Motor vehicle trauma continues to rank as a principle cause of morbidity and mortality in young children. Properly restraining a child makes travel safer. Each of the 50 states has a unique child passenger restraint law. We have reviewed laws, noting provisions of application and exemption. Exemptions can be divided into four general categories of driver/child relationship, child age, vehicle classification, and specific child transportation situations. Though some of these exemptions are justifiable, many allow for significant lapses in the protection of child motor vehicle passengers. This study discusses these inconsistencies within the nation's child restraint laws.