Dog restraint laws by US state

Alabama AL

Alabama has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Section 32-5A-53 bars driving when the load or the number of front-seat occupants obstructs the driver's view or interferes with the controls, and it names no animal. Section 13A-11-14 covers cruel mistreatment and neglect but adds no transport language. Title 32 addresses no dog in an open truck bed.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe Code of Alabama was searched across Title 32 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic), including all of Chapter 5 and Chapter 5A, and Title 3 Chapter 1 on animals; no section requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. Section 32-5A-53 bars driving when the load or the number of persons in the front seat obstructs the driver's view or interferes with the driving mechanism, and it names no animal.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionTitle 32 was searched for provisions on animals in an open bed or cargo area and on riding on the exterior of a vehicle; none was found. Pickup trucks appear in the code only in registration, license plate and occupant restraint contexts.

Distracted driving

Names animalsALEA Highway Patrol distracted driving release (Ala. Code § 32-5A-350.1) · Alabama Law Enforcement AgencySection 32-5A-350.1 defines operating a motor vehicle in a distracted manner around wireless and stand-alone electronic devices and does not name animals. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Highway Patrol Division distracted driving release states that pets stay secured in their zone in the back of the vehicle.

Cruelty statute

General law onlyAla. Code § 13A-11-14 · Alabama LegislatureSection 13A-11-14 reaches recklessly or with criminal negligence subjecting an animal to cruel mistreatment or subjecting an animal in one's custody to cruel neglect. Title 3 Chapter 1 and Title 13A were searched for carrying or transport language, and none appears.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the tableAlaska →

Alaska AK

Alaska licenses drivers through the Division of Motor Vehicles, whose Driver Manual lists securing a pet among its distracted-driving tips and sets no requirement to restrain an animal in a vehicle. Nothing in that manual addresses a dog riding in an open truck bed, and the state's own statute sites refuse requests, so the cruelty statute's reach stays unread.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe Alaska Driver Manual, published by the Division of Motor Vehicles and revised 10/2025, was searched in full and states no requirement that an animal be restrained in a vehicle. Securing a pet appears only as item 8 of its ten distracted-driving tips, while the same manual states the occupant-restraint requirements for people as law.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Alaska Driver Manual does not address occupancy of an open cargo area by an animal or a person, so its silence settles nothing, and no other reachable state publication addresses the question. The one truck-bed animal rule located, Matanuska-Susitna Borough code 24.05.070(E), is borough law and appeared only inside a citizen comment filed with the Board of Game.

Distracted driving

Names animalsAlaska Driver Manual, Distracted Driving · Alaska Division of Motor VehiclesThe Division of Motor Vehicles driver manual lists "Secure your pets" among its ten tips for managing common distractions and states that pets can be a big distraction in the car. The same section states that texting while driving is against the law in Alaska and points to AS 28.35.161 for prohibited device uses.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedNo reachable Alaska publication carries the text of the state cruelty statute: akleg.gov and law.alaska.gov return 403, and courts.alaska.gov and public.courts.alaska.gov refuse connections from this environment. The Division of Corporations statute compilation for veterinarians reproduces Title 08 licensing law only, with no cruelty or animal-transport provision.

Not fully confirmed. Alaska statute text is unreachable from this environment on every official host tried: akleg.gov 403, law.alaska.gov 403, courts.alaska.gov and public.courts.alaska.gov connection refused, dot.alaska.gov rejected at its firewall, health.alaska.gov 403. The reachable publications, the DMV Driver Manual and the Division of Corporations veterinary compilation, address neither the cruelty statute nor open truck beds.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← AlabamaArizona →

Arizona AZ

Arizona has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Section 28-893 reaches a load or passengers that obstruct the driver's view, and section 28-909 applies to human occupants only. Section 13-2910 reaches leaving an animal unattended and confined in a motor vehicle when injury or death is likely. Title 28 has no open truck bed provision.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteArizona Revised Statutes Title 28 was searched section by section and contains no requirement that an animal in a moving vehicle be restrained. Section 28-893 reaches a load or passengers obstructing the driver's view or interfering with driving, section 28-909 applies to human occupants, and section 28-915, proposed in 2025 to bar an animal on the driver's lap, does not exist in the code.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe official Title 28 section index was searched for provisions on animals or persons riding in an open bed or cargo area and on riding on the exterior of a vehicle; none was found. The only riding provisions found cover motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, bicycles and ridden animals on a roadway.

Distracted driving

General law onlyAriz. Rev. Stat. § 28-914 · Arizona State LegislatureSection 28-914 prohibits physically holding a portable wireless communication device and writing or reading text-based communication while driving, and it does not mention animals. Reckless driving under section 28-693 and aggressive driving under section 28-695 also name no animal.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsAriz. Rev. Stat. § 13-2910 · Arizona State LegislatureSection 13-2910(A)(7) reaches intentionally or knowingly leaving an animal unattended and confined in a motor vehicle where physical injury to or death of the animal is likely to result. Section 28-912 sets transport conditions for equine only and does not reach dogs.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← AlaskaArkansas →

Arkansas AR

Arkansas sets no general rule about carrying a dog in a moving vehicle. The state's motor vehicle and traffic laws carry no animal restraint requirement and no rule on dogs in open truck beds. Section 27-51-104 makes careless driving and driving while inattentive unlawful without naming animals. Whether the cruelty statute reaches how an animal is carried could not be confirmed, because the General Assembly's site times out.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, published by the Department of Public Safety as Volume 1, Edition 10, July 2026, was searched in full and sets no rule for carrying an animal in a moving vehicle; its only pet passage covers children and pets left unattended in a parked car. The department's ACIC charge-code list records no offense for an unrestrained animal in a vehicle.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe ACIC charge-code list, which enumerates Title 27 traffic offenses as well as Title 5 animal offenses, contains no offense for carrying an animal in an open truck bed; the nearest entry, Arkansas Code 27-35-104, covers a person riding in spaces not intended for passengers. The current driver study guide addresses the subject nowhere.

Distracted driving

General law onlyArkansas Driver License Study Guide, Distracted Driving (Ark. Code § 27-51-1601) · Arkansas Department of Public SafetyThe Department of Public Safety driver license study guide carries a required distracted driving section naming the Fewer Distractions Means Safer Driving Act at Ark. Code 27-51-1601, described there in terms of electronic device use. Neither that section nor the guide's distraction material ties the law to an animal; its only pet reference concerns animals left unattended in a vehicle.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsACIC Charge Code List, 20 January 2026, the row for Arkansas Code 5-62-119, cruelty in transportation of animals · Arkansas Department of Public Safety, Arkansas Crime Information CenterThe state charge-code list records 'CRUELTY IN TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS' under Arkansas Code 5-62-119 as an active unclassified misdemeanor, alongside 5-62-103 cruelty to animals and 5-62-104 aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat or horse. The list carries offense titles and statute numbers only, and the code text itself is published through a LexisNexis portal that does not render.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← ArizonaCalifornia →

California CA

Vehicle Code Section 23117 requires an animal carried in a truck's load space to be enclosed, cross tethered, or held in a secured container or cage, with exemptions for livestock and ranching or farming dogs. No California statute requires an animal to be restrained inside the passenger compartment. Penal Code Section 597a reaches carrying a domestic animal in a vehicle in a cruel or inhuman manner.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe California Vehicle Code was searched and no provision requires an animal riding inside the passenger compartment to be restrained or secured. Section 23117 reaches only the load space of a truck, the occupant restraint sections at 27315 and 27360 apply to people, and Section 21701 addresses interference with the driver without naming animals.

Open truck bed

RestrictedCal. Veh. Code § 23117 · California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselSection 23117(a) bars transporting an animal in the load space of a vehicle on a highway unless the space is enclosed, has side and tail racks at least 46 inches high, has an installed means of preventing discharge, or the animal is cross tethered or in a secured container or cage. Subdivision (b) exempts livestock and dogs transported for ranching or farming purposes.

