Governor Deval L. Patrick signed the booster bill into law on April 11, 2008, making Massachusetts the 39th state to mandate booster seats.
Under the new law, children will be required to ride in a child car seat or booster seat until they turn 8 years old or reach 4-feet 9-inches in height. The purpose of the booster seat, which is used when children reach the weight limit of their forward facing car seat, is to position the safety belt across the stronger parts of a child’s body – the hip and shoulder rather than the stomach and neck.
Consumers with questions about the booster seat law should contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health safety information line at 1-800-227-7233 (1-800-CAR-SAFE).
The Massachusetts Safety Seat Law Has Changed to Keep Kids Safer! – Mass Dept of Public Health
For information on finding a certified child passenger safety technician and checkpoint: www.mass.gov/childsafetyseats
The MA Booster Seat Law (English) – Safe Kids of Western MA
The MA Booster Seat Law (Spanish) – Safe Kids of Western MA