The rule that changes when you land
Almost every British family we carry has the same reasonable assumption: that a hired car with a professional driver works the way a black cab works at home. In England, Scotland and Wales it broadly does. GOV.UK’s official guidance is explicit that a child may travel in a licensed taxi or minicab without a correct child car seat where the driver does not provide one — so long as the child sits on a rear seat, under 3s travelling without a belt and children of 3 and over wearing an adult belt.
California wrote its statute the other way round. There is no commercial-carrier exemption at all. The duty sits on the driver of the vehicle, and it applies identically to a black-badge chauffeur, a taxi, an Uber and to us. A four-year-old who could legally ride belt-only from Heathrow to Kensington needs a booster seat to ride from the airport to La Jolla.
California’s requirement, by age and size
| Child | What California requires (CVC § 27360) |
|---|---|
| Under 2 years | Rear-facing seat, in a rear seat — unless the child is 40 lb+ or 40 in+ (about 18 kg or 102 cm) |
| Under 8 years | Appropriate restraint — forward-facing seat or booster by size — in a rear seat |
| 8+ years, or 4′9″ (145 cm) or taller | The vehicle’s own seat belt is permitted; a booster if the belt does not sit correctly |
The statutory text is published by the California Legislature at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, and the California Highway Patrol publishes the same rules in plain language. The UK position is at GOV.UK — when a child can travel without a car seat. We have linked all three so you can verify us rather than take our word for it. Our fuller treatment for arrivals at San Diego airport is in the SAN airport car seat guide.
Our honest position on car seats
We do not supply, fit or install child car seats. Not for a fee, not on request, not as a favour. Families travelling with an under-8 bring their own restraint and install it themselves in the rear seat; the driver holds the door, loads the luggage and gives you as long as you need, but does not touch the installation.
That is a genuine limitation and we will not dress it up. An operator who keeps a bin of loaner seats cannot tell you that seat’s history — whether it has been in a collision, whether it is past its expiry date, whether it is the right stage for your child. We would rather carry fewer families honestly than fit a seat we cannot vouch for. Most airlines carry a child seat in addition to your baggage allowance; confirm the specifics with your carrier before you fly.
Getting here: San Diego direct, or through Los Angeles
British Airways flies London Heathrow to San Diego direct (BA273 outbound, BA272 home), which lands you a Zone 2 ride from La Jolla and is the simplest arrival by a distance. Many families, though, end up on a Los Angeles arrival because the fare or the schedule works better — and then face the choice between a connecting flight to San Diego and a car.
For a family with children and restraints, the car usually wins on more than comfort: a connection means a second security queue, a second baggage claim, and unpacking and re-fitting a car seat twice in one day. Our published figure is one flat fare, door to door, with the driver tracking your inbound flight.
| Arriving at | Flat rate to your San Diego address |
|---|---|
| San Diego (SAN) → La Jolla, UTC, Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Coronado | $80 BMW i7 · $100 Rivian R1S · $120 Escalade IQ-L |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | $425 flat ($445 from the South Bay) |
| John Wayne / Orange County (SNA) | $299 flat |
| Ontario (ONT) | $299 flat |
Every figure above is fixed at the moment you book. There is no surge pricing, no late-arrival penalty and no airport surcharge added afterwards. Meet-and-greet inside at baggage claim costs nothing extra. The full picture on out-of-region arrivals is on the LAX to San Diego page, which prices 29 named hotels individually.
Which vehicle actually fits your family
A child in a car seat occupies a seat exactly as an adult does, and rear-facing seats are bulky. These are booking limits we hold to rather than aspirations:
- BMW i7 — up to 2 passengers. An executive sedan. Wrong vehicle for a family with restraints, and we will say so.
- Rivian R1S — up to 4 passengers. Two adults and two children in seats, with luggage, is realistic.
- Cadillac Escalade IQ-L — up to 5 passengers. The transatlantic-luggage answer: a full set of checked bags plus bulky restraints.
Tell us the children’s ages and your checked-bag count when you call and we will tell you which vehicle works — or that your party honestly needs two. Getting that wrong at the kerb helps nobody.
While you are here
Most visiting families book the arrival, the departure, and two or three things in between. Published point-to-point flat rates that come up most often for guests based in La Jolla: $120 La Jolla to downtown San Diego, $100 La Jolla to Del Mar, $130 La Jolla to Coronado. For a day where the plan keeps changing — the zoo, then lunch, then the beach — as-directed hourly hire is $175/hour in the BMW i7 or $200/hour in an SUV, two-hour minimum, with the same driver and the car seats staying fitted all day.
