Is it illegal to leave the hitch on your truck when not towing?

[FSH 210 Sport]

Saw this in an email from etrailer…thought it might be interesting to some folks. I was told once about the Massachusetts law ..but according to that article it’s no longer in effect.

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-towing-law-misconceptions.aspx?utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20250120-faqtowingmisconceptions-t-rv-m&utm_id=l-id&utm_content=20250120-faqtowingmisconceptions-t-rv&trk_msg=VF82ELKVH2CK93V9REDJR3MEMG&trk_contact=SFF3HUJ451KO1T8F1PT06EM7QO&trk_sid=UGKTJAVNH8GCOE8S3PPPEPDOF8&trk_link=OVA55AFS3GDK91JDVOAA9S2DEC&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=CTA&utm_campaign=20250120-faqtowingmisconceptions-t-rv

 

[lazergeek]

I leave mine on all the time to protect my rear bumber from all the shitty Florida Drivers. So far its done a good job blocking. It took a litte bit to get use to it always being there so I stopped wrecking my knees and Shins on it.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I leave mine on all the time to protect my rear bumber from all the shitty Florida Drivers. So far its done a good job blocking. It took a litte bit to get use to it aways being there so I stopped wrecking my knees and Shins on it.

Some where in the funny meme thread there was a picture of a bunch of trucks / SUV’s backed into parking spaces that faced each other all had hitches in them, with a walkway down the middle ..the caption read, “Redneck minefield”.

 

[zipper]

Never heard of such a law, receiver hitch. There are plenty of other hitches that are not the receiver type mounted on tow vehicles. Permanent. You know from back in the 70's/80's. Had one on a VW. However obstructed license plates are a thing. I was warned once when I had the salt sander in the back of the truck. It did block visibility of the plate. To fix that I bought a plastic license plate holder and mounted it to the back of the sander. There are a lot of other receiver items that obstruct plates, ie bike racks, cargo platforms etc. I mean even snow can block a plate.

 

[zipper]

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

View attachment 230678

That’s the one!

Just remembered watching a Bill Dance bloopers reel.. there were several shots of him coming around the back of the truck and barking his shin proper on the hitch and onto the ground he went.. @1:08

 

[Bluewater272]

Never heard of such a law, but just be mindful when backing up to a walkway.

 

[Coult45]

I think it mainly just violates the law of common sense, especially for those of us who have smashed our shin on our own hitches. I do like to leave mine on all the time, though, to satisfy the "ready for anything" pickup truck mindset that somehow develops when you grab that first set of truck keys. That's one of many reasons I got a Tow and Stow. Adjustable, added protection, hard to smash a shin on it, etc.

 

[Coult45]

That’s the one!

Just remembered watching a Bill Dance bloopers reel.. there were several shots of him coming around the back of the truck and barking his shin proper on the hitch and onto the ground he went.. @1:08

Holy shit, I'm choking on my oatmeal trying to watch this.

 

[Babin Farms]

For those who tow occasionally taking it out makes sense but when your constantly hooking up to trailers, hay racks, wagons and other things & then have to run to town to pick something up without a trailer only to get a ticket for leaving it in doesn’t make much sense. Seems like a politicians way of thinking…. One way.

 

[zipper]

The politician must have smashed their shin, while talking on a phone, on a hitch backed up too close to a sidewalk. Lol.

 

[LM-Jet]

I leave mine on all the time to protect my rear bumber from all the shitty Florida Drivers. So far its done a good job blocking. It took a litte bit to get use to it aways being there so I stopped wrecking my knees and Shins on it.

I might put mine back on.....a lot of people sliding into others this Michigan weather.

 

[Neutron]

Mine stays on, because i go to retrieve motorcycles, jetskis, boats often. So it makes no sense to take it off after every trip. Besides my truck doesn't get much use except for towing something. We take the 4runner when we go out most of the time. That hitch is off when not using it