Florida seat belt law is a front-seat and under-18 check

Florida’s seat belt rule is easy to remember if you split the car into two questions.

The driver and front-seat passenger need to buckle up. Anyone under 18 needs to be buckled too, no matter where they sit. Younger children have their own child-restraint rules, so do not treat a regular seat belt as the whole answer for a small child.

For a normal ride, the simple habit is to check before the car moves. Driver buckled. Front passenger buckled. Kids buckled in the right seat or belt for their age and size. That takes a few seconds and keeps the driver from guessing after the trip has started.

This comes up with carpools, visiting family, rental cars, school rides, and beach trips where people pile into the car fast. If someone else is driving your child, ask what seat or restraint will be used. If you are driving, make the buckle check part of leaving the driveway.