Driving w/o doors, legal or not?

  • I have only lived in DE for 2.5 yrs and this is the first summer with one of my jeeps with me. Just want to check before I go gruising around. I have a soft and hard top but only full hard doors. Thanks in advance for the info.

  • Thanks for the response and I don't mean to sound rude but I see you live in PA, is that the PA law, the DE law, or both?

  • i know thats Pa law but i'm pretty sure it's everywhere hopefully someone else can chime in, i know you can leaglly ride with doors off but not sure what De requires as mirrors though

  • DMV told me that you have to have the rear view and driver side mirror. But I have not found any hard info on it. You can call DE state police too. Seeing how they are the ones that will issue tickets. LOL

  • So it sounds like it is probably legal, a little more legal with a side mirror or two, but you may get pulled over for it anyway. Is that the concensus?

  • You are only required to have a rearview mirror, if you are unable to see due to things blocking the center mirror on the windshield, you will need to to have at least 1 side mirror.


    Delaware Criminal & Traffic Law Manual
    Title 21, Chapter 43 Equipment & Construction of Vehicles
    Subchapter I. Equipment Requirements
    [quote]
    4308. Rearview Mirror


    All motor vehicles and motorcycles shall be equipped with a mirror so placed that the driver thereof may readily ascertain the presence of any vehicle traveling in the same direction and overtaking the driver's vehicle. (36 Del. Laws, c.10. 125; Code 1935, 5663, 21 Del. C. 1953, 4308; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, 1.)

  • Yea, i saw that one before I posted, it is indeed promising. I was also looking for something addressing doors and/or Jeeps specifically and found nothing. From what I hear so far it is legal, but that doesn't mean you can't get pulled over for it.

  • I thought the other law that needs to be addressed here is stating that the motor vehicle must include items that came standard from the factory. And with that said, i think you can still buy a Wrangler without doors from the dealership can't you? Oh and i heard about a year ago that PA doesn't allow you to drive without doors anymore. I remember talking to one person that had gotten a ticket by some hard-a$$ cop.

    1999 Grand Cherokee WJ 3" lift JK Moabs 31" tire
    1993 Grand Cherokee 7" Long Arm, Badgeless, SOLD
    1981 CJ-7 4" Lift, 31" MTR's, Pretty Blue

  • I have heard that it is illegal to drive in pa without doors but it all depends on the cops...i mean...I drive without them and i know alot of the other jeeps around here do too.

  • I Have a good friend thats a Pa state trooper and i called him and he said you can go with no doors as long as you have a center rear view

  • I don't care what your good friend who is a state police offier said.... it is a 100% fact in PA vehicles cannot go doorless... THere is like a 90 page thread on BMJA trying to get a petition signed to get the law repealed.... The law was passed 3 years ago to little or no fanfare, no-one including 90% of the state police officers and local officers in the state even noticed....Except one small township around York, PA which is conveniently by the jeep show.... THe 75 or so tickets they wrote that weekend for vehicle violations opened the eyes of many jeepers... The last 2 years there was a petition at the jeep show to repeal the law.... Unless this has changed in the last month or so..... which I doubt.... That is the law in PA


    One Post on Q-tecs BB

  • Not to discount the importance of the law to PA drivers, but I am in DE. Can anyone here give any solid evidence on the legality of driving w/o doors in DE?

  • I quoted the Delaware Law straight from the Law book, what more solid evidence do you need?


    The question here is about Delaware not PA.
    There are a few threads on here already regarding doors/mirror legalities.
    http://www.de.gov
    then go to delaware code online
    all the info is there
    PA & MD may have the same thing on their websites, I do not know.
    http://www.pa.gov
    http://www.md.gov

  • I don't disagree with your previous post about mirrors, I saw that law too. I agree that the law pretty clearly states the need for a window mirror only. I still have a concern that there may be another law that address the need or lack therof for doors.

  • Neither did I, thanks for giving it a second look. I probably sound paranoid, but you know how it is down here in Sussex Co. A lot of small towns and small town cops, just want to have my bases covered.

Participate now!

Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our community!