ACT Seat Belt & Child Restraint Rules (Must-Pass)
Seat Belts is a must-pass category in the ACT test — one wrong answer fails you. The core idea: the driver is legally responsible for making sure every passenger, especially children, is correctly restrained.
The driver's legal responsibility
The driver is legally responsible for ensuring all passengers wear a seat belt or use an approved child restraint. Not using an available belt is an offence.
Child restraints by age
- Under 6 months: an approved rearward-facing restraint or capsule.
- 6 months to under 4 years: rearward- or forward-facing restraint with an in-built harness.
- 4 to under 7 years: forward-facing restraint with a harness, or an approved booster with a seat belt.
- 7 to under 16 years: an approved restraint, or a properly worn adult seat belt.
Front-seat limits
- A child under 4 must not sit in the front row of a vehicle with two or more rows.
- A child aged 4 to under 7 must not sit in the front row unless all other seats are taken by children also under 7.
Never do these
- Never put a child in the same belt as an adult — the adult's weight can crush the child in a crash.
- Never put two children in one seat belt.
- No unrestrained passengers in the load area (e.g. station-wagon rear).
FAQ
- Who is responsible if a child isn't restrained?
- The driver. The law makes the driver responsible for ensuring every child uses an approved restraint or seat belt.
- What age needs a child seat?
- Children under 7 must use an approved child restraint; the exact type depends on their age.
Related guides
Text adapted from the ACT Road Rules Handbook; diagrams © Australian Capital Territory, from the ACT Road Rules Handbook, used for study reference only. Passmate is an independent study tool, not an official or affiliated ACT Government product.