Did you know that in almost every state their are is a Law requiring functional brakes on a vehicle being flat-towed? I didn't know this and was asked by a California Highway Patrol officer if we had a separate braking system on our beloved project Teal Brute while on our way home from Moab last month. This got me wondering if in fact I didn't realize the law, how many of our readers out there might also fail to know. In my searching on the web I found a sweet system designed to activate the towed vehicle's brakes even when the engine isn't running. They call it a Brake Buddy. Basically the Brake Buddy installs inside the towed vehicle's drivers side foot well and is designed to activate the brake pedal of the towed vehicle whenever the tow rig's braking system is applied. The Map Below tells us which states require this type of system. United States Towing Laws 0-lbs = Kansas, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming 1,000-lbs= New York and North Carolina 1,500-lbs= California, Idaho, Nevada, Tennessee and New Hampshire 2,000-lbs= Mississippi and Ohio 3,000-lbs= Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Dist. of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin 4,000-lbs= Delaware, Rhode Island and North Carolina 10,000-lbs= Massachusetts States with special requirements Kentucky
Kentucky law does not specifically require brakes on any passenger car trailers, regardless of weight. However, vehicles singular or in combination must be able to stop within distance specified by statute.
Oregon
Combination of vehicles must be able to stop within legal limits.
Wyoming, Utah & Kansas
Requires any vehicle combination to stop in 40 feet at 20 mph.
Delaware
Every motor vehicle when operated on a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement, and to stop and hold such vehicle and any trailer attached thereto, including 2 separate means of applying the brakes.
New Hampshire
Requires any vehicle combination to stop in 30 feet at 20 mph.
Massachusetts
Every trailer having an unladed weight of more than 10,000 lbs shall be equipped with air or electric brakes.
Missouri
Independent braking system not required except on trailers coupled by a 5th wheel and kingpin.
New Jersey
Every trailer and semitrailer must have brakes that can be automatically applied upon break-away from the towed vehicle, and means shall be provided to stop and hold the vehicle for adequate period of time.
North Carolina
Every semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle attached by a drawbar or coupling to a towing vehicle of at least 4,000 lbs, and every house trailer weighing at least 1,000 lbs, shall be equipped with brake controlled or operated by the driver of the towing vehicle.
North Dakota
Every trailer operated at a speed in excess of 25 mph must have safety chains or brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and to hold such vehicle and designed so that they can be applied by the driver of the towing vehicle from its cab, and must be designed and connected so that in case of an accidental breakaway the brakes are automatically applied.
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