My oldest son is getting ready to turn 8 in a few weeks, and I have to admit the thing I'm most excited about is: NO MORE CAR SEAT! It also made me wonder what exactly is Illinois' car seat law and how does Illinois compare with other states. SInce summer vacation time is nearing, I thought it might be a good thing to check out.

Here's what I found:  Illinois' new "Booster Law" went into effect in 2004.  Illinois requires that all children up to their 8th birthday must be secured in an appropriate child restraint system (a carseat or booster that meets NHTSA safety standards).  Children between 8 and 16 years old must be seated in a seatbelt.

Since we've traveled to Florida a few times, I checked their law first. Kids only have to be in a car seat until they are 5 in Florida. Most other states are anywhere between the ages of 6 and 8. In Alaska, kids only have to be in a car seat until they are 4. Not that I'm traveling there anytime soon!

I've included a link to a states guideline if you want to check it out. The website does warn that the chart is a guideline and state laws are constantly changing. I noticed the Alabama one says 4, but their law changed in 2006, and they now require car seats until the age of 6.

http://www.elitecarseats.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageName=car_seat_laws