New South Carolina Child Restraint Law Effective Immediately

McLeod Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal is pleased to share the new South Carolina child restraint law signed by Governor Henry McMaster on May 19, 2017, effective immediately.

South Carolina’s child restraint law has not been updated since 1983; however, with these amendments, the state now complies with the recommendations set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics for keeping children safe when in a vehicle.

The new child restraint law is as follows:

For every person transporting a child under eight years of age:

• An infant or child under two years of age must be properly secured in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system in a rear passenger seat of the vehicle until the child exceeds the height or weight limit allowed by the manufacturer of the child passenger restraint system being used.
• A child at least two years of age or a child under two years of age who has outgrown his rear-facing child passenger restraint system must be secured in a forward-facing child passenger restraint system with a harness in a rear passenger seat of the vehicle until the child exceeds the highest height or weight requirements of the forward-facing child passenger restraint system.
• A child at least four years of age who has outgrown his forward-facing child passenger restraint system must be secured by a belt-positioning booster seat in a rear seat of the vehicle until he can meet the height and fit requirements for an adult safety seat belt as described in the bullet below. The belt-positioning booster seat must be used with both lap and shoulder belts. A booster seat must not be used with a lap belt alone.
• A child at least eight years of age or at least fifty-seven inches tall may be restrained by an adult safety seat belt if the child can be secured properly by an adult safety seat belt.
• For medical reasons that are substantiated with written documentation from the child’s physician, advanced nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, a child who is unable to be transported in a standard child passenger safety restraint system may be transported in a standard child passenger safety restraint system designed for his medical needs.
• Any child restraint system of a type sufficient to meet the physical standards prescribed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the time of its manufacture is sufficient to meet the requirements of this article.

To view the entire doctrine of laws, please visit www.scstatehouse.gov. For more safety information, please visit www.safekids.org.

About McLeod Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal
McLeod Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. McLeod Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury to children 19 and younger. Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal was founded in 1994 and is led by McLeod Health. For more information, visit www.McLeodSafeKids.org.