When Can Children Ride in the Front Seat in Georgia?

Georgia Law: At What Age Can Kids Sit in the Front Seat?

Under Georgia law, children must ride in the back seat until at least 8 years old (and properly restrained). This means a child younger than 8 should not be in the front unless very specific conditions are met. Georgia’s child passenger safety law also includes height and restraint requirements:

• Rear Seat Requirement: “All children under the age of 8 whose height is less than 57 inches must ride in the backseat of a car.” This keeps younger kids farther away from the force of the front airbag. (Airbags are designed for adults and can be fatal to small children due to their force.)

• Car Seat/Booster: Children under 8 must be secured in an appropriate car seat or booster seat for their age and size. (Georgia requires child safety seats or boosters through age 7.)

• Exceptions: If a vehicle has no rear seat (for example, a pickup truck or two-seater car), or if all rear seats are already occupied by other children, a child under 8 may ride in front only if they are properly strapped into a car seat/booster and weigh at least 40 pounds. In such cases, the front passenger airbag must be turned off if the child is in a rear-facing car seat (since rear-facing seats cannot be safely used in front of an active airbag).

• Seat Belt Law: Georgia law also requires all passengers under 18 to wear seat belts. Violating the child restraint laws can result in fines and points on your license (up to $50 and 1 point per unrestrained child on a first offense).

In summary, legally a child in Georgia can ride in the front seat at age 8 or older (with a seat belt). Children younger than 8 should be in the back seat (with appropriate restraints), except in rare situations described above. But just because it becomes legal at 8 doesn’t mean it’s the safest choice – safety experts actually recommend waiting longer.

Expert Safety Recommendations (AAP, NHTSA, & Others)

Pediatricians and traffic safety experts strongly recommend keeping children in the back seat beyond the legal minimum. The general consensus is “age 13” as a guideline for front-seat readiness:

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): The AAP advises that all children under 13 years old should ride in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection. In other words, they recommend waiting until around age 13 before allowing a child in the front passenger seat.

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): NHTSA also says to “keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.” This aligns closely with the AAP’s advice. Practically, “through age 12” means once the child turns 13, front seat is considered safer if other conditions (like size and seat belt fit) are met.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC echoes these guidelines, urging parents to keep children buckled in the back seat until age 13.

• National Safety Council (NSC): The NSC suggests a minimum of at least 9 years old, and 4’9” tall and 80 lbs before moving out of a booster seat in the back; after that, transition to the front seat can be considered. (However, this is a more lenient baseline; most experts still prefer waiting to age 13 if possible.)

• Safe Kids Worldwide and Others: Child safety organizations universally say that “back seat is best” for kids. For example, Safe Kids Worldwide emphasizes keeping kids in back until 13 as a best practice.

Why do these groups recommend age 12/13 when the law allows age 8? Because these ages better account for physical development and proper seat belt fit. By 12 or 13, most children have grown large enough (typically around 4 feet 9 inches tall) for an adult seat belt to restrain them correctly without a booster. They are also more skeletally mature. Younger children (even at age 8 or 9) often are not big enough for the front seat’s safety systems to protect them in a crash. The AAP’s guidance is based on extensive crash data and child physiology – it’s not arbitrary. In short, experts set the bar higher than the law to provide a margin of safety for your child.

Side note: Many vehicle manufacturers place warning labels on sun visors stating *“Children 12 and under should ride in the back seat.” These warnings reinforce the expert advice – it’s a reminder built right into your car.

Crash Statistics

Car crashes remain one of the leading causes of death for children in the United States. To put it in perspective, over the last decade about four children under 14 have died every day in car accidents on average. In Georgia, motor vehicle accidents are a top cause of serious injuries for kids ages 1–12. Tragically, a significant number of those children were not properly restrained. In 2020 alone, 607 children (ages 0–12) were killed in U.S. crashes, and 38% of those kids were not buckled up at all. Proper restraints and seating positions matter. Using appropriate car seats, boosters, and the back seat can literally be a life-saving difference. For example, using a booster seat instead of just a seat belt reduces a child’s risk of injury by 59% in a crash. All these stats reinforce why safety authorities urge parents to go above and beyond the bare minimum law.