• Florida Child Restraint Lawschild in a carseat image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
  
  Child safety seats offer extra protection in the event of a car accident. The smaller size and weight of infants and young children make them more vulnerable to serious injury and state car seat laws ensure they receive this extra protection. While every state has these laws, they can vary in terms of age and weight requirements and types of seats among other things. The state of Florida mainly regulates car seat requirements by age and any child under 18 must wear at least a seat belt.
  
  

Rear Facing Seats

• Like many states, infants under one year old or less than 20 pounds must ride in rear facing seats in the state of Florida. The Broward County Sheriff's office suggests these seats should sit at an angle not exceeding 45 degrees.
  
  

Children up to Age Five

• Any child up to age five must use some sort of restraint when driving in the car. Children up to age three must sit in a separate car seat or integrated child safety seat. State law permits children between four and five to use a seat belt only if it fits properly. Children weighing between 40 and 80 pounds and under 4'9 however, should have a booster seat in addition to a seat belt.
  
  

Penalties

• Failure to comply with Florida car seat laws could result in a fine up to $60 and three points on a driver's license.