It is legal to switch to a booster seat at any weight as long as the child is within the booster's weight range. However, it is not generally recommended to use booster seats until after the front-facing child restraint (CR) with a harness is outgrown, usually about 40 pounds. Children less than 8 years old and less than 80 pounds in North Carolina are required to be in some type of child restraint device. Most parents and other care givers comply by using belt-positioning booster seats for children between 40 and 80 pounds.