Is it legal to have your doors off in your state?

[GeorgeB]

Just wondering if it is legal to be on the street with your doors off in your state? I'm in PA and it is illegal unless you have a CJ when doors were a factory option. If doors were standard equipment, it's illegal to drive with them off. Recently at a local event, the police were writing tickets as you pulled into the parking lot doorless.

 

[Chris]

It's legal in Oregon.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I assUme its legal in FL as I have been running around for the better part of a year with them off. Never thought it would not be legal as the manufacturer gives you instructions on how to do it. It would be a little different if I took the doors off my GMC Sierra.

 

[Chris]

I believe it's legal in almost every state.

 

[Chris]

Read below:


Is It Legal to Drive a Jeep Without Doors?
It’s legal to drive a Jeep on the road without the doors attached in most states as long as your vehicle remains compliant with laws requiring that vehicles have enough mirrors to see behind the vehicle. All states require a certain number of mirrors to allow the driver to see behind the vehicle. Because the side-view mirrors are attached to the doors, you need to find another way to attach a mirror to your Jeep to follow the law and stay safe. Some states require one rear-view mirror and one side-view mirror, while other states simply say that “two mirrors” are required.

States that require one mirror include:

• Alabama
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Wisconsin

States that require two mirrors include:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• New Hampshire
• Oklahoma
• Rhode Island
• Washington

Pennsylvania is one exception; in our research, it was the only state we identified with laws requiring that the doors remain attached. At the time of writing, Pennsylvania’s vehicle code states that doors should be attached, should be of the original type used when the vehicle was manufactured, and should open and close securely.

Other states have one-off, specific rules. Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, and New York specifically state that a left side view and interior rearview mirror be installed. Ohio’s revised vehicle code requires only a rearview mirror, as long as its view is unobstructed. Michigan and Nevada only specify that mirrors are required if the vehicle is above a certain size; Missouri requires zero mirrors unless the car was made after 1968 and then requires that it have as many mirrors on it as came from the factory; New Jersey, Virginia, and Wyoming require two mirrors depending on the age of the car; North Carolina requires at least one mirror but doesn’t require any if the vehicle is a tractor or other piece of farm equipment; and Vermont only requires one mirror, but it must have a certain size.

Since the states all have specific (often unusual) requirements for mirrors, see this list with details about each state’s specific requirements for mirrors and links to the state code that references mirror requirements.

 

[Chris]

In other words, you can drive your vehicle in basically any state with the doors off, as long as you have mirrors (which they sell).

Pennsylvania appears to be the only state that you are legally required to have doors.

Here's a big fuck you to Pennsylvania!

 

[Alex01]

Whooo CA allows me to do something you're not allowed to do!!!!!!!
Finally.

 

[Daryl]

Whooo CA allows me to do something you're not allowed to do!!!!!!!
Finally.

No shit. That doesn’t happen very often.

 

[Chris]

Whooo CA allows me to do something you're not allowed to do!!!!!!!
Finally.

Soon they will ban it

 

[billiebob]

In other words, you can drive your vehicle in basically any state with the doors off, as long as you have mirrors (which they sell).

Pennsylvania appears to be the only state that you are legally required to have doors.

Here's a big fuck you to Pennsylvania!

I think you are wrong, altho seldom enforced most states have a law with wording to allow them to ticket you for removing the doors. As GeorgeB says "If doors were standard equipment, it's illegal to drive with them off."

That is pretty much exactly the wording in BC too. And almost every after market Wrangler door says "For OffRoad Use".

This has been on many other forums and there are lots of posts from guys in other states who discovered a law making it illegal to remove their doors.

I run Warrior Tubular doors mostly because I can keep the mirrors mounted on them. No dicking around with mirrors, trade doors and drive. BUT the actual Warrior tubular doors I run have been thru the courts in BC and deemed illegal, because the manufacturer state "For Off Road Use Only" and..... ready for this..... "because the doors fail to seal out exhaust gasses". A point which ALL doors MUST do.

There is no law which states you cannot remove your doors. The law states "all vehicles manufactured with doors MUST have doors".

 

[TJBob]

That’s crazy! I live in Indiana, and drive around all the time without my doors. Only mirror I have when they are off is my rear view mirror. Never really thought to check state laws on mirrors, or doors. Can’t say I’ve ever been hassled about either one. With that being said, I ALWAYS physically turn my head, and look before I change lanes, or merge. I never depend on my mirrors, even when my doors are on...

Gotta say, that door law in PA is some bullshit though. IMHO... It’s kinda like seatbelt laws. Should one wear a seatbelt? Absolutely. Does it hurt, or impede on anyone else, if one doesn’t wear one? Absolutely not. It’s another one of those laws to generate easy revenue.

 

[billiebob]

Does it hurt, or impede on anyone else, if one doesn’t wear one? Absolutely not.

