What does your state law say about car seats? Under Texas law, any child who is younger than age 8 must ride in a "child passenger safety seat system" unless the child is taller than 4 feet, 9 inches.Texas stipulates regulations on when children can occupy a car's front seat based on aspects like age, height, weight with the primary focus being safety. Your child will no longer need a car seat if they are at least four feet and nine inches, eight years of age, and the vehicle seat belt fits them properly. Once they reach their 13th birthdays, they can sit in the front seat. Note that all seat belt laws apply to both front and back seats. Children 0 through 3 years must be in a rear-facing car seat. Children 0 through 7 years and less than 57 inches tall must be in a child safety seat. Adult seat belts are allowed for children who exceed 57 inches. Hawaii. Car seats and booster seats provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13.