How to Get a Car Seat Inspection (and Install It the NHTSA Way)

How to find a NHTSA car-seat inspection station or virtual inspector, what certified technicians will check, and NHTSA’s official rules for lower anchors, seat belts, tethers, and lower-anchor weight limits.

Updated November 13, 2026. Checked against NHTSA’s official car-seats and Car Seat Finder pages on that date.

Quick answer

NHTSA’s official Car Seats and Booster Seats page says to get help at a car-seat inspection station near you, whether you have just installed a seat or need help installing or using one. Certified technicians will inspect your car seat free of charge, in most cases, and show you how to correctly install and use it. Some locations now offer virtual inspections. NHTSA’s official Car Seat Finder page — which also hosts the agency’s Car Seat Inspection Finder — says certified technicians are available across the country to help you install and use your child’s car seat correctly, often at no cost, and that many communities also offer virtual seat checks.

Find an inspection station or virtual inspector

Use NHTSA’s Car Seat Inspection Finder on the official Search & Compare Car Seats page to locate an inspection station or virtual inspector. The official car-seats page also says that if you cannot find an inspection station near you, you may be able to find a technician through Safe Kids Worldwide.

Install with lower anchors or the seat belt — never both

NHTSA says every car seat needs to be installed using either the lower anchors or a seat belt to secure it in place, never both. If you use a seat belt, pay close attention to how to “lock” the seat belt according to the vehicle’s owner’s manual. Always refer to your specific car-seat manufacturer’s instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual.

Lower anchors are found in a minimum of two rear seating positions. Each lower-anchor-equipped seating position has two small horizontal bars in the space between the vehicle seat’s back and bottom cushion (the “seat bight”).

With a forward-facing car seat, NHTSA recommends always using a tether — installed with your vehicle’s seat belt or the lower anchors — as long as it is permitted by both the car-seat and vehicle manufacturers. Typically there are a minimum of three tether anchors in a vehicle. In sedans they are usually located above or behind the back seat on the rear shelf; in some vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs they may be on the back of a seat, on the floor, the ceiling, or another location. Read the vehicle owner’s manual so you do not confuse a tether anchor with other hardware such as a luggage tie-down. Most rear-facing car seats in the United States do not use a tether, but installations vary by model.

Lower-anchor weight limits

Lower anchors have weight limits set by the vehicle and car-seat manufacturers. NHTSA says you can determine the lower-anchor weight limit by checking the warning label or installation diagrams on the side of the car seat. If your car seat does not have a label, you can determine the maximum allowable child weight for lower-anchor use by subtracting the weight of the car seat (usually in the instruction manual) from 65 pounds: lower-anchor weight limit = 65 lbs minus the weight of the car seat. Once your child outgrows the established limits, stop using the lower-anchor attachments and reinstall the car seat using the vehicle’s seat belt.

A short reminder on the right seat, and on registration

NHTSA says to select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, then choose a seat that fits in your vehicle, and use it every time. Keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements, and keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12. Keep a young child rear-facing as long as possible, until the child reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car-seat manufacturer.

After the seat is installed correctly, register it with the manufacturer and sign up for recall notices. If you cannot register the seat with the manufacturer, NHTSA says to contact NHTSA.ODI.ced@dot.gov. For how to check a car seat for recalls and how to use SaferCar alerts, see the related guides on this site. This page does not repeat those steps.

Frequently asked questions

Are NHTSA car-seat inspections free?

NHTSA’s official Car Seats and Booster Seats page says certified technicians will inspect your car seat free of charge, in most cases, and show you how to correctly install and use it. The official Car Seat Finder page says help is often at no cost and that many communities also offer virtual seat checks.

Where do I find a car-seat inspection station?

Use NHTSA’s Car Seat Inspection Finder on the official Search & Compare Car Seats page at nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat to locate an inspection station or virtual inspector. If you cannot find a station near you, NHTSA says you may be able to find a technician through Safe Kids Worldwide.

Can I use lower anchors and a seat belt at the same time?

No. NHTSA says every car seat needs to be installed using either the lower anchors or a seat belt to secure it in place, never both. For a forward-facing car seat, NHTSA recommends always using a tether with whichever of those two methods you use, as long as both the car-seat and vehicle manufacturers permit it.

What is the lower-anchor weight limit?

NHTSA says lower anchors have weight limits set by the vehicle and car-seat manufacturers. Check the warning label or installation diagrams on the side of the car seat. If there is no label, subtract the weight of the car seat from 65 pounds to get the maximum allowable child weight for lower-anchor use. After that limit, reinstall the seat with the vehicle’s seat belt.

Sources

MotorDeets is not affiliated with NHTSA or Safe Kids Worldwide. Always follow the car-seat manufacturer’s instructions and your vehicle owner’s manual, and confirm current inspection-station details on nhtsa.gov. This page is not legal or safety advice for a specific seat, vehicle, or crash.