Distracted driving

Names animalsCalifornia Driver's Handbook, "Do Not Drive Distracted" · California Department of Motor VehiclesThe Department of Motor Vehicles handbook lists "Looking at a phone, navigation system, children, and pets" among common distractions to avoid while driving. No California statute on distracted driving names an animal.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsCal. Penal Code § 597a · California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselSection 597a makes it a misdemeanor to carry, or cause to be carried, in or upon any vehicle any domestic animal in a cruel or inhuman manner. The general cruelty section, 597(b), contains no vehicle carriage language.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← ArkansasColorado →

Colorado CO

Colorado has no statute requiring an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained and none restricting an animal in an open truck bed; Title 42 was searched. Section 42-4-1402 defines careless driving without naming animals, and Department of Transportation guidance lists attending to pets as distracted driving. Section 18-9-202 covers carrying or confining an animal in or upon a vehicle in a cruel or reckless manner.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe official 2024 Colorado Revised Statutes text of Title 42, Vehicles and Traffic, was searched for dog, pet and animal provisions and contains no requirement that an animal in a moving vehicle be restrained or secured. Section 42-4-201, on obstruction of the driver's view, names loads and front seat occupants exceeding three persons, not animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe official 2024 Colorado Revised Statutes text of Title 42 was searched for the terms dog, pet, animal, truck bed, open bed and cargo area, and contains no provision restricting the carriage of a dog in an open bed or cargo area. No local ordinance authority on the subject appears in the title either.

Distracted driving

Names animalsColorado Department of Transportation, Distracted Driving · Colorado Department of TransportationThe Department of Transportation lists "looking after children or pets" among the behaviors that constitute distracted driving. The careless driving statute, Section 42-4-1402(1), is framed in general terms and does not name animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsC.R.S. § 18-9-202(1)(a) · Colorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal ServicesSection 18-9-202(1)(a) states that a person commits cruelty to animals who knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence "carries or confines in or upon any vehicles in a cruel or reckless manner". The phrase sits in the same list as overdriving, overloading and failing to provide protection from the weather.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← CaliforniaConnecticut →

Connecticut CT

Section 14-272b requires a dog carried in the open rearward compartment of a pickup truck to be caged or otherwise secured against being thrown, falling, or jumping out. No Connecticut statute requires an animal inside the vehicle to be restrained. Section 53-247 reaches carrying an animal in a cruel manner, and the Department of Motor Vehicles manual lists pets among driver distractions.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteChapter 248 of Title 14, the vehicle highway use chapter, was searched and contains no requirement that an animal riding inside a vehicle be restrained. Section 14-272, titled "Projecting loads. Carrying of animals.", is repealed, leaving Section 14-272b on pickup beds as the only animal carriage provision in the chapter.

Open truck bed

RestrictedConn. Gen. Stat. § 14-272b · Connecticut General AssemblySection 14-272b bars a person operating a pickup truck on a public highway from transporting a dog in the open rearward compartment unless the dog is secured in a cage or other container, or otherwise protected or secured so as to prevent it from being thrown, falling or jumping from the truck. The section applies to pickup trucks as defined in Section 14-1 and carries no farm or livestock exemption.

Distracted driving

Names animalsState of Connecticut Driver's Manual, "Distracted Driving" · Connecticut Department of Motor VehiclesThe Department of Motor Vehicles manual lists "Attending to children or pets in the vehicle" among distractions that occur inside a moving vehicle, and elsewhere names unrestrained pets as raising crash risk. Section 14-296aa, the mobile device statute, does not name animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsConn. Gen. Stat. § 53-247(a) · Connecticut General AssemblySection 53-247(a) reaches a person having charge or custody of an animal who "carries it or causes it to be carried in a cruel manner", alongside failing to provide proper food, drink or protection from the weather. A first offence carries a fine of up to one thousand dollars, imprisonment of up to one year, or both.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← ColoradoDelaware →

Delaware DE

Delaware has no statute requiring an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained and none restricting an animal in an open truck bed; Title 21 was searched. Section 4176 defines careless and inattentive driving without naming animals, and the Division of Motor Vehicles manual lists pets among distractions. Section 1325 covers confining an animal unattended in a standing or parked vehicle at a dangerous temperature.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe complete official text of Title 21, Motor Vehicles, was searched on Delaware Code Online and contains no requirement that an animal in a moving vehicle be restrained or secured. The only canine reference in the title concerns guide dogs, and Section 4199A on riding and protrusion beyond the limits of a vehicle addresses persons rather than animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe complete official text of Title 21 was searched on Delaware Code Online for the terms dog, animal, open bed, truck bed and cargo area, and contains no provision restricting the carriage of a dog in an open bed or cargo area. Subchapter XIII of Chapter 41, which covers riding in and on vehicles, addresses persons and house trailers only.

Distracted driving

Names animalsDelaware Driver Manual, distracted driving checklist · Delaware Department of Transportation, Division of Motor VehiclesThe Division of Motor Vehicles manual lists "Focusing attention on children or pets" among the activities that indicate a driver is doing more than can be managed safely. The underlying statute, Section 4176, defines careless driving and inattentive driving in general terms without naming animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animals11 Del. C. § 1325(b)(6) · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code OnlineSection 1325(b)(6) makes it cruelty to animals to confine an animal unattended in a standing or parked motor vehicle in which the temperature is so high or so low as to endanger the health or safety of the animal, and it exempts the legal transportation of agricultural animals in vehicles designed for them. The provision addresses a stationary vehicle rather than the manner in which an animal is carried while driving.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← ConnecticutDistrict of Columbia →

District of Columbia DC

The District has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. D.C. Official Code § 50-1731.02 defines distracted driving to include interacting with pets, and § 50-1731.03 prohibits it. Section 22-1002 reaches carrying an animal in or upon a vehicle in an unnecessarily cruel or inhuman manner. No District provision addresses carrying an animal in an open truck bed.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe D.C. Official Code chapter listing for Title 50 (Motor and Non-Motor Vehicles and Traffic) and the Metropolitan Police Department's schedule of moving violations were searched, and no provision requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. Title 50 contains no chapter addressing animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe D.C. Official Code Title 50 chapter listing and the Metropolitan Police Department's schedule of moving violations were searched, and no provision addresses an animal in an open bed or cargo area. The exterior-riding entries in that schedule apply to passengers.

Distracted driving

Names animalsD.C. Official Code § 50-1731.02 · Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law LibrarySection 50-1731.02 defines distracted driving as inattentive driving resulting in unsafe operation where the inattention is caused by, among other things, interacting with pets or unsecured cargo. Section 50-1731.03 prohibits distracted driving, and § 50-1731.06 sets the fine at $100.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsD.C. Official Code § 22-1002 · Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law LibrarySection 22-1002 applies to an owner or custodian who carries an animal, or causes it to be carried, in or upon any vehicle in an unnecessarily cruel or inhuman manner. Section 8-1808.02 separately bars leaving an animal alone in a vehicle in a way that endangers its health or safety.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← DelawareFlorida →

Florida FL

Florida has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Section 316.1925 requires careful and prudent driving without naming animals; the state highway safety department lists unsecured pets among common driver distractions. Section 828.12(1) reaches carrying an animal in or upon any vehicle in a cruel or inhumane manner. Section 316.2015 restricts people riding on a vehicle's exterior and says nothing about animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe official section index to Fla. Stat. ch. 316 (State Uniform Traffic Control) was searched along with § 316.2004, and no Florida statute requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. Section 316.2004 addresses loading and passenger position without naming animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionChapter 316 was searched, including § 316.2015 on riding on the exterior of a vehicle and § 316.520 on loads, and no provision addresses an animal in an open bed or cargo area. Section 316.2015 restricts persons, and its open-body limit applies to minors under 18 on limited access facilities.

Distracted driving

Names animalsFlorida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, distracted driving guidance (Put It Down: Focus On The Road) · Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor VehiclesFla. Stat. § 316.1925 requires driving in a careful and prudent manner and does not name animals. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles lists unsecured pets among the common distractions on its distracted driving page.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsFla. Stat. § 828.12(1) · Florida Legislature, Online SunshineSection 828.12(1) makes it animal cruelty to carry an animal in or upon any vehicle, or otherwise, in a cruel or inhumane manner. The same subsection also covers overloading, tormenting and depriving an animal of necessary sustenance or shelter.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← District of ColumbiaGeorgia →

Georgia GA

Georgia's official code could not be read for this entry, so no restraint or truck-bed finding is recorded. Code Section 40-6-241 requires due care and bars distracting actions, and state driver guidance lists pets among crash risks. Code Section 40-8-79, as described in a Department of Public Safety handout, restricts only passengers under 18 in an uncovered truck bed on interstates.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedGeorgia's motor vehicle code carries no requirement that an animal be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle; the Department of Public Safety's Title 40 traffic and criminal code listing was searched and names no animal-in-vehicle offense, and the Department of Driver Services manual states none. The nearest provision, Code Section 40-6-242, reaches a vehicle overloaded with passengers or freight so as to obstruct the driver's view or control, and does not name animals.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe narrowing is an age threshold combined with a limited-access-highway limit: Code Section 40-8-79 reaches only a passenger under 18 riding in the uncovered bed of a pickup truck on an interstate highway. It names passengers rather than animals, and no Georgia provision addresses an animal carried in a truck bed.

