

If you think she needs a bigger seat, try the Graco Nautilus. It has a 5 point harness, AND it then will turn into a booster seat when she is ready. It even comes in pink! :)

Hi K.,

Found this on-line hope it is helpful! Stay safe and blessed.

Rhode Island Child Safety Seat and Seat Belt Laws
Rhode Island state law requires children; (i) under the age of 7 and (ii) under 54 inches in height and (iii) weighing less than 80 pounds, to ride in a federally approved car seat or booster seat appropriate for the child's age, height and weight, and should be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Children under the age of 7 must ride in a rear vehicle seat. Rhode Island law requires that passengers not in a car seat or booster always use a seat belt.

As others have pointed out, it's safer to keep them in a five point harness as long as you can. That being say - you have to read the requirements for whatever booster seat you plan on using. The height is actually more important than the weight as it all depends on where the seatbelt fits on her. Also you need to take into consideration if she is mature enough to stay still w/o being in the harness.

When my son was 4 I switched him to the booster - rather took the harness off his seat and made it into a booster. It was hell - he wouldn't stay in it and I was continuously fearing for his safety. I took him with me with the seat and harness to a car seat tech and they said he was much too immature to handle the booster and they helped me fix the harness so it fit him. Once he outgrew that harness I had to find a carseat that could fit him longer as he was still too immature to use the booster (he's ADHD so that was definitely a factor).

So what I am trying to point out here in this very long post is that it all depends on the child. There is no specific correct time for switching her to a booster. But I would keep her in that harness for as long as you possibly can!

Hi K..
Surely, you don't mean booster seat as in the, small squarish cushions that simply make the kids 'taller', and utilize the regular seat belt. That would be no way, definitely not for a few more years. That said, if you mean the seats that look like a high backed car seat, it doesn't have the harness and only the regular seatbelt/shoulder belt, and your kiddo won't get good support if she falls asleep in it, and if she's short, that seatbelt won't go across her chest the right way. Sorry, but hope this helps you! W. Huff

We switched both our boys when they were 5 & and at least 40 lbs. However, they were also mature enough to not only sit properly but they had to be able to buckle & unbuckle themselves. We have never once had an issue with them unbuckling while I'm driving. We made it clear that it would only take 1 time and we would bring back the 5 pt. harness. It really does give them a sense of feeling like "big kids".