What does the acronym LATCH stand for in the US system for anchoring child car seats?

In the U.S. child-seat anchoring system, LATCH stands for “Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.”

LATCH provides dedicated vehicle hardware for attaching a compatible child restraint without routing the restraint through the vehicle’s seat belt. The vehicle side generally includes two lower anchor bars at the junction between the seat cushion and seatback, plus a top tether anchor. The child seat has connectors that attach to the lower anchors and, for forward-facing use, usually a tether strap that limits forward movement.

The system was created to make child-seat installation more straightforward and reduce misuse. U.S. requirements for child-restraint anchorages are associated with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 225; the system became broadly available after the regulation took effect on September 1, 2002.

LATCH is closely related to ISOFIX, the name used internationally, but the terms are not always perfectly interchangeable in regulations or hardware details. Another common mistake is assuming LATCH always replaces every belt or tether requirement. Parents should follow both the vehicle and child-seat manuals, including stated weight limits and tether instructions.