Distracted driving

Names animalsGeorgia Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Traffic Laws & Safe Driving (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-241) · Georgia Department of Driver ServicesO.C.G.A. § 40-6-241(b) requires a driver to exercise due care and bars actions that distract the driver from safe operation; the section names no animal. The Georgia Department of Driver Services driver's manual lists the presence of passengers and pets among things that increase crash risk and then states that due care requirement.

Cruelty statute

General law onlyO.C.G.A. § 16-12-4 (as revised by Ga. L. 2014, HB 863) · Georgia General AssemblySection 16-12-4 defines cruelty to animals as causing physical pain, suffering or death by an unjustifiable act or omission, or failing to provide adequate food, water, sanitary conditions or ventilation. The enacted text carries no language about how an animal is carried in a vehicle.

Not fully confirmed. restraint and truckBed could not be confirmed. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated is available online only through a LexisNexis portal that requires JavaScript and cookies, and legis.ga.gov returns a client-rendered shell for its code and search pages, so Title 40 could not be full-text searched. Enacted bill text from the General Assembly's own document service confirmed §§ 40-6-241 and 16-12-4, but that route cannot establish the absence of a restraint or open-bed provision.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← FloridaHawaii →

Hawaii HI

Section 291C-124(b) bars holding an animal in the driver's lap or allowing one in the driver's immediate area where it interferes with control of the vehicle; Hawaii has no broader restraint requirement. Section 711-1109(1)(e) reaches carrying an animal in a vehicle in a cruel or inhumane manner. Section 291-14 restricts people, not animals, in a pickup bed.

Animal restraint statute

Limited provisionHaw. Rev. Stat. § 291C-124(b) · Hawaii State LegislatureSection 291C-124(b) bars a driver from holding an animal in the lap, or allowing an animal in the driver's immediate area, where it interferes with the driver's control over the driving mechanism. The section listings for chapters 291 and 291C carry no general requirement to restrain or secure an animal.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe official section listings for HRS chapters 291 and 291C were searched, and no statute addresses an animal in an open bed or cargo area. Section 291-14 sets pickup truck restrictions by its terms for persons standing or seated in the bed or load-carrying area.

Distracted driving

Names animalsHaw. Rev. Stat. § 291C-124(b) · Hawaii State LegislatureSection 291C-124(b) names an animal expressly, alongside a person or object, in the driver's lap or immediate area where it interferes with control of the vehicle. The separate inattention to driving offence at § 291-12 turns on negligent operation causing a collision and names no animal.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsHaw. Rev. Stat. § 711-1109(1)(e) · Hawaii State LegislatureSection 711-1109(1)(e) makes it cruelty to animals in the second degree to carry, or cause to be carried, in or upon any vehicle or other conveyance, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner. Paragraph (f) separately covers confining a pet animal in a kennel or cage in a cruel or inhumane manner.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← GeorgiaIdaho →

Idaho ID

No Idaho restraint, cruelty or truck bed provision could be confirmed here: legislature.idaho.gov, the only official host for the Idaho Code, refused every connection during this review. The Idaho Transportation Department's driver handbook lists dealing with pets among the distractions that cause crashes and suggests a pet carrier, and it sets out no rule on carrying an animal.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Idaho Code is published only at legislature.idaho.gov, which refused every connection during this review, so Title 49 could not be searched for a restraint provision. The Idaho Transportation Department's driver handbook, which was retrieved from itd.idaho.gov, sets out no rule requiring an animal to be restrained or secured.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedlegislature.idaho.gov refused every connection during this review, so Title 49 could not be searched for a provision on riding in or carrying anything in a truck bed. The Idaho Transportation Department driver handbook and DMV guidance pages, both retrieved from itd.idaho.gov, contain no truck bed rule.

Distracted driving

Names animalsIdaho Driver's Handbook, Distracted Driving section · Idaho Transportation DepartmentThe Idaho Driver's Handbook lists "Dealing with children or pets" among the distractions that can cause crashes, and states that placing pets in a pet carrier keeps them from causing problems while driving. That handbook is departmental guidance and cites no Idaho Code section for the point.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedTitle 25, Chapter 35 is published only at legislature.idaho.gov, which refused every connection during this review, so the chapter text and any language on carrying or transporting an animal could not be read from the official code. itd.idaho.gov and isp.idaho.gov were reachable but publish no statutory text on animal transport.

Not fully confirmed. legislature.idaho.gov, the only official publisher of the Idaho Code, refused TCP connections on every attempt (ECONNREFUSED to 164.165.66.180 on port 443 and on port 80, across two independent fetchers and roughly a dozen tries, including the chapter PDF path /wp-content/uploads/statutesrules/idstat/Title25/T25CH35.pdf). www.legislature.idaho.gov (164.165.66.135) and lso.legislature.idaho.gov (164.165.64.165) behaved identically, while idaho.gov, itd.idaho.gov and isp.idaho.gov all resolved and returned 200, so the refusal is specific to the legislature's servers. Idaho Code 25-3505 and Title 49 section text appeared only in aggregator results, which the source policy excludes, so the blocks stay unverified rather than borrowed.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← HawaiiIllinois →

Illinois IL

Illinois has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none covering a dog in an open truck bed; 625 ILCS 5/11-1408 addresses riding in a towed trailer. The distracted-driving offense, 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2, is written around electronic communication devices. Under 510 ILCS 70/7.1 confining an animal in a vehicle is a chargeable offense.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification statute list, the state's current index of chargeable Illinois offenses, was searched and carries no offense requiring an animal to be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle, and none covering a dog on the driver's lap or loose in the front seat; its vehicle restraint entries are child restraints under 625 ILCS 25/4 and the disability restraint device under 625 ILCS 5/12-810. The Illinois Compiled Statutes host ilga.gov refused connections on every attempt during this review.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification statute list was searched and carries no offense covering an animal in an open bed or cargo area, and no crate, tether or rack requirement for one. The nearest entry, 625 ILCS 5/11-1408, is recorded as illegal riding in a towed trailer; ilga.gov, which publishes the Illinois Compiled Statutes, refused connections throughout this review.

Distracted driving

General law onlyIllinois State Police, Distracted Driving (traffic safety publication) · Illinois State PoliceThis Illinois State Police publication states that Illinois law prohibits the use of handheld cellphones and prohibits the use of headsets while driving. Neither it nor the department's companion sheet mentions pets or animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsIllinois State Police statute list, on 510 ILCS 70/7.1 · Illinois State Police, Bureau of IdentificationThe Humane Care for Animals Act reaches vehicles directly: the Illinois State Police statute list records 510 ILCS 70/7.1 as the offense of confining an animal in a vehicle, and 510 ILCS 70/7 as improper animal confinement. The same Act carries 510 ILCS 70/7.5(d) on transporting a downed animal, and 510 ILCS 70/3.01 on cruelty to animals.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← IdahoIndiana →

Indiana IN

No Indiana rule on carrying a dog in a moving vehicle could be confirmed from a primary source in this review. The Indiana Code portal at iga.in.gov serves its index page but not the script that renders statute text, and the state portal hosts under in.gov, including the BMV, State Police and INDOT, refused every connection. Restraint, distraction, cruelty and open-bed carriage remain unverified.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Indiana Code at iga.in.gov would not render: its index page references a JavaScript bundle the server answers with the site's fallback HTML, so no statute text ever loads. The state portal hosts www.in.gov, bmv.in.gov, isp.in.gov and indot.in.gov refused every connection, leaving Title 9 unread.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedNo Indiana Code provision on carrying an animal in an open bed could be confirmed. iga.in.gov served only its shell page, its PDF paths for IC 9-21 returned that same shell, and in.gov, which hosts the Indiana Code PDF copies and the BMV driver's manual, refused connections.

Distracted driving

UnverifiedWhat was checkedIC 9-21-8 could not be read: iga.in.gov returns only its shell page because the script that renders statute text is served as fallback HTML, and the official API at api.iga.in.gov requires a key. Official guidance on in.gov, including the BMV driver's manual and INDOT fact sheets, was unreachable because in.gov refused connections.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedIC 35-46-3 could not be read from a primary source. The Indiana Code portal at iga.in.gov did not render, in.gov and the Board of Animal Health host boah.in.gov refused connections, and archive.iga.in.gov carries only session material from 2000 to 2013, not the current code.

