how old can child sit in front seat

In Australia, kids under 4 years must not sit in the front seat if the vehicle has two or more rows.

From 4 to under 7, they can only sit up front if all rear seats are already occupied by children under 7, and they must be in the correct approved child restraint.

At 7 years and older, it’s legal to use the front, but safety boffins still recommend the back seat until around 12 years because airbags and seat geometry are designed for bigger humans.

Whichever seat you use, fit the right restraint/booster for the child’s size and make sure it’s anchored properly.

Laws are broadly uniform across states, but check your state authority for any quirks—because nothing says fun like harmonised legislation that isn’t quite harmonised.