Strange Traffic Laws part II.

Didn't want to hijack.....

When flat towing a car, that is a tow bar yanking a car behind with all four of its wheels on the ground; does the towed car have to be legally registered?

Dan

I know in California the car has to be registered if any of it's wheels are touching public roads. No flat towing, no dolly towing.

And I've heard of some weirdness about not even being able to trailer tow an out-of-reg car, but I've never seen the law nor heard it from a reliable source, so I discount that entirely.

that would not make sense about not being able to trailer an out of registered car. Not like any part of the car is touching the road that the registration is supposed to help pay to keep up

mad_machine wrote: that would not make sense about not being able to trailer an out of registered car. Not like any part of the car is touching the road that the registration is supposed to help pay to keep up

Sense? When did that start being applied to traffic law?

In NC it does have to be registered (and insured!) if any wheel touches the ground. Although I don't know how strictly it is enforced. I've done it on numerous occasions without any hassle. Similarly, I've had unregistered, uninsured cars towed to and from (very strict traffic laws) Virginia and never had a problem.

mad_machine wrote: that would not make sense about not being able to trailer an out of registered car. Not like any part of the car is touching the road that the registration is supposed to help pay to keep up

No, it doesn't. Like I said, I've never seen the statute, and I never heard it from anyone I consider reliable with these things. However, being that this is California, I also still wouldn't be surprised if it were true.

Depends on the state and local jurisdiction. Here in Maryland, that towed vehicle must have tags.

Next comes enforcement. I don't think I've ever seen the law enforced here in Maryland.

In New York:

I emailed NYS DMV and they just called me; if the car is being towed with a legitimate tow bar (not a rope) it does not have to be registered or insured.

"You may however want to throw some lights on the back to keep from getting run into. You also asked if it did have to be registered, could you register it as a trailer? Why would you want to do that? "

So that's the answer in New York. I assume 48 other States are less stringent than New York, and I'm not towing to California any time soon.

Dan

For years , in NYS, race cars were flat towed with no problems from law enforcement. Of course, that was eons ago, so things could be different. Looking into dolly towing, the only thing I found is that there has to be a complete light setup. Tail, stop,directionals.

My Father will tell the story of a friend of his in the 70s who had a 911 RS that he raced. He was towing out of NY back down to NJ when his trailer broke. So he took the tags off of the truck, slapped them on the 911.. and drove it home.

On the say down the thruway, a hopped up camaro challenged him to a race. Last he saw it, it was a mile or so back, smoking like crazy.

I doubt you could get away with that today

ReverendDexter wrote:

mad_machine wrote: that would not make sense about not being able to trailer an out of registered car. Not like any part of the car is touching the road that the registration is supposed to help pay to keep up

No, it doesn't. Like I said, I've never seen the statute, and I never heard it from anyone I consider reliable with these things. However, being that this is California, I also still wouldn't be surprised if it were true.

Does California still have Non-Op Registration? That might be what the law is referring to. That non-op registration and the fines for not getting it led to me acquiring my Opel GT from my dad. Too expensive to get registered in CA so he told me you want it come and get it and mailed me the paperwork in TN. I got plates for it, went out and flat towed it back to TN.

iceracer wrote: For years, in NYS, race cars were flat towed with no problems from law enforcement. Of course, that was eons ago, so things could be different. Looking into dolly towing, the only thing I found is that there has to be a complete light setup. Tail, stop,directionals.

No problem, I'm running the flat-four from the tow vehicle right into the car's tail lights.

I emailed DMV because I wanted the real answer. I wish he had emailed me instead of calling; I would keep the printed email in the glove box.

Dan

914Driver wrote: I emailed DMV because I wanted the real answer.

And all you got was a phone answer from someone. It will do you no good with a cop or in a court.

If you want the real answer, go to the library and read the actual law books.

I think an email from DMV wil do it.

