LATCH and ISOFIX Anchors
Updated October 14, 2026.
LATCH anchors (called ISOFIX outside the US) are two steel bars built into the crease of a back seat so a child seat can clip straight to the car. US passenger vehicles from model year 2003 have them. Boosted Safe uses the same bars to lock a steel safe to the car.
What are LATCH anchors?
LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Each LATCH seating position has two lower anchors and one top tether anchor (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia).
The federal standard, FMVSS 225, sets out what the lower anchors must be (49 CFR 571.225, S9.1.1):
- Two bars, 6 mm in diameter.
- Straight, horizontal and running side to side.
- Part of the vehicle, removable only with a tool.
- Rigidly attached to the vehicle. They cannot fold away or be stowed.
LATCH or ISOFIX?
LATCH is the US name. ISOFIX is the international name for rigid lower anchors in the seat crease, set out in the international standard ISO 13216-1. On a US page, both words mean the two lower bars in the back seat.
Where are the LATCH anchors in my car?
In the seat bight: the crease where the seat back meets the seat cushion (CHOP).
- Look for the mark. FMVSS 225 requires each bar to be marked with a circle at least 13 mm across on the seat back or cushion, or to be visible in the crease (S9.5.1).
- Look behind flaps. Some bars sit behind a small fabric, vinyl or leather flap or a removable cap. Push it aside.
- Read the manual. Vehicles must come with written instructions on using the anchors, and the owner's manual says where they are (S4.1; CHOP).
Which vehicles have LATCH anchors?
Federal rules require lower anchors in passenger cars, light trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles manufactured on or after September 1, 2002 (64 FR 47566, August 31, 1999). In practice that means model year 2003 and newer. Lower anchors were phased in from September 1, 2000, so some earlier vehicles have them too.
| Vehicle | What FMVSS 225 requires | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Car, SUV or minivan with three or more rear seats | Lower anchors in at least two rear seats. With three or more rows, at least one is in the second row if that row has a forward-facing seat. | Check the outboard rear seats first. |
| Vehicle with one or two rear seats | Lower anchors in each forward-facing rear seat. | Check each rear seat. |
| Vehicle with no rear seat (regular cab pickup, two-seater) | A top tether at the front passenger seat. No rear lower anchors are required. | Use the Universal Anchor Adapter or the security cable. |
| Truck or multipurpose vehicle over 8,500 lb GVWR | Outside the standard. | Check the seat crease and the owner's manual. |
| Walk-in van, Postal Service vehicle, shuttle bus, funeral coach | Outside the standard. | Check the vehicle. |
| Built before September 1, 2002 | Not required for all vehicles. | Check the seat crease for two bars. |
Source: 49 CFR 571.225, S2 (application) and S4.2. A vehicle may also replace an anchor position with a built-in child seat or have other exceptions listed in S5.
How strong are LATCH anchors?
FMVSS 225 tests the lower anchors with a forward pull of 11,000 newtons, about 2,470 pounds of force (S9.4.1). That is a test the car's anchors must pass. It is not a rating for any safe. Watch the pull test.
How Boosted Safe uses the anchors
- Clips on. Two steel latches clip onto the two lower anchor bars.
- No tools. No drilling, no change to the car.
- Release inside. The release is inside the safe, so it comes off the anchors only after it has been opened.
- Patented. The anchor mount is patented. About the patent.
- Every model. The Boosted Safe, Mini and Golden Gate all mount to the LATCH anchors.
No safe is theft-proof. With enough time and tools nothing is secure. The job is to raise the time and the tool count.
The full-size Boosted Safe and Golden Gate are not child seats, even though their cover looks like one. The Mini is a certified booster seat (FMVSS 213) with a steel safe inside.
Will it fit my car?
If your back seat has two lower anchor bars, the safe has a place to clip in. Check in under a minute:
- Open the rear door.
- Find the crease where the seat back meets the cushion.
- Push the seat back slightly and look into the gap.
- Find the two metal anchor bars.
Check your vehicle by type. Not sure? Send a photo of your back seat to locked@boostedsafe.com.
How do I set it up?
- Find the anchors. Two steel bars in the crease of the back seat.
- Push until it clicks. Line the two latches up with the anchors and push the safe back into the seat. You will hear two clicks, one for each side.
- Pull to check it. Give it a hard tug. If it holds, it is locked to the car.
Anchors deep in the seat? The latches switch from short to long. Watch the setup guide.
What if my car has no LATCH anchors?
A Universal Anchor Adapter is available for vehicles or seats without anchors, such as RVs, farm trucks and classic cars. The security cable that comes with the full-size safes is a second tether, or the option where there are no anchors. It is not equal to the anchors.
Questions
Can I put it in the front passenger seat?
No. Boosted Safe is designed for the rear seat and the rear LATCH anchors.
Can I use the third row?
Sometimes. Some SUVs and minivans have lower anchors in the third row. Check the seat crease.
Does it work in a truck bed?
No. It is a cabin safe for the seat, not truck-bed storage.
My car is a 2001 or 2002. Does it have anchors?
Maybe. Lower anchors were phased in from September 1, 2000. Look in the seat crease for two bars.
Do the anchors need a top tether?
Boosted Safe clips to the two lower anchors.
Boosted Safe specs and facts · FMVSS 225, explained · Shop car safes