Booster Seat Rules in Canada by Province

Photo: Lee Salem, Pexels

Booster seat rules in Canada are set by each province and territory, so the age, weight and height at which a child can stop using a booster depends on where you drive. Most provinces require a booster until a child is about 145 cm (4 ft 9 in) tall or reaches an age between 7 and 10, but Alberta has no booster law at all. This guide is for new and learner drivers who are about to carry younger brothers, sisters or other children, and it shows what the law in each province and territory says you are responsible for.

Key facts

The driver is legally responsible for making sure passengers under 16 are buckled up correctly. Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and PEI all state this.
Transport Canada describes four stages: rear-facing seat, forward-facing seat, booster seat, then the vehicle seatbelt alone.
It is illegal to import, sell or use a child car seat in Canada that does not carry the National Safety Mark.
Booster laws differ: under 8 in Ontario, under 9 in BC, Nova Scotia and Manitoba, under 10 in PEI, under 7 in Saskatchewan, and no booster requirement in Alberta.
As a learner in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador or the NWT, you cannot carry children at all, because no passengers are allowed apart from your supervisor.

The four car seat stages Transport Canada describes

Rear-facing seat. From birth, in an infant seat or a convertible seat, until the child reaches the seat’s rear-facing weight or height limit.
Forward-facing seat with a harness. Once the child has outgrown the rear-facing seat and weighs at least 10 kg (22 lb). Some forward-facing seats take children up to 30 kg (65 lb).
Booster seat. Once the child has outgrown the forward-facing seat and weighs at least 18 kg (40 lb). The booster raises the child so the adult belt sits in the right place.
Seatbelt alone. Only after the child has outgrown the booster and the belt fits properly.

Transport Canada also says each province and territory sets its own age, height and weight rules, and those are the rules police enforce. The table below lists them.

Booster seat rules by province and territory

Jurisdiction	Booster seat required for	Seatbelt alone allowed when
Ontario	Children who have outgrown a forward-facing seat, are under 8, weigh 18 to under 36 kg and are under 145 cm	The child turns 8, or weighs 36 kg, or is 145 cm tall (any one), and the belt fits
British Columbia	Children under 9 who weigh at least 18 kg	Age 9 or 145 cm, whichever comes first
Alberta	Not required by law (strongly recommended)	Children 6 to 15, or under 6 and over 18 kg, must wear a seatbelt
Saskatchewan	Children under 7 must be in a car seat or booster suited to their size, weight, height and age	Usually from age 7 and over 36 kg
Manitoba	Until the child is at least 145 cm, 36 kg or 9 years old	After the booster criteria are met
Quebec	A seat suited to the child’s weight and height until 145 cm or age 9	145 cm or age 9; check SAAQ for the exact wording
Nova Scotia	Children under 9, weighing at least 18 kg and under 145 cm	At 18 kg or more and 145 cm or taller
New Brunswick	From 18 kg until the child reaches 9 years, 36 kg or 145 cm	Check the current rule with the Government of New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador	Children 18 to 37 kg and 145 cm or less (Newfoundland and Labrador Driver’s Handbook, pp. 30 to 31)	Check with the Motor Registration Division
Prince Edward Island	Children who weigh 18 kg or more, are 9 or younger and are under 145 cm tall (a child too heavy for the booster uses the seatbelt)	When the child is too big for a booster and the belt fits; under 12 ride in the back
Yukon	Children over 22 kg until 145 cm or 45 kg, whichever comes first	Check the current rule with the Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories	The driver is responsible for restraining passengers under 15. A child under 6 weighing up to 18 kg must be in a child safety seat. Over 18 kg the child must use the seat belt, and a booster is strongly recommended (NWT Driver’s Manual, pp. 114 to 116)	Check the current rule with NWT Infrastructure
Nunavut	Seat belts for everyone, and child restraints for small children (Nunavut Driver’s Manual, p. 16). Check the exact sizes with Nunavut Motor Vehicles	Check with Nunavut Motor Vehicles

Figures are as published in November 2026. Where the table says “check”, ask the provincial department before relying on a single number.

Rear-facing and forward-facing rules that are written into law

Several provinces set minimums for the first two stages as well:

Ontario: a rear-facing seat under 9 kg (20 lb). From 9 to 18 kg (20 to 40 lb), a child seat with the tether strap attached. A child over 9 kg can stay rear-facing if the seat allows.
British Columbia: rear-facing until at least 12 months old and at least 9 kg. Then a child seat from 1 year and 9 kg to at least 18 kg.
Alberta: children under 6 who weigh 18 kg (40 lb) or less must be in a child safety seat.
Nova Scotia: an infant (under 2, or under 10 kg) must ride rear-facing. A young child (at least 2 years and 10 kg, and either under 4 or under 18 kg) needs an approved child seat.
Newfoundland and Labrador: rear-facing up to 9 kg. From 9 to 18 kg, forward-facing with the tether attached.
Yukon: rear-facing until the child is at least 10 kg and walking. Forward-facing with the tether once the child is over 10 kg.
Prince Edward Island: a child under 10 kg (22 lb), or under one year old, rides in a rear-facing infant seat. Toddlers from 10 kg to under 18 kg ride in a child restraint seat, and a forward-facing seat must use its tether strap.

For the first two stages, Manitoba’s handbook says to follow the limits in your car seat manual.