Not fully confirmed. The Indiana Code site iga.in.gov is serving its React index page in place of the JavaScript bundle it references, so every code route, including the PDF paths, returns an empty shell; its public API requires an API key. The Indiana state portal at in.gov and every agency subdomain checked (BMV, State Police, INDOT, Board of Animal Health) refused connections outright, and the IGA archive host holds nothing later than 2013. Only secondary aggregators carry the text, which the source policy excludes.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← IllinoisIowa →

Iowa IA

Iowa has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Section 321.288 requires a driver to have the vehicle under control at all times, and section 321.363 addresses loads and passengers that obstruct the driver's view; neither names an animal. Chapter 717B covers abuse and neglect without transport language, and chapter 321 carries no truck-bed provision.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteIowa Code chapter 321, Motor Vehicles and Law of the Road, was searched for animal, animals, dog, dogs and pet, and chapter 351 on dogs was searched as well; the only animal provisions concern animal-drawn vehicles and reducing speed when passing an animal being led, ridden or driven. Neither chapter requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionIowa Code chapter 321 was searched for truck bed, open bed, cargo area, riding on the exterior of a vehicle and animal, and chapter 351 was searched for vehicle, transport and truck. No provision restricts carrying a dog in an open truck bed or cargo area.

Distracted driving

General law onlyIowa Code § 321.288 · Iowa LegislatureSection 321.288(1) states that a person operating a motor vehicle shall have the vehicle under control at all times, and section 321.277A limits careless driving to four specified acts; neither names an animal. The Iowa Department of Public Safety's distracted driving page addresses electronic devices only.

Cruelty statute

General law onlyIowa Code § 717B.3 · Iowa LegislatureSection 717B.3 reaches a person who owns or has custody of an animal, confines that animal, and fails to provide food, water, sanitary conditions, ventilated shelter, grooming or veterinary care, and section 717B.2 covers animal abuse. Chapter 717B contains no transport-specific or motor vehicle language.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← IndianaKansas →

Kansas KS

Kansas has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none restricting dogs in an open truck bed. K.S.A. 8-1576 addresses loads and front-seat occupants that obstruct the driver's view, naming persons rather than animals. K.S.A. 8-1566 covers reckless driving generally. K.S.A. 21-6412 defines cruelty to animals without transport-specific language.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteChapter 8, Article 15 of the Kansas Statutes was searched section by section and contains no requirement that an animal in a moving vehicle be restrained or secured. K.S.A. 8-1576 limits loads and front-seat occupants that obstruct the driver's view or interfere with control over the driving mechanism, and names persons rather than animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionChapter 8, Article 15 was searched for provisions on animals in an open bed or cargo area and on riding on the exterior of a vehicle, and contains none. K.S.A. 8-1578a restricts riding on a portion of a vehicle not designed or intended for passengers only for persons under 14 years of age.

Distracted driving

General law onlyK.S.A. 8-1566 · Kansas Office of Revisor of StatutesK.S.A. 8-1566 defines reckless driving as driving in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, and K.S.A. 8-15,111 restricts writing, sending or reading a written communication on a wireless device; neither names animals. No Kansas state agency guidance connecting an unrestrained animal to driver distraction was retrievable during this review.

Cruelty statute

General law onlyK.S.A. 21-6412 · Kansas Office of Revisor of StatutesK.S.A. 21-6412 defines cruelty to animals to include killing, injuring, maiming, abandoning, and knowingly failing to provide food, potable water, protection from the elements or other needed care. The section was read in full and carries no language about transporting, carrying or confining an animal in a vehicle.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← IowaKentucky →

Kentucky KY

Kentucky has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none restricting dogs in an open truck bed. KRS 189.290 requires an operator to drive in a careful manner without naming animals; the Kentucky State Police driver manual lists securing pets in a carrier among distraction measures. KRS 525.130 defines cruelty without transport language.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe complete section list of KRS Chapter 189 was reviewed and no section requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. KRS 189.470 limits loads and front-seat occupants that obstruct the operator's view or control, and names persons rather than animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe complete section list of KRS Chapter 189 was searched for provisions on animals in an open bed or cargo area and on riding on the exterior of a vehicle, and contains none.

Distracted driving

Names animalsKentucky Driver Manual, "Driver Distractions" (p. 23) · Kentucky State PoliceKRS 189.290(1) requires the operator of a vehicle upon a highway to operate it in a careful manner, with regard for the safety and convenience of pedestrians and other vehicles, and does not name animals. The state driver manual lists "Properly secure pets in a pet carrier or portable kennel" among its driver-distraction instructions.

Cruelty statute

General law onlyKRS 525.130 · Kentucky Legislative Research CommissionKRS 525.130 covers cruel or injurious mistreatment through abandonment, mutilation, beating, tormenting, and failing to provide adequate food, drink, space or health care, and cruel neglect of an animal in a person's custody. The section was read in full and carries no language about how an animal is transported or confined in a vehicle.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← KansasLouisiana →

Louisiana LA

No Louisiana rule on carrying a dog in a moving vehicle was confirmed for this entry. The state's official code at legis.la.gov did not respond to repeated requests, and the Department of Public Safety, Office of Motor Vehicles and State Police sites all returned automated bot challenges. Restraint, driver distraction, cruelty and truck-bed carriage therefore remain unverified against a primary source.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedLouisiana's official code at legis.la.gov did not respond on repeated HTTPS and HTTP attempts, and browser navigation to the same host was refused outright. The Office of Motor Vehicles portal at expresslane.dps.louisiana.gov and the State Police site at lsp.org both returned automated bot challenges that were not bypassed.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedlegis.la.gov, which carries Title 32 on motor vehicles and traffic regulation, did not respond, and senate.la.gov timed out as well. The Department of Public Safety hosts that summarise traffic law sat behind bot challenges, so no truck-bed provision could be confirmed in either direction.

Distracted driving

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Louisiana Highway Safety Commission traffic-safety law page on webdev01.dps.louisiana.gov refused the connection, and dpsweb.dps.louisiana.gov, which serves the Class D and E Driver's Guide, returned a bot challenge. legis.la.gov, the only official publisher of Title 32, did not respond, so no official distracted-driving text or guidance could be read.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedTitle 14 of the Revised Statutes is published only at legis.la.gov, which timed out on every request made during this review. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries sites were reachable but publish no statutory text on carrying an animal in a vehicle.

Not fully confirmed. Every official Louisiana source was unreachable. legis.la.gov, www.legis.la.gov and senate.la.gov timed out on both HTTPS and HTTP via direct request, and browser navigation to legis.la.gov was denied. webdev01.dps.louisiana.gov refused the connection. expresslane.dps.louisiana.gov, dpsweb.dps.louisiana.gov and lsp.org served Cloudflare bot-detection interstitials, which were not bypassed. www.dotd.la.gov and doa.louisiana.gov returned HTTP 403. The Internet Archive was returning 503 Temporarily Offline. Secondary aggregators carried the statutory text but are not citable under the source policy, so all four blocks stay unverified rather than borrowed.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← KentuckyMaine →

Maine ME

Maine section 2087 prohibits carrying a dog in the open portion of a pickup truck or other open vehicle on a public way unless the dog is secured against falling, jumping or being thrown out, with farm and hunting exceptions. No statute covers restraint inside an enclosed vehicle. Section 1031 reaches confining an animal in a vehicle in extreme heat or cold.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe section list of Title 29-A, chapter 19 was reviewed and no provision requires a dog inside an enclosed vehicle to be restrained; section 2081 covers seat belts and child restraint systems only. The single dog-specific driving provision, section 2087, reaches only the unenclosed portion of an open vehicle.

Open truck bed

Restricted29-A M.R.S. §2087 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of StatutesSection 2087(2) bars a person driving an open vehicle from transporting a dog in the open portion of that vehicle on a public way unless the dog is secured in a manner that prevents it from falling, jumping or being thrown from the vehicle; subsection 1 defines open vehicle to include pickup trucks and convertibles. Subsection 3 exempts a dog transported by a farmer or farm employee engaged in agricultural activities requiring the dog, and a hunting dog at or between hunting sites with a licensed hunter.

