British Columbia Car Seat Law: What Parents Need to Know

When it comes to protecting your child in the car, British Columbia car seat law, the legal requirements for child restraints in vehicles across the province. Also known as child passenger safety regulations, it’s not just about following rules—it’s about keeping your child alive in a crash. Every parent in BC needs to know these details, because getting it wrong isn’t just a ticket—it’s a risk no one should take.

The law is clear: kids under 9 years old or under 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches) must use a booster seat or car seat that matches their weight and height. That means if your 7-year-old still fits in a harnessed seat, they should stay in it—not jump straight to a seatbelt. Many parents think age alone decides this, but it’s the booster seat guidelines, the standards for when a child is ready to use a seatbelt without a booster that matter most. The seatbelt must lie flat across the collarbone and low over the hips. If it cuts across the neck or stomach, they’re not ready. And yes, that often means staying in a booster past age 8.

Infant car seats are another big part of this. Babies under 9 kg (20 lbs) must ride in a rear-facing seat, and they should stay that way as long as possible—ideally until they hit the seat’s max height or weight limit, which for many seats is now 12-15 kg. That’s often past 2 years old. A lot of parents switch too early because they think their child is "too big," but the truth is, rear-facing is up to five times safer in a crash. And if you’re using a secondhand seat? Check the expiry date. Car seats expire. They’re not meant to last forever. The child car seat regulations, the official rules enforced by BC’s Ministry of Transportation require seats to meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), and anything older than 10 years or without a label is illegal.

There’s no gray area when it comes to penalties. If you’re caught without proper restraints, you’ll face a $200 fine and four penalty points on your license. But fines aren’t the real cost—the real cost is what happens if your child isn’t protected. A 2023 study from the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit found that 70% of children improperly restrained in cars were at higher risk of serious injury in collisions. That’s not a statistic—it’s a warning.

And don’t forget: the law doesn’t stop at the seat. The seat has to be installed correctly. That means no loose straps, no twisted harnesses, and no using both LATCH and seatbelt to secure it—only one method. If you’re unsure, BC has free car seat clinics at hospitals and fire halls. You don’t need to guess. Get it checked.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real, practical guides that connect directly to these rules. You’ll see how weight and height determine when to move from a car seat to a booster, what makes a seat truly safe, and why some popular models don’t meet BC’s standards. No fluff. No theory. Just what you need to know to drive with confidence—and keep your child safe.