Virginia law requires drivers and front seat passengers to wear safety belts and to ensure that children under age 16 are properly restrained. Each adult passenger (16 and older) is legally responsible for himself. However, the driver should try to get all passengers to buckle up. As the driver, it is your responsibility to make sure that all children under age 16 are properly restrained.
The driver is responsible for all children under age 16 in the vehicle. All children under age 16 must be properly secured in a child safety seat or with a safety belt no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle.
The major requirements of Virginia's Child Safety Belt Law include:
- Children between 6 and 16 years of age must be belted correctly in vehicle safety belts, in vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1968. Exemptions are taxicabs, school buses, executive sedans and limousines.
- This safety belt law is primary enforcement no other violation need be committed prior to ticketing for failure to have a child correctly buckled up.
- With Virginia's Child Safety Seat Law a $50 civil penalty fine is imposed for failure to have a child in a safety seat. A $20 civil penalty fine is assessed when persons transporting a child exempted from this law due to medical reasons do not carry a written statement of the exemption. All fines collected go into a special fund to purchase safety seats for low-income families.
[Let CarInsurance.com help you find affordable auto insurance now.] A seat belt violation in Virginia is assessed 0 demerit points. Though points are not assigned to the seat belt offenses they would normally be placed on your driving record by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
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The specific VA laws that pertain to seat belt violations include the following if you would like to read through them for more information. We also listed the fines that a VA court had listed for each offense:
46.2-1094(A) - Fail to use seat belt by person 16 years of age or older- $25 fine.
46.2-1095(A) - Fail to ensure child under 4 years of age is properly secured in approved restraint device - $50 fine.
46.2-1095(B) - Fail to ensure child 4 through 15 years of age is properly secured by safety belt- $50 fine.
If you were cited for a safety belt violation in Virginia you can contact the court to see if the fine amount will have any other court fees associated with it and more about the conviction and if it will end up on your driving record. | 