Distracted driving

Names animalsMaine Driver's License Manual, "Driver Distractions" (p. 3-3) · Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles29-A M.R.S. §2118 defines failure to maintain control of a motor vehicle to include committing a traffic violation while operating a vehicle while distracted, and defines distraction as an activity not necessary to operation that impairs safe operation, without naming animals. The state driver's license manual instructs drivers to keep pets in a pet carrier, not loose in the vehicle, in its driver-distraction list.

Cruelty statute

Names animals17 M.R.S. §1031(1)(K) · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of StatutesSection 1031(1)(K) makes it a Class D crime to confine an animal in a building, enclosure, car, boat, vehicle or vessel of any kind when extreme heat or extreme cold will be harmful to its health. The section was read in full and contains no other vehicle-transport language.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← LouisianaMaryland →

Maryland MD

Maryland has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Transportation § 21-1104 prohibits driving when a load or passenger obstructs the driver's view or interferes with the driving mechanism, without naming animals. MDOT MVA highway safety guidance names animals as a passenger distraction. Criminal Law § 10-604 covers cruelty generally, and § 21-1121 restricts only children, not animals, in an unenclosed pickup bed.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteTitle 21 of the Transportation Article was searched, including Subtitle 10 and Subtitle 11, and no provision requires a dog or other animal to be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle. Section 21-1104 restricts loads and passengers that obstruct the driver's view or interfere with the driving mechanism and does not name animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionTitle 21 of the Transportation Article was searched and no provision restricts carrying a dog in an open truck bed or cargo area. Section 21-1121 reaches only a passenger under 16 years old riding in the unenclosed bed of a Class E truck and does not mention animals.

Distracted driving

Names animalsMaryland Highway Safety Office, Common Causes of Distracted Driving · MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Highway Safety OfficeThe negligent and reckless driving provision at Transportation § 21-901.1 does not name animals. Official MDOT MVA Highway Safety Office guidance states that "Other passengers, including children and animals, can easily take your attention away from driving."

Cruelty statute

General law onlyMd. Code, Criminal Law § 10-604 · Maryland General AssemblySection 10-604 prohibits inflicting unnecessary suffering and failing to provide an animal with necessary care, and carries no language on how an animal is carried in a vehicle; §§ 10-601, 10-603 and 10-606 were also read and contain none. Transportation § 21-1004.1 separately prohibits leaving a cat or dog unattended in a standing or parked motor vehicle in a manner that endangers its health or safety.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MaineMassachusetts →

Massachusetts MA

Massachusetts sets no general rule requiring a dog to be restrained inside a moving car. Chapter 90, Section 22H requires an animal carried in a vehicle's load space to be enclosed, behind 46-inch racks, cross tethered, or in a secured container. Chapter 272, Section 77 reaches carrying an animal in a vehicle in an unnecessarily cruel manner. The hands-free law names devices, not animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteChapter 90 of the General Laws, the motor vehicle chapter, was searched section by section on the Commonwealth's official chapter index; Section 22H is the only section in the chapter that names animals, and it governs the load space rather than the passenger compartment. No requirement to secure an animal riding inside a moving vehicle appears in that index or on the Trial Court Law Libraries topic page collecting Massachusetts animal law.

Open truck bed

RestrictedMassachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries, on Mass. General Laws c. 90, § 22H · Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries, Massachusetts Court SystemSection 22H bars transporting an animal in the back of a motor vehicle in a space intended for a load on a public way unless that space is enclosed, has side and tail racks to a height of at least 46 inches extending vertically from the floor, the animal is cross tethered to the vehicle, or the animal is in a secured container or cage. The Trial Court Law Libraries reproduce the section's operative sentence in full at the cited page.

Distracted driving

General law onlyMass. General Laws c. 90, § 13B (Hand-held devices), as described in the Commonwealth's Hands-Free Law guidance · Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research, Mass.govMassachusetts law prohibits operating a motor vehicle while using an electronic device unless it is used in hands-free mode, effective February 23, 2020. The Commonwealth's Hands-Free Law and Distracted Driving pages describe electronic devices only and make no reference to animals or pets.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsMassachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries, on Mass. General Laws c. 272, § 77 · Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries, Massachusetts Court SystemSection 77 reaches an owner, possessor or person having charge or custody of an animal who carries it, or causes it to be carried, in or upon a vehicle, or otherwise, in an unnecessarily cruel or inhuman manner or in a way and manner which might endanger the animal carried thereon. The same section also covers inflicting unnecessary cruelty and failing to provide proper food, drink, shelter or sanitary environment.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MarylandMichigan →

Michigan MI

Michigan's Compiled Laws could not be read for this entry, so no restraint or truck-bed finding is recorded. MCL 257.682b, in the state's published Vehicle Code excerpt, bars an operator from letting anyone under 18 ride in an open pickup bed above 15 mph, and it does not reach animals. Cruelty falls under the Penal Code's animal chapter, which names no species.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Secretary of State's driver manual, What Every Driver Must Know, sets out Michigan's occupant restraint rules for adults and children and states no requirement to restrain a dog or any other animal in a moving vehicle. Its only mention of pets is that leaving children or pets alone in a parked vehicle is never safe.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedMCL 257.682b, reproduced in LARA's published excerpt of the Michigan Vehicle Code, bars an operator from permitting a person under 18 to ride in the open bed of a pickup truck above 15 miles per hour and says nothing about animals. The driver manual restates that rule for people under 18 and states no rule about carrying a dog in an open bed.

Distracted driving

Names animalsMichigan State Police, Office of Highway Safety Planning — Distracted Driving · Michigan Department of State Police, Office of Highway Safety PlanningThe Michigan State Police Office of Highway Safety Planning lists "Do not drive with a pet on your lap" among its tips for avoiding distraction, alongside the hands-free device law it describes. The statutory text of Michigan's careless driving provision was not read, because legislature.mi.gov could not be reached.

Cruelty statute

General law onlyMDARD Animal Control Officer page, on Michigan Penal Code Chapter IX (Animals) · Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentMDARD lists the Michigan Penal Code, Public Act 328 of 1931, Chapter IX, Animals, as the law addressing adequate care of animals, animal neglect and animal cruelty. MDARD's animal shelter requirements handout cites the same chapter as MCL 750.50 and states it in terms of animals generally, naming no species.

Not fully confirmed. legislature.mi.gov, the sole publisher of the Michigan Compiled Laws, returned a Check Point CloudGuard WAF block (HTTP 403) to every client used in this session, and courts.michigan.gov returned a Cloudflare block, so no Michigan statutory text could be read at a primary source.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MassachusettsMinnesota →

Minnesota MN

Minnesota has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none aimed at open truck beds. Section 343.24 makes it a misdemeanor to carry live animals on a vehicle without suitable racks, crates or cages, or in a cruel or inhumane manner. Sections 169.13 and 169.37 cover careless driving and obstructed view without naming animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe section headings of chapter 169, the traffic-regulation chapter, were searched and none requires an animal to be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle. Section 346.57 reaches only a dog or cat left unattended in a standing or parked motor vehicle.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe section headings of chapter 169 were searched and none addresses an animal in an open bed or cargo area. Section 343.24 sets a general requirement of suitable racks, cars, crates or cages for carrying live animals upon any vehicle rather than an open-bed rule, and is recorded under cruelty.

Distracted driving

General law onlyMinn. Stat. § 169.13, subd. 2 · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesSection 169.13, subdivision 2 reaches operating a vehicle "carelessly or heedlessly in disregard of the rights of others," and § 169.37 prohibits driving a vehicle so loaded as to obstruct the driver's view or interfere with control of the driving mechanism. Neither names animals, and § 169.475 covers only wireless communications devices.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsMinn. Stat. § 343.24 · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesSection 343.24, subdivision 1 makes it a misdemeanor to carry live animals upon any vehicle "without providing suitable racks, cars, crates, or cages in which the animals can both stand and lie down during transportation," or to carry a live animal with its feet or legs tied together "or in any other cruel or inhumane manner." The section is titled cruelty in transportation and its remaining clauses address livestock.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MichiganMississippi →

Mississippi MS

The Mississippi Code is published through a subscription portal and could not be read, so no restraint or truck-bed finding is recorded. Section 97-41-16, the Mississippi Dog and Cat Pet Protection Law, makes carrying or confining a domesticated dog or cat in a cruel manner a misdemeanor, and reserves felony penalties for aggravated cruelty. It reaches only dogs and cats.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Mississippi Driver's Manual published by the MDPS Driver Service Bureau sets out the state's seat belt and child restraint requirements and lists securing a pet in a pet carrier or portable kennel only among its recommendations for avoiding distraction. It states no requirement to restrain a dog in a moving vehicle.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Mississippi Driver's Manual covers seat belts, child restraints, pickup trucks and truck operation and states no rule about a person or an animal riding in an open truck bed. No such restriction appears in the state publications that could be reached.

