What Is the Female Part of a Seat Belt Called?

The female part of a seat belt is called the buckle, often also referred to as the buckle receptacle or buckle receiver. It’s the fixed or semi-rigid component with a release button that the metal tongue (male part) clicks into, securing the restraint system.

Contents

How Automakers and Safety Agencies Name the Parts
Why the Terminology Matters
Summary

How Automakers and Safety Agencies Name the Parts

In automotive safety terminology, the seat-belt assembly is typically described using standardized names. The metal piece attached to the belt webbing that inserts into the other component is the latch plate, commonly called the tongue. The receiving component with the release button is the buckle. This naming aligns with common usage in manufacturer service manuals and guidance from safety bodies such as NHTSA: the male element is the latch plate/tongue; the female element is the buckle.

Common Synonyms You Might Hear

Drivers, mechanics, and retailers may use different terms for the same component. Understanding these variations can help when ordering parts or discussing repairs.

Buckle

Buckle receptacle

Buckle receiver

Buckle socket

Buckle stalk (specifically the short strap or rigid post that holds the buckle)

While “buckle” is the most widely accepted term, the alternatives above typically refer to the same female component that the latch plate clicks into.

How to Identify the Buckle in Your Vehicle

If you are unsure which part is the buckle, these quick checks can help you confirm it before maintenance, replacement, or child-seat installation.

Look for the red or clearly marked release button—it’s on the buckle.

Find the part anchored close to the seat base or on a short strap/rigid post; that’s usually the buckle stalk with the buckle at the end.

Check the user manual’s seat-belt diagram; it will label “buckle” versus “latch plate/tongue.”

Test fit: the metal tongue should insert into the buckle with an audible click and release via the button.

Confirming the buckle helps ensure you’re referencing or replacing the correct component, preventing mismatched parts or improper installation.

Why the Terminology Matters

Using the correct terms reduces confusion during parts ordering, troubleshooting, or reading technical bulletins. It’s especially important when installing child restraints, where instructions often specify the buckle’s position, angle, or compatibility. Accurate terminology also helps when diagnosing issues such as a buckle that won’t latch, a sticking release button, or a faulty buckle switch that can trigger seat-belt warning lights.

Summary

The female part of a seat belt is the buckle—the component with the release button that receives the metal latch plate (tongue). You may also hear it called the buckle receptacle, receiver, or socket, but “buckle” is the standard term in manuals and safety guidance.

What do you call the parts of a seat belt?

A standard seatbelt system is comprised of four major components: The retractor mechanism. The buckle assembly. The webbing material. And the pretensioner device.

What do you call the part you plug the seat belt into?

The thing that a seat belt clicks into is called the buckle or buckle receiver. The metal tongue on the end of the seat belt, called the latch plate, inserts and locks into the buckle to secure the belt.

Parts of the seat belt system

Buckle (or buckle receiver): Opens in new tabThis is the part that is usually attached to the car’s seat or floor and receives the tongue.
Tongue (or latch plate): Opens in new tabThis is the metal tab at the end of the seat belt webbing that you insert into the buckle.
Webbing: Opens in new tabThe fabric strap of the seat belt that goes across your body.
Retractor: Opens in new tabA mechanism that holds the webbing and allows it to be pulled out and then automatically spools it back in when not in use.
Pretensioner: Opens in new tabA safety device that quickly tightens the webbing in a collision to reduce forward movement before the airbag deploys.

What is the seatbelt buckle thing called?

The part of the seat belt that receives the metal tongue is called the buckle, or sometimes the buckle receiver or bracket. The metal part that you plug into the buckle is called the tongue, latchplate, or retractor.

Breakdown of the parts

Buckle (Female End): This is the fixed part, usually on a short stalk, that you push the tongue into to secure the seat belt. It also has the release button.
Tongue (Male End): This is the metal piece attached to the webbing that you insert into the buckle to lock the seat belt.
Retractor: This mechanism provides tension and allows the seat belt to be pulled out and retracted. The tongue is the part of the retractor that goes into the buckle.
Latchplate: This is an alternative name for the tongue, the metal male end of the seat belt.
Stalk: This term refers to the part that the buckle is attached to, the part that extends from the seat.