One quiet advantage worth knowing: our fleet is fully electric, and San Diego traffic on the I-5 corridor is exactly the stop-start driving that makes children feel sick in a petrol car. Ours is silent and smooth.
Booking from the UK — or for a family arriving from overseas
We are on Pacific time (UTC−7 in summer, UTC−8 in winter). Text at any hour and we reply when San Diego wakes up.
📞 Call (858) 522-0264 💬 Text your arrival details ⚡ Instant estimate →Frequently asked
Do UK car seat rules apply in California?
No — and this is the single most common mistake British families make on arrival. In the UK, GOV.UK's official guidance allows a child to travel in a licensed taxi or minicab without a child car seat when the driver does not provide one, provided the child travels on a rear seat: under 3 without a seat belt, and 3 or over wearing an adult seat belt. California has no equivalent exemption. California Vehicle Code section 27360 requires a proper child restraint, and the exemptions in section 27363 do not carve out taxis, limousines, TCP-licensed car services, Uber or Lyft. A four-year-old who may legally ride belt-only in a London black cab must be in a booster or car seat in San Diego.
Does Elite Green Transportation provide car seats?
No. We do not supply, fit or install child car seats — that is a firm policy, not an oversight. Families travelling with a child under 8 (or under 4 feet 9 inches) must bring their own restraint and install it themselves in the rear seat. Our driver will hold doors, load luggage and give you the time you need, but will not fit the seat. We would rather you know this while you are still packing in the UK than discover it at baggage claim in San Diego.
What are the California car seat requirements by age?
Under 2 years old: rear-facing seat in a rear seat, unless the child is 40 pounds or more or 40 inches or taller. Under 8 years old: an appropriate child passenger restraint — forward-facing seat or booster as size-appropriate — in a rear seat. Age 8 and over, or 4 feet 9 inches and taller: the vehicle's own seat belt is permitted, with a booster if the belt does not fit properly. The California Highway Patrol publishes the same requirements in plain language.
How much is a car from San Diego airport to La Jolla?
La Jolla is Zone 2 on our published ladder: flat $80 in the BMW i7 (up to 2 passengers), $100 in the Rivian R1S (up to 4), or $120 in the Cadillac Escalade IQ-L (up to 5). That is each way, fixed at booking, with meet-and-greet at baggage claim included at no charge. The same rate applies on the return leg to the airport. There is no surge, no night rate and no airport surcharge added later.
We are flying into LAX, not San Diego. Can you collect us?
Yes, and for a family it is usually the better answer than a connecting flight. One private car from Los Angeles International straight to your San Diego address is a flat $425 ($445 from the South Bay), flight-tracked, with the driver meeting your arriving passenger. John Wayne (SNA) and Ontario (ONT) are $299 flat each. A connecting LAX to SAN flight means a second security queue, a second baggage claim and re-loading a child seat twice for roughly the same money.
Which vehicle fits our family plus child seats and luggage?
The Rivian R1S seats up to 4 and the Cadillac Escalade IQ-L seats up to 5 — those are booking limits we hold to, and a child in a car seat occupies one of those seats exactly as an adult does. The BMW i7 is a two-passenger executive sedan and is the wrong choice for a family with restraints. Bulky rear-facing seats plus a full set of transatlantic luggage is realistically an Escalade IQ-L job. Tell us the ages of the children and the number of checked bags when you call and we will tell you honestly which vehicle works, or that it needs two.
Can a travel agent or concierge book on behalf of a guest?
Yes, and a good share of our overseas work arrives that way. There is no account to open and no trade portal — call or text the same number, give us the guest name, arrival details, party size and the ages of any children, and we confirm the named driver and the flat rate back to you in writing. Full detail is on our page for travel planners and concierges.
How far ahead should an overseas family book?
Further ahead than you would at home. Elite Green Transportation is principal-operated with a small electric fleet — the owners drive — so a given date holds a finite number of round trips and marquee dates do sell out weeks early. For a summer arrival into San Diego or LAX, booking two to four weeks out is comfortable. We would rather tell you a date is full than take a booking we cannot honour well.
Verify us: California TCP #0046494-A in the CPUC public carrier lookup · $1.5M commercial insurance · founded by a law-enforcement officer · woman- and Choctaw Nation-owned · principal-operated (the owners drive). Booking on a guest’s behalf? See our page for travel planners and concierges.