Seat belt, head restraint and child seat: rules and the fine for not wearing a belt

Is it mandatory to wear a seat belt in the Netherlands?

Yes. If your seat has a belt, you must wear it. That applies in the front and in the back, for the driver and all passengers. Source: Dutch government: seat belts.

Wear the belt like this: the shoulder part runs across your shoulder and chest, the lap part low over your hips. Pull it tight and make sure it is not twisted. The belt does not belong in your neck, behind your back or under your arm. Pregnant? Let the lap part run below your belly.

The belt keeps you in place in a crash and works together with the airbag. An airbag does not replace the belt. Does the belt of a seat not work? Then do not use that seat.

Adjusting the head restraint

A good head restraint protects your neck in a rear-end crash. Set it as close behind your head as possible. The top should be about as high as the top of your head. Too low or too far back does not help well. Adjust it for everyone in the car.

What is the fine for not wearing a seat belt?

If you do not wear a belt, you get a fine of €190, plus €9 administration costs (OM fines database, offence code R 533, amount from February 2025). You find the current amount in the OM fines database (Boetebase).

Who gets the fine depends on age:

• Passenger under 12: the driver gets the fine. So you make sure young children are properly secured.
• Passenger aged 12 or older: gets the fine themselves, also in the back.
• Driver: always gets the fine themselves for not wearing a belt.

A belt worn the wrong way, for example under your arm, also counts as not using it properly.

Until what age is a car seat required?

Height counts, not age. A child shorter than 1.35 m sits in an approved child seat, in the front and in the back. From 1.35 m the child may use the normal seat belt. Source: Dutch government: child seats.

A child of 4 or 5 is almost always shorter than 1.35 m. So a car seat is required. Also in someone else’s car, such as the grandparents’.

Choose a seat that fits your child’s height and weight. New seats carry the R129 approval mark. Older approved seats with R44/03 or R44/04 may still be used if they fit and are undamaged. Never use one belt for two children.

Child seat in the front: must the airbag be off?

Do you put a rear-facing child seat in the front? Then the airbag for that seat must be off. An airbag inflating against a rear-facing seat is life-threatening.

Picture	Situation	What do you do?
	Rear-facing seat in the front	Airbag for that seat off. Check in the manual how this works in your car.
	Forward-facing seat	Follow the manuals of the car and the seat for the airbag and seat position.
	Warning sticker	This does not prove the airbag is off. Check it yourself.
	Red airbag light	This is a fault, not a sign that the airbag is off. Have it checked.

Lights differ per car. Only the indicator from the manual, such as PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF, gives certainty.

When should a child use a booster seat in the car?

You use a booster seat when your child is too big for its child seat, but still shorter than 1.35 m. A booster seat counts as an approved child seat.

Check the label for the height and weight the booster is approved for. A booster with a backrest gives more support at the sides. The belt must run over the shoulder, not along the neck, and low over the hips.

A child of, say, 1.30 m who outgrows its seat therefore moves to a bigger seat or a suitable booster. Not to the belt alone.