Can you legally drive any vehicle without doors?

It's that time of year again.  Time for Wranglers everywhere to mall crawl without doors.  I totally understand that for a sedan or Miata this would be a terribad safety decision but.. is it illegal?

If not what makes it ok for Jeeps?

As far as I know, doors are not on the list of required equipment.

I don't know about the legality, but a miata without doors is not fun to drive much above a crawl.

In reply to nocones :

I'm sure it varies state-to-state, and enforcement likely varies jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but I think a better comparison might be looking a Jeeps & other vehicles with removable hardtops vs. sawing the roof off a random E36 M3box. With the former, the vehicle is obviously designed & engineered for it. With the latter, it likely violates a clause somewhere in the motor vehicle code relating to it being "unsafe".

Many moons ago My Spitfire failed Connecticut safety inspection because the inside door handle was broken and the door could only be opened by reaching outside.

so I went in the parking lot, removed both doors and got back in line.

I still  failed.   I tried the Jeep defense to no avail.

Not legal where I am.  "Half" doors are legal.  My Super 7 clone is legal only because the sides come up above your waist.

My Exocet has no doors, yet the Ohio State Patrol approved it for road use.

Damn, Now i really have another reason to love living in Florida.

I never had any problems with my civic when I built it 20 years ago.

There are mirror laws and airbag laws too. Not every door removal would run afoul, but many would. 

there is a gentleman around here with a Jeep Cherokee who has no doors. It's been that way for years and nobody seems to care.

In reply to bludroptop :

Wonder how my 63 MG Midget would fair with that inspection. It has no outside door handles. No roll up windows either, side curtains and the door handles are on the inside.

pimpm3 (Forum Supporter) said:

I never had any problems with my civic when I built it 20 years ago.

Isn't this car at least medium internet famous?

In reply to Mndsm :

Lotus Super 7 

You have to have mirrors in some states. The new wranglers make it easy. Older wranglers you eitherwent mirrorless or bought a mirror that attached to windshield instead of door. 

Mndsm said:

pimpm3 (Forum Supporter) said:

I never had any problems with my civic when I built it 20 years ago.

Isn't this car at least medium internet famous?

I like to think it was mildly famous when I tried to sell it on Ebay.  I made it as a joke when fast and furious came out. 

It was a fun car, I actually drove it on the track in Daytona with out the doors and took it to Gainesville for a test and tune.  It ran a 21 at 64 mph...

wlkelley3 said:

In reply to bludroptop :

Wonder how my 63 MG Midget would fair with that inspection. It has no outside door handles. No roll up windows either, side curtains and the door handles are on the inside.

I mean...

The fun thing about the Gen 1 Viper is it has no exterior door handles or key locations, but it does have interior door locks.  Figure that one out.  Guessing parts bin engineering.  

Anything is legal until it isn't 

I don't see why it would be a problem if you were able to retain the side mirror and factory seat belt mounts.

In reply to pimpm3 (Forum Supporter) :

I can't believe my years-long search may be over - is this the car with the hilarious listing that included dangly tweeters???   It was sent to me many moons ago and I have since tried to find it to no avail.  Do you have a copy of the ad??

We don't need no stinkin' doors!

And my old TRs came pretty close - could file your nails on the pavement at a stoplight without even leaning out.

I imagine it's like everything else; some vehicles are "grandfathered" into regulations, and so are allowed to run without doors or with half doors. Others are modified illegally and pass inspection due to shady dealings. Still others get the doors put back on for inspection day, then removed again the day afterwards. Just like people with their sketchy exhaust mods and so forth.

There was a guy driving around here not too long ago with a late 90s Dodge Ram pickup with no doors. Not something you see passing by as opposed to a million Wranglers with no doors.

Someone should do an experiment.  Pull the doors off.  Make sure you have side mirrors.  Buckle up.  Drive.

Report back here if you get a ticket. 

I'm guessing it depends a lot on the attitude of the law in the area where you live.  If your vehicle was otherwise legit, you wouldn't get a second glance around here.