Child restraints
Approved child restraints
The following table shows the types of restraint your child will need, sorted by age group:
| Age of child | Use this restraint |
|---|---|
| Under six months | Rear facing restraint - eg. baby capsule. This must not be in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows of seats. |
| Six months to under four years | Rear-facing or forward-facing restraint. This must not be in the front row of a vehicle with two or more rows of seats. |
| Four years to under seven years | Forward-facing restraint or booster seat. This can only sit in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows when all other seats are occupied by younger children in an approved child restraint. |
| Over seven years | Adult seatbelt or a booster seat |
If your child is too small for a restraint, keep them in the previous level of restraint for as long as needed.
If your child is too large for the restraint, they may move to the next level.
Your child is too large for a restraint when:
- the harness straps are below the shoulders, or their shoulders no longer fit if they are under six months old
- their shoulders no longer fit comfortably and their eye level is higher than the back of the seat if they're up to four years old.
For more information, read the national child restraint best practice guidelines on the Neuroscience Research Australia website.
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