Is it compulsory to wear a seat belt in the back seat and to put my child in a child seat?
In short
Yes. Everyone in the front and back must wear a seat belt. A child shorter than 1,35 m must sit in an approved child seat. Not wearing a seat belt is a 2nd-degree offence; not putting a child in a child seat is a 3rd-degree offence.
Video transcript
A short trip. A child and an adult are sitting in the back. Required: Everyone wears a seat belt, front and back. A child under 1,35 m sits in a child seat. The right way: Before you set off, check that everyone is buckled up. Never carry a child on your lap. Fine notice (2nd & 3rd degree): No seat belt: 128 € + 10,67 €; No child seat: 191 € + 10,67 €; At court: ≤ 5.000 €, possible ban.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- Everyone in the car, in the front and the back, must wear a seat belt, even on short trips.
- Children shorter than 1,35 m must travel in an approved child seat or booster seat.
- Carrying a child on your lap is forbidden.
- Before you leave, check that every child in the car is in a seat suited to their age and height and is strapped in correctly.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- Seat belt: 128 €; child seat: 191 € (+ 10,67 € administrative fee on both)
Legal basis:KB 30.9.2005, art. 2, 22°/1 en art. 3, 20°/1 (Justel)KB 19.4.2014, art. 2, 1° (Justel)
- Court / prison
- Seat belt: at the police court, 200 € – 2.500 €. Child seat: 300 € – 5.000 € (surcharge multipliers included). In both cases a driving ban is possible. For a child seat offence, a driving ban is compulsory if you have had your licence for less than 2 years.
Legal basis:Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel)
What does this level mean? Traffic offence, degree 3: On-the-spot payment €191; in court €300 – €5,000; the court may suspend the licence for 8 days – 5 years. All penalty levels →
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- A driver who did not wear a seat belt may get less compensation after an accident. As a rule, an injured passenger's losses are paid by the vehicle's compulsory insurance, regardless of fault.
Legal basis:WAM-wet 21.11.1989, art. 29bis §1BW Boek 6, art. 6.20 §1
- If you are convicted again within three years, the court fine is doubled.
Legal basis:Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel)
- In an accident, a child without a seat belt can be seriously injured or killed
What do these terms mean?
- Police court
- The court for traffic offences and appeals against GAS fines. Despite the name, it is not part of the police; an independent judge decides.
Why does this rule exist?
In an accident, a seat belt keeps your body in the seat. A back-seat passenger without a belt is thrown forward in a crash and can kill the driver or passenger in front. A child's body does not fit an adult seat belt; that is why a child seat is needed.
Where can you go?
- Municipal driving licence serviceExchanging a foreign driving licence and other licence matters
- Free first-line legal adviceIf you have been summoned to the police court (juridische eerstelijnsbijstand / aide juridique de première ligne)
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 9 / 9 statements in an official source
- Checked: 12.10.2026
- Last checked
- 12.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 9 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Ön ve arkada herkes kemer takar
KB 1 december 1975 (Verkeersreglement), art. 35.1.1 (Justel) - Found in an official source
1,35 m altı çocuk onaylı çocuk koltuğunda
KB 1 december 1975 (Verkeersreglement), art. 35.1.1, 2. lid (Justel) - Found in an official source
Çocuğu kucakta taşımak yasak
KB 1 december 1975 (Verkeersreglement), art. 35.1.1, 2. lid (Justel) - Found in an official source
Kemer takmamak 2. derece, çocuğu çocuk koltuğuna oturtmamak 3. derece
KB 30.9.2005, art. 2, 22°/1 en art. 3, 20°/1 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Anında ödeme: kemer 128 €, çocuk koltuğu 191 € (+10,67 €)
KB 19.4.2014, art. 2, 1° (Justel) - Found in an official source
Mahkemede kemer 200–2.500 €, çocuk koltuğu 300–5.000 €; men mümkün (3. derecede yeni sürücüye zorunlu)
Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Üç yıl içinde tekrar mahkûmiyette mahkemedeki para cezası iki katına çıkar
Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel) - Corrected according to the source
Kemersiz YOLCUNUN yaralanma zararını aracın sigortası kusura bakmadan öder (sürücü hariç; yalnız kazayı isteyen 14 yaş üstü hariç). Tazminatı azalabilecek olan sürücüdür (BW art. 6.20)
WAM-wet 21.11.1989, art. 29bis §1 - Found in an official source
Kemersiz sürücünün kendi kusuru tazminatını azaltır
BW Boek 6, art. 6.20 §1
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?