In Germany, children up to the age of twelve who are smaller than 150 centimetres must be secured in a child seat suitable for the child in the car. This obligation applies to all seats in cars for which seat belts are prescribed.

In principle, children may only be carried in approved child seats. Three UN regulations are currently approved for child seats:

• UN Regulation 44/03,
• UN Regulation 44/04 or
• UN Regulation 129.

A corresponding label must be attached to the child seat.

If you transport children without the required child seats, you may face fines and possibly even a point in the driving aptitude register of the Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg.

Exceptions when transporting children:

• If there are already two children with child seats in the back seat and there is no room for another child seat, you may exceptionally take another child older than 3 years with you in your car. This child may only be secured in the rear seat with the regular seat belt.
• Your child should also sit in a child seat in a cab. However, as cabs cannot always provide all child seats, there are exceptions for occasional cab journeys. Cabs do not have to provide seats for babies under 9 kilos. You should therefore bring them yourself. In cabs, the obligation to secure children in rear seats with restraining devices is limited to 2 children weighing 9 kg or more; however, it must be possible to secure at least one child weighing between 9 and 18 kg (child seat class I). These exceptions do not apply if children are regularly transported in the cab.
• If your car does not have seat belts, you may not take children under the age of 3 with you. Older children who are smaller than 150 cm may only sit in the rear seat.
• Children may travel on a bus without a child seat and seat belt if the bus has a total weight of more than 3.5 tons.