When am I allowed to ride in the front seat with my parent?

Generally, car manufacturers recommend that a child be 13 or above a certain weight before they can safely sit in the front seat of a car. 

Under Arizona Revised Statute 28-907(the law that rules Arizona) if a child is under 5 years old they need to be in a car seat also known as a  child restraint system. The law doesn't say you have to have the car seat in the back seat but it is recommended because of injuries that might happen to the child sitting in the front seat.

If you are 5 years old or older Arizona Revised Statute 28-909 states you have to have a lap and shoulder belt properly adjusted while the car is in motion. Again it does not say you have to sit in the back seat but research has shown that the back seat is safer for children.

Arizona Revised Statutes 28-909 (B) states that a citation will be issued to the driver of a car (your parent if he or she is the one driving the car that you are in) for each person under 16 who is in the front seat and not wearing a seatbelt.

The question as to when you are allowed to ride in the front seat, that decision is generally up to your parent. However, keep in mind that air bags in the front of cars are often designed for adults and therefore may injure a child who is sitting in the front seat of a vehicle.