# highway towing w/ a tow dolly. Illegal ?
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [March 12, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403 "2009-03-12T21:11:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@HotRodKid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/HotRodKid)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/1 "2009-03-12T21:11:12Z")
trying to get a friend to upgrade his car. he wasnt to mod it and repaint it, but its way to rusted out to be safe.
so he found another car 6 hours away that has a shitty interior and a blown trans, and were just going to turn the 2 cars into one good one.
he was going to borrow his moms suv to do the towing, but when she heard the plan she flipped out, and has since been insisting that its illegal to use a tow dolly on the highway.
i know that ive NEVER heard of anyone getting in trouble for using a tow dolly on the highway, ive even done it myself in the past. but the question remains, is there a law on the books that actually bans the use of one on the highway ?
i would like to shut her up so we can just get this done already, bad enough its gonna be a non stop 13+ hour round trip
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### Author:  [@justa4door](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/justa4door)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/2 "2009-03-12T21:14:05Z")
I beleve as long as you do not hook up on the highway it is fine
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### Author:  [@blackout](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/blackout)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/3 "2009-03-12T21:16:08Z")
what kind of SUV is it? You’d probably be over the tow limit anyways, making it illegal. My girlfriends brother works at u-haul so I’ll ask him tomorrow
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### Author:  [@66impalass](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/66impalass)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/4 "2009-03-12T21:17:39Z")
I did it from Chicago to Rochester before…
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### Author:  [@Minglor](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Minglor)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/5 "2009-03-12T21:18:52Z")
Ive done it a few times…
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### Author:  [@llink78](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/llink78)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/6 "2009-03-12T21:19:46Z")
iv seen campers pulling a 2wheel dolly with a car. she is just lieing to you
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### Author:  [@95VDUB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95VDUB)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/7 "2009-03-12T21:22:10Z")
yeah there is no law that i know of
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### Author:  [@HotRodKid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/HotRodKid)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/8 "2009-03-12T21:26:55Z")
explorer, forget the year though, i do know he looked up the rating and its in excess of 6000lb capacity, so the tow dolly would have to be 2500lbs for us to be over vehical capacity, lol
but now thats shes all yappy dog about it we need to find another vehical anyways, i would just prefer to shut her up as much as possible
im thinking that her idea of “its illegal” is the sticker on dollies that says ''do not exceed 45mph" because thats how stupid people think …
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### Author:  [@JDMSIR](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JDMSIR)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/9 "2009-03-12T22:22:12Z")
Not with an exploder, uhaul will NOT rent you a dolly or trailer. The banned them. Get a full hauler, its only a few bucks more and way more stable.
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### Author:  [@HotRodKid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/HotRodKid)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/10 "2009-03-12T22:25:08Z")
well like i said the explorer isnt an option now anyways
on topic please people ?
original question refresher: are tow dollies banned from the highway? supporting evidence is a plus. i would like to shut this woman up to make this process as easy as possible. i have no intentions of getting back from a 13+ hour trip to still hear her yapping about what weve done
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### Author:  [@JDMSIR](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JDMSIR)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/11 "2009-03-12T22:36:19Z")
OK, so back on TOPIC, yes you can tow with a dolly.
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### Author:  [@slasky](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/slasky)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/12 "2009-03-12T22:37:25Z")
I am a former cop and I can assure you tow dollies are allowed on highways. I use one to tow my car all the time. I used to tow with a minivan and have since upgraded to a saturn vue. So an explorer should not have any problems. If you ever try to rent one from Uhaul tell them you are only towing a ford festiva without an engine. For some reason they think you need a vehicle with a 12,000 pound towing capacity to tow anything.
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### Author:  [@blackout](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/blackout)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/13 "2009-03-12T22:46:58Z")
> [@slasky](#):
>
> I am a former cop and I can assure you tow dollies are allowed on highways. I use one to tow my car all the time. I used to tow with a minivan and have since upgraded to a saturn vue. So an explorer should not have any problems. If you ever try to rent one from Uhaul tell them you are only towing a ford festiva without an engine. For some reason they think you need a vehicle with a 12,000 pound towing capacity to tow anything.
is NY like most other states, where you have to have insurance and registration/plates to flat tow or dolly a vehicle?
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### Author:  [@JDMSIR](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JDMSIR)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/14 "2009-03-12T22:47:21Z")
> [@slasky](#):
>
> I am a former cop and I can assure you tow dollies are allowed on highways. I use one to tow my car all the time. I used to tow with a minivan and have since upgraded to a saturn vue. So an explorer should not have any problems. If you ever try to rent one from Uhaul tell them you are only towing a ford festiva without an engine. For some reason they think you need a vehicle with a 12,000 pound towing capacity to tow anything.
Not true, uhaul will not let you tow with a exploder( we know your not using one), anyway you can use it without problem in NYS but other states might be a problem, you have to check their laws to be sure. I got in an accident with a tow dolly, what ever is on the back of your vechicle is covered by the car towing it, its basically a extension of your vechicle. Might put her mind at ease knowing that.
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### Author:  [@JDMSIR](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JDMSIR)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/15 "2009-03-12T22:48:19Z")
> [@blackout](#):
>
> is NY like most other states, where you have to have insurance and registration/plates to flat tow or dolly a vehicle?
See my above post, its part of the car. You dnt even need plates or reg. on the dolly in NYS.
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### Author:  [@orzech](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/orzech)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/16 "2009-03-12T22:48:48Z")
> [@HotRodKid](#):
>
> well like i said the explorer isnt an option now anyways
>
> on topic please people ?
>
> original question refresher: are tow dollies banned from the highway? supporting evidence is a plus. i would like to shut this woman up to make this process as easy as possible. i have no intentions of getting back from a 13+ hour trip to still hear her yapping about what weve done
what are you just going to tell her your internet buddies say its not illegal? look up the information yourself if you want to make yourself look so suhfistamacated.🤓
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### Author:  [@blackout](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/blackout)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/17 "2009-03-12T23:03:49Z")
> [@JDMSIR](#):
>
> See my above post, its part of the car. You dnt even need plates or reg. on the dolly in NYS.
Thanks, wasn’t sure. I’ve heard it a few ways for NYS. The person at the dmv said I needed temporary transport tags to dolly in NYS, but when I called them they said it wasn’t needed. I ended up just throwing a fake plate on the back of my truck and driving in front of my girlfriend who had the same plate.
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### Author:  [@Beck](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Beck)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/18 "2009-03-13T04:24:32Z")
Dude, aren’t you like 38 years old? How old is your friend and why does his mother’s opinion matter so much? Is it because she has the only vehicle you can tow with?
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### Author:  [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/19 "2009-03-13T05:08:42Z")
First off, it’s definitely legal.
As further proof in your dump quest to prove some friend’s mom wrong… if it was illegal they wouldn’t let you on the 90 at the tolls. I’ve towed a dolly on the 90 plenty of times.
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/highway-towing-w-a-tow-dolly-illegal/64403/20 "2009-03-13T05:20:08Z")
That said, providing you find a vehicle to pull it, renting a hauler from Uhual is only 75 bucks… dollies scare me a little.
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