Infants and babies should be in rear-facing car seats as long as possible or until the child is within 1 inch of the top of the seat.
Children must be at least 2 years old or have reached the maximum height or weight capacity of the car seat to warrant a ride in a front-facing seat.
Big kids get the booster seats! Don't rush to move your child to a belt-positioning booster seat before they are officially big enough. Children are typically ready for a booster seat when they are between 40 and 65 pounds or have outgrown the weights and heights requirements for their previous car seat.