What age can children ride in the front seat of a car?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children 12 years of age or younger should not ride in the front seat. In the event of an accident, airbags can injure or kill young children.

In addition to recommendations from health officials, individual states may have laws regulating the age, height or weight a child must be before riding in the front seat. For example, the State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General states that children under 8 years of age and weighing less than 80 pounds must ride in the back seat unless no back seat is available. Such laws may also mandate use of a booster seat.