Minimum age for the HOV lane? Promise this isn’t an abortion question

I was in the HOV lane today and got pulled over. I had two small children in the backseat in car seats

Cop gave me a warning for using the HOV lane. When I mentioned the kids in the backseat (they were sitting backwards so I thought maybe he just didn’t see them) he said only working age qualifies.

So is that the case or did I just get a cop on a power trip?