Distracted driving

Names animalsMississippi Driver's Manual, "Avoiding Distractions" (revised January 15, 2025) · Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service BureauThe manual's "Avoiding Distractions" chapter lists "Properly secure pets in a pet carrier or portable kennel" among its distraction items, alongside passengers, eating and audio equipment. The careless driving statute itself was not read from a primary source for this review.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsSenate Bill 2658 (2020) as enacted, amending Miss. Code § 97-41-16 · Mississippi Legislature, Legislative Bill Status SystemSection 97-41-16, the Mississippi Dog and Cat Pet Protection Law of 2011 as amended by Senate Bill 2658 of 2020, makes it simple cruelty to carry or confine a domesticated dog or cat in a cruel manner, a misdemeanor, with felony penalties for aggravated cruelty. The section states that it applies to no animal other than a domesticated dog or cat.

Not fully confirmed. The Mississippi Code of 1972 is published only through the LexisNexis portal linked from legislature.ms.gov, so only sections reproduced in enacted bill text on billstatus.ls.state.ms.us could be confirmed; the motor vehicle title could not be searched at a primary source.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MinnesotaMissouri →

Missouri MO

No Missouri statute on carrying a dog in a moving vehicle was confirmed in this pass. The Revised Statutes of Missouri at revisor.mo.gov and the State Highway Patrol site both refused connections, leaving the traffic chapter, the animal abuse chapter and any open-bed provision unchecked. The absence of a confirmed citation records a research gap, not an absence of law.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedrevisor.mo.gov, which publishes the Revised Statutes of Missouri, refused TCP connections on port 443 on every attempt in this pass, so Chapter 304 could not be searched. mshp.dps.missouri.gov also refused connections and dor.mo.gov and dps.mo.gov returned HTTP 403.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedChapter 304 could not be searched for any provision on riding in an open bed or unenclosed area because revisor.mo.gov refused connections throughout this pass. house.mo.gov was reachable but only links out to revisor.mo.gov rather than carrying statute text.

Distracted driving

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe careless and imprudent driving and distracted driving sections of Chapter 304 could not be read because revisor.mo.gov refused connections throughout this pass. No Missouri state guidance page on a .gov or .us host was reachable to substitute, as mshp.dps.missouri.gov refused connections and dps.mo.gov returned HTTP 403.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedChapter 578, including sections 578.009 and 578.012, could not be retrieved because revisor.mo.gov refused TCP connections on port 443 on every attempt. No other official host carrying the Missouri code was reachable.

Not fully confirmed. Every official host carrying Missouri primary law was unreachable from this environment. revisor.mo.gov (168.166.54.15) and mshp.dps.missouri.gov (168.166.193.245) refused TCP connections on port 443 on repeated attempts, including with the network sandbox disabled, confirming the failure is at the origin rather than a local artifact. dor.mo.gov, dps.mo.gov and agriculture.mo.gov returned HTTP 403. house.mo.gov responded but carries no statute text. modot.org was reachable but is a .org host and so falls outside the stated source policy, which requires state DOT pages to be on a .gov or .us host; it was therefore not used as the source of any fact.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MississippiMontana →

Montana MT

Montana has no statute requiring an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained, and none restricting carriage in an open truck bed. Section 61-8-302 requires careful and prudent driving and does not name animals. Section 45-8-211 reaches subjecting an animal to mistreatment by carrying or confining it in a cruel manner, which covers how an animal is transported.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteTitle 61, chapter 8, part 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, which carries the vehicle operating requirements, was read section by section and contains no requirement that an animal in a moving vehicle be restrained or secured. Section 61-8-360 addresses people and loads that obstruct the operator's view or interfere with the driving mechanism, and does not name animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe vehicle operating requirements in Title 61, chapter 8, part 3 were read in full and contain no provision on carrying an animal in an open truck bed or cargo area. Section 61-8-370 requires a load to be secured against littering or creating an obstruction dangerous to other road users and does not name animals; section 61-8-366 restricts people riding on fenders and running boards.

Distracted driving

General law onlyMont. Code Ann. § 61-8-302 · Montana Legislature, Legislative Services Division (Montana Code Annotated)Section 61-8-302 requires a person driving on ways open to the public to drive in a careful and prudent manner that does not unduly or unreasonably endanger the life, limb, property or other rights of a person using those ways. The section does not name animals, and no official Montana guidance tying it to an unrestrained animal was located.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsMont. Code Ann. § 45-8-211 · Montana Legislature, Legislative Services Division (Montana Code Annotated)Section 45-8-211(1)(b) reaches a person who knowingly or negligently subjects an animal to mistreatment or neglect by "carrying or confining the animal in a cruel manner." The clause names carrying, so it reaches how an animal is transported, but it does not name vehicles specifically.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MissouriNebraska →

Nebraska NE

No Nebraska statute on carrying a dog in a moving vehicle was confirmed in this pass; nebraskalegislature.gov refused connections, leaving the cruelty and motor vehicle chapters unchecked. The state DMV driver's manual names a loose pet as a driving distraction and describes its cargo-area riding prohibition as covering children up to eighteen, with no animal provision stated.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkednebraskalegislature.gov, which publishes the Revised Statutes of Nebraska, refused TCP connections on port 443 on every attempt in this pass, so Chapters 60 and 39 could not be searched. The Nebraska DMV driver's manual advises securing a pet in a carrier, kennel or harness but states this as guidance and cites no statute.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedChapters 60 and 39 could not be searched for any cargo-area provision reaching animals because nebraskalegislature.gov refused connections throughout this pass. The Nebraska DMV driver's manual describes a cargo-area riding prohibition covering children up to age eighteen and states no animal provision, which does not establish what the code contains.

Distracted driving

Names animalsNebraska Driver's Manual (Class O), "Distracted / Aggressive Driving," January 2025 · Nebraska Department of Motor VehiclesThe manual's distracted driving chapter states that a loose pet in a moving vehicle can be very dangerous, lists securing a pet in a carrier, portable kennel or harness, and addresses a pet sitting on the driver's lap. The careless driving statute itself was not read from a primary source.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedChapter 28, article 10 could not be retrieved because nebraskalegislature.gov refused TCP connections on port 443 throughout this pass. No other official host carrying the Nebraska code was reachable, and update.legislature.ne.gov serves the Legislature's news publication rather than statute text.

Not fully confirmed. The official Nebraska code was unreachable from this environment. nebraskalegislature.gov (164.119.161.105) refused TCP connections on port 443 on repeated attempts, including with the network sandbox disabled, confirming the failure is at the origin rather than a local artifact. Other state-datacentre hosts on the same 164.119 range, including dot.nebraska.gov and govdocs.nebraska.gov, refused connections identically. update.legislature.ne.gov responded but serves the Unicameral Update news publication, not statute text. dmv.nebraska.gov and statepatrol.nebraska.gov were reachable and were read, but the DMV manual is official guidance rather than statute and so cannot settle a statute-shaped block; the State Patrol site carries no traffic-law or animal-cruelty content.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← MontanaNevada →

Nevada NV

Nevada has no law requiring a dog to be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle. The Department of Motor Vehicles identifies the pickup and flatbed bed restriction, NRS 484B.160, as reaching passengers under 18 rather than animals, and names NRS 202.487 on leaving a dog or cat unattended in extreme heat or cold. General careless-driving rules apply to every driver.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe Nevada DMV's official traffic-law page and the official Nevada Driver Handbook were searched, and both set occupant-restraint duties only for child passengers under NRS 484B.157, with no requirement that an animal be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle; the sole animal-in-vehicle provision either names is NRS 202.487 on leaving a dog or cat unattended in extreme heat or cold. The Nevada Revised Statutes host, leg.state.nv.us, returned an HTTP 403 Cloudflare block to every request, so the statutory text itself was not read.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe Nevada DMV's traffic-law page and the Nevada Driver Handbook were searched: the bed restriction they identify, NRS 484B.160, bars anyone under 18 from riding on the bed of a flatbed truck or within the bed of a pickup on a paved highway, with exceptions for authorized parades, farming or ranching use, and camper shells or slide-in campers, and it reaches passengers rather than animals. No Nevada provision on carrying a dog in an open bed was found in those official materials.

