Seat belts, child seats and phone laws in Kansas

By the end of this topic you can

• You can say who must wear a seat belt in Kansas and what the fines are.
• You can choose the right restraint for a child by age, weight and height.
• You can explain the Kansas texting ban and its exceptions.
• You can follow the stricter phone rule for permit and restricted license holders.

What you need to know and understand

• Every occupant aged 14 or older in a passenger car must wear a seat belt.
• The fine is $30 for an adult aged 18 or older and $60 for an occupant aged 14 to 17.
• Officers may not stop a car only because an adult in the back seat is unbuckled.
• Children under 4 must ride in an approved child safety seat.
• Children aged 4 to 7 must use a child safety seat or booster unless they weigh more than 80 pounds or are taller than 4 feet 9 inches.
• Children aged 8 to 13 must wear a seat belt. The child restraint fine is $60.
• No driver may write, send or read a text, email or other written message while driving.

Buckling up everyone

As the driver you are responsible for making sure children under 14 are properly restrained. For older passengers, each person is responsible for their own belt, but a new driver should not set off until everyone is buckled.

Wear the lap belt low across the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest, never behind your back. The handbook advises keeping rear-facing infant seats away from airbag positions; the middle of the back seat is the safest place for a child seat.

• Under 4: approved child safety seat.
• Age 4 to 7: child seat or booster, unless over 80 pounds or over 4 feet 9 inches.
• Age 8 to 13: seat belt.
• 14 and older: seat belt, enforced on each occupant.

The texting ban and its limits

Kansas bans using a wireless device to type, send or read written messages while driving. The law does allow some things, such as entering a name or number to make a call, reading emergency, traffic or weather alerts and receiving navigation messages, and it does not apply when you are stopped off the traveled roadway. A 2026 law (House Substitute for Senate Bill 366) adds a ban on using a mobile phone while driving through school zones and construction zones, with warning citations during a phase-in period before fines begin. Outside those zones, talking on a phone is not specifically banned for fully licensed adults, but the handbook warns it is still a serious distraction.

Stricter rules for learners

If you hold an instruction permit, a restricted license or a farm permit, you may not operate a wireless communication device at all while driving. The only exceptions are reporting illegal activity and calling for medical or other emergency help. Set your music and route before you move, and put the phone out of reach.

Common mistakes

• Moving a 6-year-old who weighs 50 pounds into a plain seat belt. Under 8 they need a seat or booster unless they are over 80 pounds or over 4 feet 9 inches.
• Checking a text at a red light. You are still driving on the roadway.
• Making hands-free calls on a restricted license. Any device use is banned except emergencies.
• Letting a passenger ride with the shoulder belt behind their back.

Test yourself: Seat belts, child seats and phone laws in Kansas

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Kansas Permit Practice Test
• Kansas 50 Hour Supervised Driving Affidavit
• Kansas Driving Test and the Driver’s Ed Waiver