Your responsibility as the driver

When you carry a child, the law puts the duty on you, not on the parent who handed you the car seat.

Ontario: you must make sure all passengers under 16 are in a seatbelt, child car seat or booster seat. You can be fined and get demerit points if they are not.
British Columbia: the driver is responsible for making sure passengers under 16 are properly restrained.
Alberta: a driver must make sure children under 16 are properly restrained.
Saskatchewan: the driver may be charged if a passenger under 16 is not buckled up. Car seats and boosters are required no matter who drives the child, including grandparents, caregivers, taxis and rideshares.
Prince Edward Island: everyone 16 and over is responsible for their own seatbelt. The driver is responsible for passengers under 16.

Every new driver also has a seatbelt rule of their own. In Ontario, a novice driver must have a working seatbelt for every passenger, and breaking this can cost a licence suspension of at least 30 days. See Ontario G2 rules for under 19s.

Can a learner or novice driver carry children at all?

Check your passenger rules before you agree to the school run. Your graduated licence may not allow it.

Jurisdiction and stage	Can you carry a child?
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, NWT (learner)	No. Only your supervising driver may ride with you.
Manitoba (Learner)	Only your supervisor in the front. Other passengers ride in the back, up to the number of back seatbelts.
Prince Edward Island (Stage 1)	Only the supervisor’s immediate family, up to the number of seatbelts.
British Columbia (L)	One passenger besides the supervisor; immediate family exempt.
Ontario (G1), Alberta (Class 7), Saskatchewan (Learner)	Yes, up to the number of working seatbelts, with your supervisor in the front. Saskatchewan learners: midnight to 5 a.m., passengers other than the supervisor must be immediate family.
Saskatchewan (Novice 1)	One passenger who is not immediate family; the rest must be immediate family.

The full stage-by-stage list is in Canadian graduated licensing compared.

Five checks before you drive off with a child

Right seat for the child’s size, using your province’s rule in the table above and the limits printed on the seat.
National Safety Mark on the seat. BC warns that seats bought outside Canada, including online from non-Canadian sellers, do not meet Canadian rules.
Back seat, away from an active airbag. Never put a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag. Ontario says the back seat is the safest place for a child under 13, and BC says children 12 and under should ride in the back.
Tight installation. Use the seatbelt or the Universal Anchorage System (UAS), never both. Manitoba says the seat should not move more than one inch in any direction. Attach the top tether on a forward-facing seat.
Belt fit on a booster. The lap belt goes low on the hips and the shoulder belt crosses the chest and shoulder. Never let a child put the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back. Buckle an empty booster in so it cannot fly forward in a crash.

Common questions

At what age can a child stop using a booster seat in Ontario?

When the child turns 8, or reaches 36 kg (80 lb), or reaches 145 cm (4 ft 9 in), whichever happens first, as long as the seatbelt fits properly.

Is a booster seat the law in Alberta?

No. Alberta requires a child safety seat for children under 6 who weigh 18 kg or less, then a seatbelt. Alberta strongly recommends a booster until the belt fits, usually at about 145 cm and 8 to 12 years old.

Who gets the ticket if a child is not in a car seat?

The driver, for passengers under 16. Ontario adds demerit points as well as a fine. Saskatchewan says the driver may be charged.

Can I drive my little brother to school on my learner’s licence?

It depends on your province. In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and the NWT, no passengers are allowed apart from the supervisor. In Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan it is allowed if your supervisor is in the front seat and every passenger has a seatbelt.

Can a child sit in the front seat in Canada?

Check your province’s rule on the front seat. Ontario, BC and PEI all advise that children under 12 or 13 ride in the back. Never put a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag.

Does the rule change if I rent a car or visit another province?

New Brunswick says vehicles rented there must follow its rules even if registered elsewhere. Nova Scotia lets out-of-province vehicles follow their home rules. Plan for the stricter rule if you are crossing a provincial border. See driving in another province on a learner or novice licence.

Sources

Transport Canada, “Choosing a child car seat or booster seat” (tc.canada.ca)
Government of Ontario, “Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Getting ready to drive” (ontario.ca)
ICBC, “Seatbelts fact sheet” TS274S (icbc.com)
Government of Alberta, “Child seats” (alberta.ca)
SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook 2026-27”, “Car seats and booster seats” (sgi.sk.ca)
Manitoba Public Insurance, “Driver’s Handbook: Infant and Child Car Seats” (apps.mpi.mb.ca)
Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, “Child Safety Seats: What the law says” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
Government of Nova Scotia, Using the Road Regulations (N.S. Reg. 230/2026), sections 96 to 103 (novascotia.ca)
Government of New Brunswick, “Child safety seats” (gnb.ca)
Government of Prince Edward Island, “Driver’s Handbook”, February 2022 (princeedwardisland.ca)
Government of Yukon, “Find out which car seat your child should be using” (yukon.ca)
Government of the Northwest Territories, “Child Car Seat Safety” and “NWT Driver’s Manual” (inf.gov.nt.ca)
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, “Driver’s Handbook” (gov.nl.ca)
Government of Nunavut, “Nunavut Driver’s Manual” (gov.nu.ca)
Government of Prince Edward Island, “Highway Traffic Act Seat Belt Regulations” (princeedwardisland.ca)

Booster seat rules in Canada: car seat laws by province