Distracted driving

General law onlyNevada DMV traffic laws page, on NRS 484B.165 · Nevada Department of Motor VehiclesThe Nevada DMV states that texting, accessing the internet and hand-held cell phone use while driving are illegal under NRS 484B.165. Neither that page nor the DMV's distracted-driving material mentions animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsNevada Driver's Handbook, on NRS 202.487 · Nevada Department of Motor VehiclesThe official Nevada Driver Handbook states that under NRS 202.487 it is illegal to leave a dog or cat unattended in a vehicle during periods of extreme heat or cold, and that officers may use reasonable force to remove the animal. The statutory text itself could not be retrieved from the Legislature's site.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← NebraskaNew Hampshire →

New Hampshire NH

RSA 644:8-f bars carrying a dog in the back of a pickup truck on a public way unless the space is enclosed, side and tail racks reach 46 inches, the dog is cross tethered, or the dog rides in a secured container or cage. Farm and hunting dogs are excepted. Whether any statute reaches a dog riding inside the vehicle could not be confirmed; the General Court's RSA site refused every request.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe only securing requirement located in New Hampshire statute applies to a dog carried in the back of a pickup truck under RSA 644:8-f, and it does not reach a dog riding inside the vehicle. No general in-vehicle restraint requirement appears in the official materials reviewed.

Open truck bed

RestrictedNew Hampshire animal cruelty manual, on RSA 644:8-f · State of New Hampshire, Governor's Commission on the Humane Treatment of AnimalsRSA 644:8-f bars transporting a dog in the back of a pickup truck on a public way unless the space is enclosed, side and tail racks reach at least 46 inches vertically from the floor, the dog is cross tethered to the vehicle, or the dog is in a secured container or cage, in a manner that prevents it from being thrown or from falling or jumping out. Farm dogs engaged in farming activities and licensed hunters' hunting dogs are excepted.

Distracted driving

Names animalsNew Hampshire Driver's Manual, Driver Distractions · New Hampshire Division of Motor VehiclesThe state driver's manual, in its driver distractions section, instructs drivers to properly secure pets in a pet carrier or portable kennel. The statutes named in that section, RSA 265:79-c on hand-held electronic devices and RSA 265:79-b on negligent driving, do not name animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsNew Hampshire animal cruelty manual, on RSA 644:8, III(d) · State of New Hampshire, Governor's Commission on the Humane Treatment of AnimalsRSA 644:8, III(d) makes it an offense to negligently transport an animal in one's possession or custody in a manner injurious to the health, safety or physical well-being of the animal. RSA 644:8-aa separately makes it cruelty to confine an animal in a motor vehicle at a temperature high or low enough to cause serious harm.

Not fully confirmed. The restraint block is only partly confirmed. The General Court's RSA site (gc.nh.gov and www.gencourt.state.nh.us) returned firewall blocks on every request from this environment, over http and https and from two separate fetchers, so Title XXI could not be searched directly for an in-vehicle restraint provision, and the negative finding rests on the DMV manual and the state cruelty manual instead. The RSA texts quoted were read in the state's 2020 animal cruelty manual rather than on the General Court site, so amendments after its March 2021 publication were not checked.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← NevadaNew Jersey →

New Jersey NJ

New Jersey has no statute requiring a dog in a moving vehicle to be restrained, and none addressing dogs in open truck beds. Section 4:22-18 makes carrying a living animal in or upon a vehicle in a cruel or inhumane manner a disorderly persons offense. Careless driving under Section 39:4-97 does not mention animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe New Jersey Legislature's official statutes database was searched for a requirement to restrain or secure an animal in a moving vehicle, including the terms restrain, unrestrained, secured, crate, front seat and pickup truck combined with animal, and no such provision exists in the enacted statutes.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe New Jersey Legislature's official statutes database was searched for provisions on animals in an open bed or cargo area, including open bed, bed of a pickup, cargo area and pickup truck combined with animal, and no such provision exists. Section 39:4-69, which bars riding on a part of a vehicle not designed or intended for passengers, applies to persons.

Distracted driving

General law onlyN.J. Stat. Ann. § 39:4-97 · New Jersey Legislature, New Jersey Statutes databaseSection 39:4-97 makes it careless driving to drive a vehicle carelessly, or without due caution and circumspection, in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger a person or property. The section does not mention animals, and no official state guidance tying it to an unrestrained animal was located.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsN.J. Stat. Ann. § 4:22-18 · New Jersey Legislature, New Jersey Statutes databaseSection 4:22-18 makes it a disorderly persons offense to carry, or cause to be carried, a living animal in or upon a vehicle or otherwise in a cruel or inhumane manner. Section 4:22-52 directs the arresting officer to take charge of the vehicle and its contents in such a case.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← New HampshireNew Mexico →

New Mexico NM

New Mexico has no statute requiring an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained and none on carrying a dog in an open truck bed. Section 66-8-114 requires a driver's full time and entire attention and makes careless, inattentive or imprudent driving a misdemeanor. Section 30-18-1 covers cruelty generally and carries no transport language.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteChapter 66 NMSA 1978 was searched in full text on the New Mexico Compilation Commission's official database for dog, animal, pickup, lap and obstruction terms, and it contains no requirement to secure an animal in a moving vehicle. Section 66-7-357 restricts loads and passengers that obstruct the driver's view or control, without naming animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionChapter 66 NMSA 1978 was searched for pickup, truck bed, cargo area and animal provisions and contains nothing restricting carriage of a dog in an open bed; Section 66-8-138 refers to a pickup bed only in the open-container rule. Chapters 30 and 77 were searched as well and carry no such provision.

Distracted driving

General law onlyN.M. Stat. Ann. § 66-8-114 · New Mexico Compilation CommissionSection 66-8-114 requires a person operating a vehicle on the highway to give full time and entire attention to the operation of the vehicle, and makes careless, inattentive or imprudent driving a misdemeanor. The section does not mention animals, and the state driver manual does not connect it to a pet.

Cruelty statute

General law onlyN.M. Stat. Ann. § 30-18-1 · New Mexico Compilation CommissionSection 30-18-1 defines cruelty to animals as negligently mistreating, injuring, killing without lawful justification or tormenting an animal, or abandoning or failing to provide necessary sustenance. It carries no language about transporting or confining an animal in a vehicle.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← New JerseyNew York →

New York NY

New York has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none governing an open truck bed. Agriculture and Markets Law § 359 makes carrying an animal in or upon a vehicle in a cruel or inhuman manner a misdemeanor, and § 353-d addresses confinement in extreme heat or cold. The DMV manual lists securing pets among distraction-avoidance steps.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe Vehicle and Traffic Law was searched on the New York State Senate's official law site and contains no provision requiring an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. Senate Bill S675 of 2025, which would add such a section, remains in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionThe Vehicle and Traffic Law was searched on the official New York State Senate law site and contains no section restricting carriage of a dog in an open bed or cargo area. The proposed § 1222-a returns no entry in the official law database, and the 2025 bill that would create it is still in committee.

Distracted driving

Names animalsNew York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 8: Defensive Driving · New York State Department of Motor VehiclesThe Department of Motor Vehicles driver's manual lists pets among driver distractions and directs that pets be secured in a pet carrier or portable kennel. No Vehicle and Traffic Law section names an animal; VTL § 1212 defines reckless driving in general terms only.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsN.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 359 · New York State Senate, NYS Open LegislationSection 359(1) makes it a misdemeanor to carry, or cause to be carried, in or upon any vessel or vehicle any animal in a cruel or inhuman manner or so as to produce torture. Section 353-d separately addresses confining a companion animal in a vehicle in extreme heat or cold.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← New MexicoNorth Carolina →

North Carolina NC

North Carolina has no law requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. The Division of Motor Vehicles applies G.S. 20-135.2B, the open pick-up-bed rule, to children under 16 rather than to animals, and lists exceptions for adult supervision, emergencies, parades and agricultural use. Whether the cruelty statute reaches how an animal is carried could not be confirmed; the General Statutes host refused every request.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe North Carolina Driver Handbook published by NCDOT's Division of Motor Vehicles was searched, and it sets occupant-restraint duties for people only, through seat belt and child-restraint rules, with no requirement that an animal be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle. The General Statutes host, ncleg.gov, returned an HTTP 403 Cloudflare block to every request, so the code text itself was not read.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe North Carolina Driver Handbook published by NCDOT was searched: it states that G.S. 20-135.2B prohibits children under 16 from riding in the open bed or open cargo area of a pick-up truck, with exceptions for a supervising adult in the bed, an approved seat belt, an emergency, a parade, and agricultural enterprise use, and it reaches children rather than animals. No North Carolina provision on carrying a dog in an open bed was found in that official material.

