Children must be restrained in boosters — or other appropriate child car seats — until they reach the age of 8 years old. For optimum safety, the NHTSA recommends keeping children in a booster seat until they are approximately 4’9” tall (see below).
Parents searching for an appropriate child safety seat to meet the requirements in Colorado need to make sure the car seat matches the child’s weight, height and age:

• Birth – 1 year old and less than 20 pounds: Rear-facing seat, in the back seat only (no exceptions).
  • You should never place a rear-facing child seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active airbag; this includes single-cab pickup trucks.
  • Though Colorado allows children to sit in a forward-facing seat at 1 year old, most experts recommend keeping your child in a rear-facing seat until 2 years old.
• 1 year old – 3 years old and at least 20 pounds: Forward-facing seat in the back seat of the vehicle.
  • Your child should remain in the forward-facing seat only until they reach the upper weight limit set by the car seat manufacturer, which is usually 40 pounds to 70 pounds.
• 4 years old – 7 years old and under 4’9” tall: Booster seat.
• 8 years old – 12 years old and at least 4’9” tall: Standard vehicle safety belt.
  • While CO law allows children to use a standard seat belt at 8 years old, it is recommended that you wait until your child is at least 4’9” before transitioning to a seat belt, so as to avoid injury in case of an accident.

All child passenger safety violations are enforced as primary traffic safety laws. In other words, an officer could pull you over just for breaking a child-safety law. You face up to an $82 fine.

Contact the Child Passenger Safety organization (CPS) to ask any questions regarding child car seat requirements or find a location that can check the safety of your child safety seat.

Unattended Children or Pets in CO

Currently, there are no Colorado laws against leaving kids or pets unattended in cars. However, if you suspect an unattended child is in danger, dial 911 and remain with the vehicle in question.

If you suspect an unattended pet is in danger, call your local police department or animal control unit.