Back in my IMSA days, (mid 80's) we ran a very good GTO class car. Based in Boca Raton, about two hours from Sebring. On more than one occasion, the owner, Del Taylor, DROVE the car to the track. No tow bar, no trailer, no plates, no mufflers, no fear. More cojones than sense.

In reply to cwh:

This is Florida. We don't need no stinkin' tags.

914Driver wrote: I think an email from DMV wil do it.

Not a snowball's chance in hell. In fact they are legally protected from the notion that they are required to tell you the truth, and legally protected from any suit brought by you because they didn't tell you the truth and you stupidly acted on their words.

But, go on ahead with the belief that an email or phone call from the DMV will override written law, and that a cop or judge will be deeply impressed by a printout of an email you have, and not bother to hold you accountable to the law because of it.

It's possible that you got told truthful complete and accurate information. Though I doubt it, especially with regards to complete. But you absolutely do not know that. You have no idea what the law actually is. All you know is some e-mail from some bureaucrat in some agency said you could do something.

READ THE ACTUAL LAW. Then, and only then, will you actually know something. And then, you do have a chance of winning an argument with a cop or a judge.

914Driver wrote: In New York: I emailed NYS DMV and they just called me; if the car is being towed with a legitimate tow bar (not a rope) it does not have to be registered or insured. "You may however want to throw some lights on the back to keep from getting run into. You also asked if it did have to be registered, could you register it as a trailer? Why would you want to do that? " So that's the answer in New York. I assume 48 other States are less stringent than New York, and I'm not towing to California any time soon. Dan

sorry, the "no rope" thing might have been my fault. they weren't very happy when they almost caught me rope towing a unregistered Porsche, with a Hyundai , on the southern state parkway, at 80+mph...Fortunately the trooper couldn't get turned around fast enough and catch up before we made use of an off ramp and were able to disappear. there has however been a long standing debate over whether the speeding ticket would have held up in court for the un-powered vehicle driver...

foxtrapper wrote:

914Driver wrote: I think an email from DMV wil do it.

Not a snowball's chance in hell. In fact they are legally protected from the notion that they are required to tell you the truth, and legally protected from any suit brought by you because they didn't tell you the truth and you stupidly acted on their words. But, go on ahead with the belief that an email or phone call from the DMV will override written law, and that a cop or judge will be deeply impressed by a printout of an email you have, and not bother to hold you accountable to the law because of it. It's possible that you got told truthful complete and accurate information. Though I doubt it, especially with regards to complete. But you absolutely do not know that. You have no idea what the law actually is. All you know is some e-mail from some bureaucrat in some agency said you could do something. READ THE ACTUAL LAW. Then, and only then, will you actually know something. And then, you do have a chance of winning an argument with a cop or a judge.

I appreciate your concern. Take a breath.

For the fun of it, I happened to search the New York state laws. VAT T1 A1 §156 in particular is of interest. The law is the exact opposite of what that person from DMV told you over the phone.

Again, I appreciate your concern.

always the alternative.. go to the police station and actually ask a cop

From CA DMV vehicle codes-

1. A vehicle transported upon a highway, no part of which is in contact with the highway, is exempt from registration.

Interestingly enough, in Ohio, it's cheaper to register a car than it is to register a trailer. Cars have a flat fee, trailers go by weight. It's something like $59 for a car and $50 for a tire trailer, lots more if you want something that can carry tools and camping gear and stuff.

In other words, it looks cheaper to buy the lightest hull of a car that you can and use IT as a trailer. I'm looking into finding one of those King Midgets and attacking it with a melon baller. There's no vehicle inspection here.

foxtrapper wrote: Depends on the state and local jurisdiction. Here in Maryland, that towed vehicle must have tags. Next comes enforcement. I don't think I've ever seen the law enforced here in Maryland.

Wonder if that was the law in the late 60's. Because I flat towed a car all over MD, NoVA and central PA with just a sign on the back that said "Race Car in Tow". I did have a light bar on it that was connected to the lights on the towing car. Never was stopped and I know plenty of cops saw me.