California Vehicle Code

§ 27363

VEH § 27363 Effective Jan 1, 2026Div. 12 · Ch. 5 · Art. 3.3

Statute text

(a)The court may exempt from the requirements of this article any class of child by age, weight, or size if it is determined that the use of a child passenger restraint system would be impractical by reason of physical unfitness, medical condition, or size. The court may require satisfactory proof of the child’s physical unfitness, medical condition, or size and that an appropriate special needs child passenger restraint system is not available.

(b)In case of a life-threatening emergency, or when a child is being transported in an authorized emergency vehicle, if there is no child passenger restraint system available, a child may be transported without the use of that system, but the child shall be secured by a seatbelt.

(c)A child weighing more than 40 pounds may be transported in the backseat of a vehicle while wearing only a lap safety belt when the backseat of the vehicle is not equipped with a combination lap and shoulder safety belt.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 434, Sec. 7. (AB 435) Effective January 1, 2026. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, by its own provisions. See later operative version as added by Sec. 8 of Stats. 2025, Ch. 434.