Child restraint law — Iowa Permit Test

A child under 1 year old and weighing less than 20 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing child restraint system.

A baby's neck is too weak to take a hard stop. Facing the rear spreads the crash force across the baby's whole back.

A child under one year old and weighing less than 20 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing child restraint system.

A child under 6 years old must ride in a child restraint system, a safety seat or booster seat, not just a seat belt.

An adult belt crosses a small child's neck and belly. A safety seat or booster puts the belt where it can hold the child safely.

A child under six years old must be secured in a child restraint system (a safety seat or booster seat, not a seat belt).

A child from age 6 up to age 18 must be secured by a child restraint or a seat belt in all seating positions, front and back.

A teen in the back seat who is not buckled can fly forward into the people in front. The law covers every seat until 18.

A child from the age of six up to the age of 18 must be secured in a child restraint system or by a seat belt, in all seating positions (front and back).

A child under the age of 18 cannot ride in the rear of a moving pickup truck.

There is nothing to hold you in an open truck bed. A sudden stop or a bump can throw a rider onto the road.

A child under the age of 18 cannot ride in the rear of a moving pickup truck.

A child is under 1 year old and weighs less than 20 pounds. How must the child ride?

In a rear-facing child restraint. A baby's neck is too weak to take a hard stop. Facing the rear spreads the crash force across the baby's whole back. Iowa Driver's License Manual, p.35: “A child under one year old and weighing less than 20 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing child restraint system.”