car seat rules vic Page 3198

Victoria’s child car seat rules aren’t a choose-your-own-adventure—there’s a right seat for each age, and no, “They’re tall for their age” doesn’t trump the law.

Under 6 months: rear-facing only. 6 months to under 4 years: rear- or forward-facing with an inbuilt harness. 4 to under 7 years: forward-facing with harness or an approved booster. 7 years and over: use a booster until they properly fit an adult seatbelt.

Kids under 4 can’t sit in the front if the car has 2+ rows; those 4–under 7 can only sit up front if all rear seats are taken by under-7s.

Use an Australian Standards–approved restraint, tether it correctly, and follow the seat’s height markers—rear-facing for as long as they still fit is the smart play.

It’s not just safety brownie points: police do check, and fines plus demerits ruin weekends faster than a lost dummy.