jstand wrote: Ok, I have a question that had been bugging me this while thread: My understanding is that if a vehicle is on a tow dolly it needs to be registered to be legal, how do you guys deal with that with parts cars? Or does the vehicle on the dolly not have to be registered in your state?
In PA, neither one( dolly or vehicle) has to be registered; and I camped out at PennDOT for the answer.
jstand wrote: Ok, I have a question that had been bugging me this while thread: My understanding is that if a vehicle is on a tow dolly it needs to be registered to be legal, how do you guys deal with that with parts cars? Or does the vehicle on the dolly not have to be registered in your state?
NC not required ... either of them
Interesting...
Il have to look into that further to find out what it is in Mass. I've always used a trailer since most vehicles I towed weren't registered.
I think in texas a dolly is required to be registered and run a plate and have lights.
Mine isn't registered, doesnt have a plate, and once the lights broke i never fixed them since i always run magnetic lights on the towed vehicle anyway.
I have never had a problem in the years ive owned it.
We can legally tow boats, cars, etc. on trailers and dollies in Kentucky without registration all the time. As long as the tow vehicle is legal you are fine here.
BUT!!! In some other states, i.e. Indiana, registration is required. I know this because almost every time I tow through Southern Indiana, I am pulled over. Now we go through the whole routine. Are you sure you still live in Kentucky, sir? If you live in Kentucky, why have I found you in Indiana, sir? How long have you been in Indiana, sir Do your lights all work, sir? Do you have proof you own this, sir? Do you have proof of insurance, sir? etc.
Yes what is legal in your home state is supposed to also be legal when traveling in other states. But sometimes you can be subjected to harassment under the guise of protecting your safety in other places. So make sure wherever you are towing, that you are prepared to answer all the above questions and more. 
jstand wrote: My understanding is that if a vehicle is on a tow dolly it needs to be registered to be legal, how do you guys deal with that with parts cars? Or does the vehicle on the dolly not have to be registered in your state?
Varies with the state, and enforcement is nill virtually everywhere.
In MD, either the dolly or the towed vehicle is required to be tagged. No one cares, no one checks, never heard of anyone actually being hassled for it.
Usually the state requires either the dolly or the car on it to be registered, but it varies state to state. Same goes for lights, some require lights on the car because the dolly ones aren't 3-feet from the rear, some don't.
I've found that if I hook up a set of magnet lights on the back of the car on the dolly it must "seem" too pro for anyone to bother with. Never been stopped that way in any state.
Weird Dolly trivia: NJ used to not allow dollies on the turnpike, but they were fine with tow bars. We had students transferring from SC to NY who got busted with their u-hauls all the time.
As I understand it. Anybody looking poor enough to drag around cars on a dolly is viewed by the police as somebody who probably doesn't have the money to pay the ticket and doesn't care if their license is suspended anyways. That's why they look the other way when you blow through a speedtrap doing 5 over in a see through barely legal truck pulling a ratty car on a rattier dolly, they have better ways of making money so long as it looks reasonably safe.
Down here in S. Texas you see downright deadly-looking 3-car tow contraptions heading south on i-35 to mexico on a regular basis. I asked around a little bit and word of mouth told me that noone will bother to cite these people because you'll never hear from them again anyway.
Unfortunately i am the wrong color, but i've often wondered that if i were the RIGHT color and just added ANOTHER towed vehicle to my unstable apparatus, if i wouldnt be even safer from cop attention. My fiancee is the right color but she's scared to death of towing. I made her do it on the way back from $2009 and her freak-out aura was so strong i had to take over again out of fear.
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