Under Türkiye's Highway Traffic Regulation (Karayolları Trafik Yönetmeliği), children shorter than 150 cm and lighter than 36 kg must travel in an appropriate child restraint system — and children under three may not be carried at all in cars, minivans or vans that have no child seat fitted. The one vehicle type with a legal relaxation is the street taxi.
Verified July 2026
What the regulation actually says
The rule sits in the Karayolları Trafik Yönetmeliği, Türkiye's Highway Traffic Regulation. It applies to vehicle classes M1, M1G, N1, N1G, N2 and N3 — in plain language, ordinary passenger cars and their off-road variants, plus vans and trucks. The private cars and minivans used for pre-booked airport transfers fall squarely inside this scope.
Three provisions matter for travelling families:
- Children shorter than 150 cm and lighter than 36 kg must ride in a child restraint system — in the legal wording, a çocuk bağlama sistemi (child seat or booster) — appropriate to their weight.
- Children taller than 135 cm may use a normal seat belt instead, provided they do not sit in the front seat.
- Children under three years of age may not be carried at all in these vehicle classes if no child restraint system is fitted.
That last point is stricter than most visitors expect. It is not "a fine if you get caught" — a vehicle without an infant seat simply may not take a baby on board, full stop. A driver who tells you "just hold her on your lap, it's fine" is describing a violation, not an option.
The taxi asymmetry nobody tells you about
Here is the part that surprises parents. For journeys in taxis, the regulation requires a child restraint system or, if none is available, allows the child to simply sit in the back seat. That is a practical relaxation written into the rules for taxis — and it does not extend to pre-booked transfer vehicles.
Read that consumer takeaway honestly: a street taxi can legally drive your toddler unrestrained in the back seat; a licensed transfer vehicle cannot. Whether the legal minimum is the standard you want for your own child at highway speed on the D400 coastal road is a decision only you can make — the law describes what is permitted, not what is safe. If you are weighing the two options more broadly, our comparison of Antalya airport taxi vs private transfer covers pricing and practicalities too.
Fines in 2026
Law No. 7574, in force since February 2026, amended Article 78 of the Karayolları Trafik Kanunu (Highway Traffic Law) and raised the penalties for restraint violations. According to law-firm summaries of the amended statute, the numbers now look like this:
| Violation | Penalty (2026) |
|---|---|
| Seat-belt / child-restraint violation | 2,500 TL |
| Driver carrying a child under 15 unrestrained | 5,000 TL |
| Added in both cases | 15 penalty points |
The penalty points matter more than tourists realise: they land on the driver's licence, which is exactly why a professional transfer driver will refuse to move until every child is properly seated. It is not fussiness — it is his licence.
What this means for your airport transfer
A licensed operator has no legal room to shrug. If your child needs a seat, the vehicle must carry one. Here is how we handle it at bookridenow:
- Child seat: fixed 15€ per booking — added only when you request it for children travelling with you.
- Infant seat (0–2 years): free.
One practical request: write your child's age in the booking form. A rear-facing seat for a one-year-old and a booster for a seven-year-old are entirely different pieces of equipment, and the age field is what tells us which one to fit before we leave for the airport. Licensing matters here too — a company operating legally under a D2 licence is also the company that takes seat rules seriously; we explain how to check that in our guide to verifying a licensed transfer company in Türkiye.
Which seat for which child?
Keeping to the universally accepted basics: infants travel rear-facing, because a rear-facing shell supports the head and neck in a frontal impact. Toddlers move to a forward-facing seat with its own harness once they outgrow the infant shell. Older children use a booster, whose only job is to lift the child so the adult seat belt crosses the shoulder and hips — not the neck and stomach. Age is a proxy; height and weight decide. When in doubt, tell us both in the booking notes. And if you are still planning the rest of your arrival, our Antalya airport arrivals guide walks you through the terminal step by step.
FAQ
Does my child need a car seat in an airport transfer in Turkey?
Yes, if the child is shorter than 150 cm and lighter than 36 kg. Türkiye's Highway Traffic Regulation requires a child restraint system in the vehicle classes transfer cars and minivans belong to, and children under three may not travel at all without one.
Are child seats free on bookridenow transfers?
Infant seats for children aged 0–2 are completely free. A child seat or booster for older children costs a fixed 15€ per booking, and it is only added when you request it. Enter your child's age when booking so we fit the correct type.
Can my child ride in an Antalya taxi without a child seat?
Legally, yes: the regulation lets a child travel in a taxi's back seat when no child seat is available. That relaxation applies only to taxis — pre-booked transfer vehicles must provide a proper restraint. Legal permission and crash protection are, of course, different things.
What is the fine for an unrestrained child in Türkiye in 2026?
Following Law No. 7574, in force since February 2026, law-firm summaries put the seat-belt or child-restraint fine at 2,500 TL, rising to 5,000 TL for the driver when a child under 15 travels unrestrained, plus 15 penalty points on the licence.