Car Seat Laws in Copenhagen: What Every Family Needs to Know
Updated: 3 days ago
Denmark's child restraint law is height-based and clearly structured — and it contains a conditional taxi exemption. Whether you're landing at Copenhagen Airport (CPH), hiring a car for a drive to Legoland in Billund, or relying on taxis between Nyhavn and Tivoli, knowing the exemption and the threshold precisely is the most useful preparation before you arrive.
The Legal Requirement
Denmark's child restraint rules are set out in the Færdselsloven (Road Traffic Act). The law is height-based: any child under 135 cm must be secured in an approved child restraint system appropriate to their height and weight. A child who has reached 135 cm may use a standard adult seatbelt regardless of age.
Two specific rules apply to the youngest children: children under 3 may never travel in a car without seatbelts, and in a private or rental car they must ride in approved child-restraint equipment. A rear-facing seat may be placed in the front passenger seat only if the airbag is fully deactivated. All seats must meet ECE R44/04 or R129 (i-Size) standards. For official guidance, see the Danish Transport Authority (Færdselsstyrelsen) and the European Commission transport safety portal – Denmark.
How It Applies to Taxis
Danish taxis operate under a conditional legal exemption from the child restraint requirement. If no suitable child seat is available in a taxi, a child may travel without one, provided they do not sit in the front seat. Children 3 years and older must use the available seatbelt in the rear seat of the taxi if no restraint is fitted. Children under 3 may travel without any restraint if none is available. Since 2025 Uber (via Dantaxi) and Bolt (via Viggo) dispatch through licensed taxi companies; whether a particular app ride counts as a taxi depends on the operator's licence.
Standard Copenhagen taxis do not carry child seats as routine equipment, and the exemption means there is no legal obligation pressing them to. A transfer from Copenhagen Airport (CPH) along the E20 motorway into the city covers real motorway speed. For families with infants and toddlers, pre-booking a transfer with a confirmed, fitted seat is the protection-providing choice regardless of what the taxi exemption legally permits.
How It Applies to Rental Cars
Rental cars carry no exemption. Full compliance with the Færdselsloven is mandatory from the moment you collect the vehicle at CPH or any Copenhagen branch. Major rental companies offer child seats as an add-on — always confirm in writing, specify your child's height and weight, and check the ECE R44/04 or R129 label before driving away.
Fines and Penalties
Transporting a child without the required restraint is punished with a fine plus one licence point (klip) per journey, and the driver is responsible for passengers under 15. We haven't found the fine amount on an official source, so we don't quote one. For current official details, refer to theDanish Transport Authority (Færdselsstyrelsen).
Quick Reference
• Under 135 cm → child restraint required in private and rental cars
• 135 cm or taller → standard adult seatbelt sufficient
• Under 3 years old → in private and rental cars, must always be in an approved child seat; in a taxi without approved equipment, rear seat only (see below)
• Taxis without child equipment → child must not sit in the front seat
• Driver → responsible for passengers under 15
• Taxis → conditional exemption, only when the taxi has no approved equipment: rear seat, over-3s use the seatbelt, under-3s may travel without restraint; if approved equipment is in the taxi it must be used
• Rental cars → no exemption; full requirement from moment of collection
• Penalty → fine plus 1 licence point (klip) per journey
• Accepted standards → ECE R44/04 or R129 (i-Size)
FAQ
• Do Copenhagen taxis have to carry a child car seat?
Not when the taxi has no approved equipment. Danish taxis have a conditional exemption from the child restraint requirement: it applies only when no approved child restraint is available in the taxi. If no seat is available, a child may travel in a rear seat — over-3s must use the available seatbelt; under-3s may travel without any restraint.
• What height ends the child seat requirement in Denmark?
Once your child reaches 135 cm, a standard seatbelt is legally sufficient. Danish law is height-based — there is no age criterion in the statute.
• What's the penalty for not having a car seat in a Danish rental car?
A fine plus one licence point (klip) per journey, charged to the driver. The fine amount isn't published on an official source we could check.
• Can I book a taxi with a confirmed child seat from Copenhagen Airport?
Yes. Taxibambino.com lets you specify the seat type — infant, forward-facing, or booster — when booking your CPH transfer or any journey in Copenhagen. The seat is confirmed and fitted before pickup.
This page is reviewed and updated regularly. For the most current official rules, check the Danish Road Traffic Authority (Færdselsstyrelsen).
Denmark's taxi exemption is conditional: a child under 3 may travel unrestrained only in the rear, a child 3 or over uses the ordinary seatbelt in the rear, and where the taxi does carry approved equipment it must be used. Independently of the law, the physics are unchanged: a seat approved to the applicable standard and fitted on rigid ISOFIX anchors holds its line where a belt-only fit works loose — particularly on the E20 and the motorway ring roads.
Space is the other constraint our drivers meet at the airport rank, which is filled largely with compact and mid-sized cars: two bulky seats plus a double stroller and the luggage already fills one, so a third child needing a restraint means booking a larger vehicle in advance.
Across 131 bookings made through TaxiBambino for Copenhagen in the twelve months to August 2026, the middle half of families paid roughly DKK 843–DKK 1,194, with a median near DKK 1,000 (€113–€134, converted at rates of 3 August 2026). Party size is the part most families underestimate: 33% of those bookings were for four or more passengers and 15% for five or more — the point at which a standard sedan stops working once car seats, a stroller and luggage are added.
August was the busiest travel month, and families booked around five days ahead on average. Prices move with demand, season and the exchange rate, so treat these as historical ranges rather than a quote; vehicles are supplied by TaxiBambino and our partner network.
Last updated: 24 October 2026. Reviewed by Lija Scheiman, CEO, leading the TaxiBambino Content Audit Team.
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As a rule of thumb on seat groups: under about 13 kg a rear-facing infant carrier; roughly 9–18 kg a forward-facing seat with a 5-point harness; 15–25 kg a high-back booster; and above that a booster until the adult belt sits correctly across the shoulder and hips rather than the neck and stomach.
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