Planning on hiring a car for your family holiday? Depending on how young your children are, you may need to use child seats in your rental. Child seat laws vary from country to country, so it’s important you know what the booster seat requirements are for where you’re visiting. Here’s what you need to know.
What are the booster seat requirements in the UK?
If you’ve got young children and a car, you likely know your way around child and booster seats already. The same rules that apply to your own car apply to any car you may hire. Child car seat laws in the UK are there to keep our kids safe but they’re not the same in every country.
UK child car seat laws
- Children must use a child car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first.
- Height-based seats must be rear-facing until your child is over 15 months old. Once older, your child can use a forward-facing child car seat.
- Only EU-approved height-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘R129’.
- If there are active airbags in the passenger seats, you must not use rear-facing child seats. For all other options you should leave the air-bags active.
- Any child under 135 cm or weighing less than 36 kg must use a child seat that’s appropriate for their height and weight.
- Only EU-approved weight-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘ECE R44’.
- Note that US-approved car seats may not meet the standards required by child seat laws in the UK.
What are the rules for children travelling in cars in the UK?
Once your child is 12 years old or at least 135 cm tall, they can travel in a car without the use of a child or booster seat. As with adults, they must wear a seatbelt at all times no matter if they’re in the front or back of the car. If the driver or passenger is caught without a seatbelt on, they can be fined up to £500.
Do you need a car seat when travelling abroad?
Almost all countries worldwide require children to use a booster seat in cars, with India a rare exception. While most EU countries follow the same laws and safety standards as the UK, there are some notable exceptions.
Ireland child car seat laws
In Ireland, the law states that a child must use a booster seat until they are at least 150 cm tall.
Italy child car seat laws
In Italy, the law states that a child must use a booster seat until they are at least 150 cm tall. Every vehicle must also have an integrated safety device that alerts drivers if a child has been left behind in the car seat.
Germany child car seat laws
In Germany, the law states that a child must use a booster seat until they are at least 150 cm tall.
Spain child car seat laws
In Spain children can’t travel in the front seat of the car until they are 12 years old.
Australia child car seat laws
Any child car seat bought outside Australia won’t meet the Australian standard AS/NZS 1754. This includes UK car child seats. They also won’t be compatible with the anchorage system in Australian cars, so you’ll need to hire one there.
US child car seat laws
Child seat laws in the US are set by state. Check before travelling what the legal requirement is for each state you’re driving through with children. UK and EU child car seats aren’t legal in the US, as they’re not compatible with Federal requirements (FMVSS213). So you’ll need to hire one there.
Hiring a booster seat vs. bringing your own
Why bring your own booster seat?
- You’ll know exactly how to install the seat properly and safely into the car.
- The seat will be appropriate for your child’s size and weight.
- Your child will be familiar with the seat and so will likely travel more comfortably.
- Only your child will have used the seat, so you’ll know it’s clean and hygienic (well, as clean as a child’s car seat can ever be, anyway).
- You won’t have to pay the car hire company to rent the booster seat, which can get expensive for longer trips.
Why rent a booster seat from a car hire company?
- You’ll know that the seat you’re renting meets child car seat laws for the country or countries you’re driving in.
- You don’t need to carry the booster seat with you on top of all your other luggage travelling to and from the car rental.
- Many car hire companies offer free booster seats for young children, usually under the age of two. Check before you book as this can represent significant savings, especially for long-term car hire.
How much does it cost to rent a booster seat?
The price of booster seat rental varies from country to country and company to company.
In the UK I found Thrifty Car Rental was charging £5 per booster seat per day up to a maximum of £50 per seat, even if you rent for longer than ten days. On average though, daily prices from the big car hire companies sit between £10 to £13. Most impose a maximum fee of anything up to £100 a month per seat. That cost may be bearable if you have one child, but with more it can quickly get prohibitively expensive.
Prices can change dramatically overseas. From my research most countries in the EU were comparable or cheaper than the UK. Both the US and Australia were consistently cheaper.
Always speak to the car hire company before you book to ask about child and booster seats. Some will offer very young children seats for free, while others charge differently depending on the type of seat. If you decide to take your seat overseas, make sure it meets child car seat laws of the country you’re visiting.
Top car hire companies that provide a booster seat
Conclusion
If you’re driving with children, there are child car seat laws in almost every country you visit. Beyond the rules, using a child car seat is simply the best way to keep kids safe in the car. Planning in advance and bringing your own seat can save you money. But with different laws in different countries, your child seat may not be legal everywhere, so always check first.
When you hire a car there are plenty of other things to consider beyond booster seat requirements. From choosing the right car for your needs to the right kind of insurance, KAYAK has guides to help.
Booster seat requirements FAQs
In the UK, children must travel in a child car seat, or booster seat, until they’re 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first. The same rules apply across most of Europe, although in some countries such as Ireland and Germany the child must be at least 150 cm.
Yes, there are several brands of inflatable car booster seats available that exceed UK and European regulations (R44/04) and US federal car safety standards (FMVSS213). Inflatable booster seats are a great option when travelling as they can be packed down relatively small.
In most countries, children can travel in the front seat of a car as long as they’re using the right child or booster seat. If you’re using a rear-facing child seat in the front, you must turn off the airbags. The safest place for a child is the back in a rear-facing child seat.