Actually, we had a fatality on the Trans Canada last week, the trucker was ejected from the cab, died on the highway. The highway was closed for 5 hours. Seatbelt, no fatality, the highway would have been open within the hour. There was no bypass, summer traffic was backed up for miles.

Accident, severity of the injury, guaranteed the guy without a seatbelt will suffer far worse injuries. More time in the hospital, a drain on medical personnel and services, maybe rehab, change of career, now in need of handicapped services. Some of the seatbelt legislation is driven by insurance companies to reduce what they send on claims. So yes, it hurts, impedes society and raise your insurance premiums when I don't wear a seatbelt.

 

[xxdabroxx]

I think you are wrong, altho seldom enforced most states have a law with wording to allow them to ticket you for removing the doors. As GeorgeB says "If doors were standard equipment, it's illegal to drive with them off."

That is pretty much exactly the wording in BC too. And almost every after market Wrangler door says "For OffRoad Use".

This has been on many other forums and there are lots of posts from guys in other states who discovered a law making it illegal to remove their doors.

I run Warrior Tubular doors mostly because I can keep the mirrors mounted on them. No dicking around with mirrors, trade doors and drive. BUT the actual Warrior tubular doors I run have been thru the courts in BC and deemed illegal, because the manufacturer state "For Off Road Use Only" and..... ready for this..... "because the doors fail to seal out exhaust gasses". A point which ALL doors MUST do.

There is no law which states you cannot remove your doors. The law states "all vehicles manufactured with doors MUST have doors".

Are you a professional party pooper?

Find me the CA law that says doors are required Mr. Canada.

 

[LukesfirstJeep]

I live in PA and asked out local police about running with no doors. He said, it's illegal, but he doubt's you will get pulled over for it, at least in the rural area I live.

 

[TJBob]

Actually, we had a fatality on the Trans Canada last week, the trucker was ejected from the cab, died on the highway. The highway was closed for 5 hours. Seatbelt, no fatality, the highway would have been open within the hour. There was no bypass, summer traffic was backed up for miles.

Accident, severity of the injury, guaranteed the guy without a seatbelt will suffer far worse injuries. More time in the hospital, a drain on medical personnel and services, maybe rehab, change of career, now in need of handicapped services. Some of the seatbelt legislation is driven by insurance companies to reduce what they send on claims. So yes, it hurts, impedes society and raise your insurance premiums when I don't wear a seatbelt.

I’m not arguing the fact seatbelts save lives. That’s a given, and I completely agree. Seatbelt saved my life when I rolled my last Jeep (7 times) down the highway. I was not killed, but guess what? All those emergency services, and resources showed up on the scene of my wreck as well. I was very fortunate to have survived with a fractured skull, and hematoma from smashing my head into the roll bar several times. I’m just saying, weather one chooses to ride with doors off, or if one chooses to wear a seatbelt. It should be the choice of the individual. In my state you can ride a motorcycle down the freeway in nothing but a speedo if you wanted too. I’m not saying it’s a wise decision, but it is a decision that should be able to be made on ones own behalf.

How you are describing seatbelt laws, it seems that anything deemed “dangerous” should be illegal, and is a nescience to society. Should all 50 states ban doorless Jeeps? In the event of a collision, the fatality rate would be higher without a door... or maybe we should have to wear helmets, and Kevlar suits to drive around without doors?

I was just making the point, ticketing for a doorless Jeep was a way to generate some easy revenue for the county, or state.... like seatbelt tickets.

 

[billiebob]

Heres the official BC position from our wonderful Commercial Vehicle Inspection Services....

A bunch of busy bodies. Wanna be cops who failed to make the grade. "Bullies"

 

[billiebob]

I went thru the '05 manual, they tell you how to do everything else including folding the windshield but they don't tell you how to remove the doors. The illustrations of the folded windshield actually show the doors still on.

 

[pagrey]

Just wondering if it is legal to be on the street with your doors off in your state? I'm in PA and it is illegal unless you have a CJ when doors were a factory option. If doors were standard equipment, it's illegal to drive with them off. Recently at a local event, the police were writing tickets as you pulled into the parking lot doorless.

Who would have thought there'd be a reason to move across the river to Jersey?

 

[GeorgeB]

In other words, you can drive your vehicle in basically any state with the doors off, as long as you have mirrors (which they sell).

Pennsylvania appears to be the only state that you are legally required to have doors.

Here's a big fuck you to Pennsylvania!

I second that motion! It's ridiculous that we get fined for it here. The event I was talking about was Cars and Coffee for Jeeps and 4x4s.really sucked they flagged guys over as they pulled off the street.

 

[Chris]

I second that motion! It's ridiculous that we get fined for it here. The event I was talking about was Cars and Coffee for Jeeps and 4x4s.really sucked they flagged guys over as they pulled off the street.

I suspect those officers must have been really big dicks, that's for sure.