How Old, or at What Height/weight to Sit in the Front Seat?

IMy friend actually just asked a police officer this question and was told at least 13 years old. And still reccommends the back seat for all ages with a seatbelt for older children. Hope this helps!

The manufacturer of your vehicle may have some information regarding height and weight for front seat passengers in addition to what your state may have as law. For the children in my house, it is right a passage they get when they turn 12. For their 12th birthday, they get to ride in the front. We make a very big deal out of it with a ceremony and everything. I also didn't let them spend the night out with friends until they were 10 years old, also another right of passage. Our family has developed a series of events in the lives of the children for them to look forward to as they become adults. Hope this is helpful to you.

Ten or twelve. Obvioously if you have a small 10 or
12 year old, I would not allow them in the front seat.
All or my children and husband are EMTs and some firefighters, so we know first hand what happens to
children in the front seat. Hope this helps.

I don't think there are specific CT guidelines for front seat. I know they are required to be in a carseat until age 8 or under 60 lbs regardless of age. Federal standards would apply to a child in the front seat for safety. The mininum height would be 4'9" to fit into an adult seatbelt correctly.

Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle's seat back with her legs bent at the edge of the seat, the knees and feet hanging down.

Your child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat.

The shoulder belt lies across your child'schest, not at the neck or face. The lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, not across the belly.

***info copied from http://www.research.chop.edu/programs/carseat/older_child...

Any car I've ever had that has an air bag has the warning on the visor and it always says that 12 and under should be in the back seat.

check with your local or state police dept. or dmv

I couldn't find a law for your state on the matter, but I found a guideline. It's recommended that a child be in the backseat in a booster until 80lbs and 4'10" and CT's state law is 6 years old and 60lbs, you must be in a booster in the back seat.

All kids 12 years old and younger should always ride in the back seat, and in the middle of the back seat whenever possible. All passengers must have their seat belts buckled.

The Connecticut State Police highly recommend that all children twelve years and under be seat belted in the rear seat. Infants and small children should never be placed in the front seat when the vehicle is equipped with an Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System.
Source(s):
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/travel/auto.html#
http://www.ct.gov/dps/cwp/view.asp?a=2153&q=294402

Hope this helps...

Go to the CT Dept of Transportation website for all of your answers.

I know for booster seats is it 8 years old or 80 pounds. I am pretty sure front seat is 12 years old, but I am not sure about the weight. I know the concern for the front seat is the airbag with smaller chldren, but most newer cars have a sensor that turns the airbag on or off deending on the weight of the passenger.

Connecticut law requires children to be in a booster seat until they reach a minimum of 60 lbs. and they reach 7 years old. Go to the CT website ctsafekids.org and click on care seat info or look at this pdf http://ctsafekids.org/Booster%20Seat%20Final.pdf.