What Are the Seat Belt Laws in Ontario?

Every person in a moving vehicle in Ontario must wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt. This includes the driver, all front-seat passengers, and all rear-seat passengers. There are no exceptions based on the distance you are travelling, the time of day, or the type of road. The law applies on all public roads in Ontario.

If a passenger is under the age of 16 and not wearing a seat belt, the driver receives the fine and the demerit points, not the passenger. This means the driver is legally responsible for ensuring all minors in the vehicle are properly buckled before the vehicle moves. For passengers 16 and over, each person is individually responsible for their own seat belt.

The fine for each unbelted person is $200 to $1,000. If the unbelted person is under 16, the driver also receives 2 demerit points per unbelted child. If a driver themselves is not wearing a seat belt, the driver receives the fine and 2 demerit points. If both the driver and a child passenger are not buckled, both violations apply independently.

Children who are too small for a regular seat belt must be secured in a proper child car seat or booster seat appropriate for their age, height, and weight. Ontario law aligns with the national standard: rear-facing infant seats, then forward-facing seats with a harness, then high-back boosters, and finally regular seat belts when the child can wear them correctly (typically around 4 feet 9 inches tall). Incorrectly installed car seats are subject to fines.

Very few exemptions exist under Ontario law. Postal workers making frequent stops on rural delivery routes may apply for an exemption. A doctor's certificate may exempt a person with a medical condition that makes wearing a seat belt dangerous. These exemptions are rare and must be documented. Simply being uncomfortable is not grounds for an exemption.