Key points
Safety belts are required for all drivers and front seat passengers whenever the vehicle is moving.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“Safety belts are required for ALL drivers and all passengers in the FRONT seat, any time the vehicle is in motion.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31Officers can stop and ticket a driver for a safety belt or child restraint violation alone.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“Officers can stop and ticket drivers solely for disobeying Safety belt and Child Restraint Device (CRD) laws.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31If children under 16 are not properly restrained, the driver can be fined $50.00.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“If children under age 16 are not properly restrained, the driver may be charged and fined $50.00 for violation of the law.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31A child under 1 year old, or under 20 pounds, must ride in a rear facing car seat.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“A child under one year old, or any child weighing less than 20 pounds, must be in a child passenger restraint system (car seat) that is facing the rear of the car.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31Children 1 through 3 who weigh more than 20 pounds must ride in a forward facing car seat.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“Children who are one through three years old, and who weigh more than 20 pounds, must be in a child passenger restraint system that is facing forward.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31Children 4 through 8 who are under 4 feet 9 inches must ride in a booster seat and wear a seat belt.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“Children who are four through eight years old and whose height is under four feet, nine inches, must be in a belt positioning booster seat system (child booster car seat) and wearing a seatbelt.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31Wear the lap belt low over the pelvis, touching the tops of the thighs.
Source: Handbook p. 31
“The lap belt should be worn low over the pelvis with the bottom edge touching the tops of the thighs snugly.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31Children 12 and under are safer in the back seat.
Source: Handbook p. 33
“CHILDREN ages 12 and under are safer in the back seat of a vehicle.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 33It is illegal to let any child under 6 ride in the bed of a pickup truck.
Source: Handbook p. 33
“It is illegal in Tennessee to allow any child under the age of 6 to ride in the bed of a pickup truck.”
Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 33
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| $50.00, under 16 | fine when children under 16 are not restrained | Handbook p. 31 |
| Under 1 year or 20 pounds | children who must ride rear facing | Handbook p. 31 |
| 1 through 3, over 20 pounds | children who ride in a forward facing seat | Handbook p. 31 |
| 4 through 8, under 4 feet 9 inches | children who need a booster seat | Handbook p. 31 |
| 12 and under | ages safer in the back seat | Handbook p. 33 |
| Under 6 | children never allowed in a pickup truck bed | Handbook p. 33 |
3 questions from the Tennessee practice test
1. What is the safest habit for Tennessee drivers and passengers regarding seat belts?
- Buckle up on every trip, including short local drives
- Wear belts only on long highway trips
- Belts are optional for back seat adults on city streets
- Belts matter only for the driver
Show answer
Buckle up on every trip, including short local drives. Make buckling up a habit on every trip for you and your passengers. Safety belts and child safety seats help prevent ejection and reduce injuries. The manual notes that half of vehicle crashes occur within 25 miles of home. Short trips still produce serious crashes. Back-seat adults are exempt by law, but buckling remains the safest habit. Every occupant benefits from belt protection.
2. A Tennessee child is six years old, weighs more than 20 pounds, and is four feet five inches tall. What restraint is required?
- A belt positioning booster seat system while wearing a seatbelt
- A rear facing car seat
- A forward facing car seat only
- The vehicle belt alone, because the child is over age five
Show answer
A belt positioning booster seat system while wearing a seatbelt. A six-year-old who is four feet five inches tall is within the manual’s booster category: ages four through eight and shorter than four feet nine inches. The child must use a belt-positioning booster seat system and wear a seatbelt. The manual also says children in booster seats must ride in the back seat if the vehicle has one. Rear facing seats are for children under one year or under 20 pounds.
3. When are safety belts required for backseat passengers in Tennessee?
- When the backseat passengers are under 21 years old
- When the backseat passengers are not related to the driver
- Backseat belts are never required in Tennessee
- When the backseat passengers are under 17 years old
Show answer
When the backseat passengers are under 17 years old. Front seat belts are required for everyone, and Tennessee adds a clear backseat rule for younger riders. Backseat passengers under 17 years old must wear safety belts, and the provision stops applying once backseat passengers reach 18. Using age 21 or whether the riders are related to the driver does not match the rule, although permit and intermediate drivers trigger an added backseat rule for ages four through 17. Saying backseat belts are never required ignores the under 17 provision entirely. Checking the rear seat before driving should become automatic.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with safe driving questions from the free Tennessee practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Section B-2: Tennessee Safety Belt Laws. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.