CPS Program Information

Educational Materials
To order these or other traffic safety materials click here.

Child Passenger Safety (CPS)

This site is designed to help parents and caregivers:

• Choose the right seat for your child
• Make sure our child's seat is installed properly.
• Understand what laws apply to child passenger safety seats, and more.

What is New

Most common child passenger safety mistakes
• Turning a child from a rear-facing restraint to a forward-facing restraint too soon.
• Restraint is not secured tight enough — it should not shift more than one inch side-to-side or out from the seat.
• Harness on the child is not tight enough — if you can pinch harness material, it’s too loose.
• Retainer clip is up too high or too low — should be at the child’s armpit level.
• The child is in the wrong restraint — don’t rush your child into a seat belt.
• Don't Skip a Step

New Booster Seat Law in Effect
Minnesota's new child passenger safety law requires a child who is both under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches to be fastened in a child safety seat or booster. Under this law, a child cannot use a seat belt alone until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall — whichever comes first. It is recommended to keep a child in a booster based on their height, rather than their age.

Boosters are seat lifts that help raise a child up so a seat belt fits properly.

Kids that are shorter than 4 feet 9 inches aren’t ready to use a seat belt alone. Poor belt fit can contribute to death or serious injury — including ejection, internal decapitation and serious abdominal damage. A sign a belt does not fit properly is if it rubs against a child’s neck, or the child tucks the belt behind their back.

Booster Fact Sheets and Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t Skip a Step brochure
Booster Seat Flyer
Minnesota CPS Law Overview
CPS Fact Sheet
Booster Seat Fact Sheet
www.buckleupkids.state.mn.us
www.carseatsmadesimple.org