HB18 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Ronald BoltonRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Motor vehicles, child passenger restraint systems, use further provided
Summary: HB18 would update Alabama's child passenger restraint rules by changing age/weight limits and increasing penalties for violations.
What This Bill Does
It revises the age and weight thresholds for rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster seats. It creates a tiered fine schedule for violations and requires a court hearing, with first offenses potentially dismissed if the proper restraint is provided. It establishes a voucher program funded by fines to help low-income families obtain appropriately sized restraints, administered by the Department of Public Health. It also requires enforcement agencies to report minority traffic-stop statistics monthly and sets an effective date of October 1, 2025, with certain exemptions for taxis and vehicles with 11 or more seats.

Who It Affects
Parents/guardians transporting children in Alabama: must use updated child restraint systems according to new age/weight thresholds and could face escalating fines for violations; violators may be required to attend a court hearing.
Low-income families: may benefit from a voucher program funded by fines to obtain properly sized child restraints.

Key Provisions
Amendment of Section 32-5-222 to revise age/weight requirements for infant rear-facing seats, forward-facing convertible seats, and booster seats.
Imposition of a tiered fine schedule for violations: $25 for first offense, $50 for second within five years, $100 for third, and $150 for fourth or subsequent within five years; first offense may be dismissed with proof of appropriate restraint.
Creation of a voucher program funded by $15 of each fine to provide size-appropriate restraints to low-income families, administered by the Department of Public Health.
Assessment of 1 point for a first offense and 2 points for a second or subsequent offense to identify habitual violators.
Requirement that each driver ensure proper restraint use for each child, with exemptions for taxis and vehicles with 11 or more seats.
Mandated monthly reporting by state, county, and municipal police on minority traffic stops to the Department of Public Safety and the Office of the Attorney General.
Effective date: October 1, 2025.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Motor Vehicles & Traffic