Seat belts and child seats in Tasmania (2026)
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
In short: Children under 7 must use an approved restraint suited to their age, and children under 4 may not sit in the front seat of a car with 2 or more rows. The only official page read is an older leaflet, so the adult seatbelt rule and fine were not verified.
| Rule | What applies |
|---|---|
| Seat belt compulsory in front seatsPassenger cars | Yes [1] |
| Seat belt compulsory in rear seatsPassenger cars | Yes [1] |
| Child restraint required untilPassenger cars | Under 6 months: approved rearward-facing restraint. 6 months to under 4 years: approved rearward-facing restraint or forward-facing restraint with an inbuilt harness. 4 to under 7 years: approved forward-facing restraint with an inbuilt harness or an approved booster seat restrained by a correctly adjusted and fastened seatbelt. [2] |
| Children in the front seatPassenger cars | In a car with 2 or more rows, children under 4 must not travel in the front seat. If all seats other than the front seats are used by children under 7, children aged 4 to 6 may travel in the front seat in an approved child restraint or booster seat. [2] |
| Rear-facing child seat in front with active airbagPassenger cars | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| Fine for not wearing a seat beltPassenger cars | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| Booster seat untilPassenger cars | Children aged 4 to under 7 may use an approved booster seat restrained by a correctly adjusted and fastened seatbelt in place of a forward-facing restraint with an inbuilt harness [2] |
| Can police stop you for this alone?Passenger cars | Mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras can operate anywhere in Tasmania at all times of the day and night, and police can also issue infringement notices to the driver and the passenger [1] |
Notes
- The source is a Department leaflet written around the 2010 rule changes. It was read from an Internet Archive copy, and its penalty amount was not used because it may be out of date.
Sources
- Mobile Speed Cameras in Tasmania (Tasmanian Government): Mobile phone and seatbelt detection (Internet Archive snapshot of 15 April 2026) (consulted 15 October 2026) · all sources
- Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (Tasmania): Road Rules: Child Restraints (Internet Archive snapshot of 24 May 2025) (consulted 13 October 2026) · all sources
National rules that also apply
These rules are set at national level in Australia and apply here too, alongside the rules above. All national rules for Australia
| Child restraint required until | Set by each state and territory. The model Australian Road Rules are not national laws in force across Australia: each state and territory has copied them into its own laws, not every provision exactly, and some matters are left to the states and territories to decide. (source: National Transport Commission) |
|---|
More rules in Tasmania
- E-scootersUse on public roads: Yes, paths and local roads up to 50 km/h · Minimum age: 16
- CannabisPossession for personal use: Criminal offence · Growing at home: Banned
- Car speed limitsBuilt-up areas: 50 km/h · Outside built-up areas (single carriageway): 100 km/h sealed, 80 km/h gravel
- Deposit return schemes and plastic bagsNational deposit return scheme in operation: Yes, since 1 May 2025 · Deposit per container: 10c refund
- Minimum age for a car driving licenceMinimum age for a car licence: 17 (P1 licence) · Earliest age to drive a car supervised: 16, with a supervisor
- Driving after drugsApproach to cannabis (THC): Prescribed illicit drug present is an offence · THC threshold: Any THC present
- E-bikes and speed pedelecsLegal class: Bicycle rules
- FireworksConsumers may buy and use category F2 fireworks: Yes, on Cracker Night (permit) · Minimum age to buy: 18 (permit holder)
- Foreign driving licencesOverseas licence valid for a visitor: Yes, visitors and temporary visa holders · Overseas licence after becoming a resident: Permanent residency: convert within 6 months
- Home educationLegal status of home education: Registrar approval needed · Nature of the parental duty: School or registration
- Knives and pepper sprayFolding pocket knives: Offence without lawful excuse · Locking or one-handed knives: No separate rule
- MopedsLicence: Motor cycle licence (class R)
- Paid holidayMinimum paid leave a year (weeks): 4 weeks (5 for some shiftworkers) · Minimum paid leave as the law states it: 4 weeks a year; extra week for some shiftworkers
- Using a mobile phone while drivingHolding a phone while driving banned: Banned · Hands-free use: Mounted or untouched; L/P1: none
- Smoke alarms in homesSmoke alarm legally required in homes: Yes, all homes · Minimum alarms and where: A smoke alarm in every hallway or corridor connected to bedrooms (or between the bedrooms and the rest of the home if there is no hallway). Multi-storey homes need an alarm on each level, including levels without bedrooms.
- Tobacco and nicotine age limitsMinimum age to buy tobacco: 18 · Minimum age to buy e-cigarettes: 18
- Drinking age and alcohol salesMinimum age to buy beer and wine: 18 · Minimum age to buy spirits: 18
- Drink-driving limitsBlood alcohol limit for ordinary drivers: 0.05% · Lower limit for novice or young drivers: 0.00% (zero)
Related pages
General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.