Distracted driving

Names animalsNCDOT, Avoiding Distracted Driving · North Carolina Department of TransportationThe Department of Transportation's distracted driving page names pets, directing that pets be kept in a carrier. The statutes the page cites, G.S. 20-137.4A on texting and the restriction on cellphone use by drivers under 18, concern electronic devices and not animals.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedncleg.gov, which publishes the General Statutes, and nccourts.gov, which publishes the state's misdemeanor offense list, both returned HTTP 403 Cloudflare block pages to every request in this session, over plain HTTP clients and a real browser alike, and www.ncleg.net and www.ncga.state.nc.us behaved identically. The NC Department of Justice's animal welfare page confirms cruelty toward animals is illegal in North Carolina and describes it as wounding, tormenting, killing or depriving an animal of nourishment, which carries no transport language and is not enough to classify this block.

Not fully confirmed. The cruelty block is unverified because every official host carrying the General Statutes text refused this session: www.ncleg.gov, ncleg.gov, www.ncleg.net and www.ncga.state.nc.us all returned HTTP 403 Cloudflare block pages, as did www.nccourts.gov, which publishes the structured-sentencing misdemeanor offense list. Only secondary sites carried the transport-related sections, so nothing was borrowed from them.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← New YorkNorth Dakota →

North Dakota ND

North Dakota has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none on carrying one in an open truck bed. Section 36-21.1-03 requires that an animal transported in or upon a vehicle not be subjected to unnecessary or unjustifiable pain, suffering or infirmity. Section 39-08-25 covers distracted driving in general terms without naming animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteChapters 39-08 and 39-10 of the Century Code were searched on the Legislative Branch site and contain no requirement that an animal in a moving vehicle be restrained or secured. Section 39-10-54, the obstruction-of-view provision, reaches only the load and persons in the front seat.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionChapter 39-10, the rules of the road, was read section by section on the Legislative Branch site and contains no provision on carrying an animal in an open bed or cargo area. Section 39-10-52.2 restricts riding in a housetrailer and applies to persons, not animals.

Distracted driving

General law onlyN.D. Cent. Code § 39-08-25 · North Dakota Legislative BranchSection 39-08-25 defines operation while distracted as engaging in an activity that is not necessary to the operation of the vehicle and that impairs, or would reasonably be expected to impair, the ability to operate it safely. Neither the section nor the Department of Transportation's traffic safety laws page names an animal.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsN.D. Cent. Code § 36-21.1-03 · North Dakota Legislative BranchSection 36-21.1-03, headed cruelty in transportation, requires a person who transports an animal in or upon any vehicle to do so in a manner that does not subject the animal to unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain, suffering, or infirmity.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← North CarolinaOhio →

Ohio OH

Ohio has no confirmed law specifically requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Section 4511.51 bars a driver from letting anyone under sixteen ride in an unenclosed cargo area above twenty-five miles per hour, with limited exceptions, and names no animal. State law makes distracted driving illegal, and the Department of Public Safety's driver digest lists securing children and pets among its distraction cautions.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Revised Code could not be searched from this network: codes.ohio.gov and www.legislature.ohio.gov refused every connection attempt, as did www.lsc.ohio.gov and search-prod.lis.state.oh.us. The Department of Public Safety's Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, which was reachable, sets out no requirement that an animal be secured in a moving vehicle.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedSection 4511.51 prohibits riding on the outside of a moving motor vehicle and prohibits a truck, trailer or semitrailer driver from knowingly permitting a person under sixteen to ride in the unenclosed or unroofed cargo storage area when the vehicle travels faster than twenty-five miles per hour. The narrowing is an age threshold combined with a speed threshold, and the provision names no animal.

Distracted driving

Names animalsDigest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 3: Be Alert · Ohio Department of Public SafetyThe Department of Public Safety's Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws names pets in its distracted driving section, stating that children and pets are to be secured properly and that in Ohio it is illegal to drive distracted. The statute the state points to, R.C. 4511.204, addresses handheld electronic wireless communications devices.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe text of Revised Code 959.13 could not be retrieved from an official host, because codes.ohio.gov and www.legislature.ohio.gov refused all connections. No reachable Ohio .gov page carried the section's wording on how an animal is carried or conveyed.

Not fully confirmed. codes.ohio.gov, www.legislature.ohio.gov, www.lsc.ohio.gov, search-prod.lis.state.oh.us and supremecourt.ohio.gov all refused TCP connections from this network across repeated attempts over both IPv4 and IPv6, so the Revised Code text behind the restraint and cruelty blocks could not be read from a primary source. Only Ohio Department of Public Safety, BMV, OTSO and Department of Agriculture pages were reachable, and none carried the statutory text.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← North DakotaOklahoma →

Oklahoma OK

Oklahoma has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none addressing a dog in an open truck bed. Section 11-901b of Title 47 requires a driver to devote full time and attention to driving, without naming animals. Section 1688 of Title 21 makes carrying an animal in or upon a vehicle in a cruel or inhuman manner a misdemeanor.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteTitle 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes was searched for provisions on carrying an animal in a moving vehicle and contains none; no section requires a dog to be restrained or secured. The obstruction provision at 47 O.S. § 11-1104 addresses how a vehicle is loaded and the number of persons in the front seat, and does not name animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionTitle 47 was searched for provisions on animals in an open bed or cargo area and contains none. Section 11-1114 bars a passenger from riding outside the passenger compartment but expressly excepts passengers riding on the bed of a pickup truck, and it applies to people rather than animals.

Distracted driving

General law onlyOkla. Stat. tit. 47, § 11-901b · Oklahoma LegislatureSection 11-901b provides that the operator of every vehicle, while driving, shall devote their full time and attention to such driving, and names no particular distraction and no animal. The Oklahoma Driver Manual's distracted driving section lists eating, drinking, talking to people in the vehicle and adjusting the stereo, and does not list pets.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsOkla. Stat. tit. 21, § 1688 · Oklahoma LegislatureSection 1688, titled Animals in transit, makes it a misdemeanor to carry or cause to be carried in or upon any vessel or vehicle, or otherwise, any animal in a cruel or inhuman manner, or so as to produce torture. The general cruelty offense sits separately at 21 O.S. § 1685.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← OhioOregon →

Oregon OR

Oregon has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained inside a vehicle. ORS 811.200 makes it a traffic violation to carry a dog on the hood, fender, running board or other external part of an automobile or truck on a highway unless a framework, carrier or other device keeps it from falling. The state driver manual applies this to a pickup bed.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteORS 811.200 reaches only a dog carried upon the hood, fender, running board or other external part of an automobile or truck that is upon a highway, which must be kept from falling by a framework, carrier or other device. Chapter 811 was searched and sets no requirement for a dog carried inside the passenger compartment.

Open truck bed

RestrictedOr. Rev. Stat. § 811.200 · Oregon State LegislatureORS 811.200 requires a dog carried on an external part of an automobile or truck upon a highway to be kept from falling by a framework, carrier or other device, and the state driver manual states that this covers a pickup bed. The statutory text itself names the hood, fender and running board, and the definition treating an open bed as an external part appears in ORS 811.205 and is written for that section.

Distracted driving

Names animalsOregon Driver Manual, Safe and Responsible Driving · Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver and Motor Vehicle ServicesORS 811.135 defines careless driving as driving in a manner that endangers or would be likely to endanger any person or property, and names no distraction. The state driver manual's distracted driving section states not to hold a person, pet or package in the lap or arms, and to pull over and park if attention must be given to passengers or animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsOr. Rev. Stat. § 167.310 · Oregon State LegislatureThe definitions governing the animal neglect offenses state that adequate shelter does not include the inside of a vehicle if the domestic animal is kept in the vehicle in a manner or for a length of time that is likely to be detrimental to the animal's health or safety. Minimum care under the same definitions includes access to adequate shelter, which the neglect offense at ORS 167.325 enforces.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← OklahomaPennsylvania →

Pennsylvania PA

Pennsylvania has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none addressing a dog in an open truck bed. Section 3714 makes driving in careless disregard for the safety of persons or property a summary offense, and names no distraction. Section 5538 of Title 18 makes carrying an animal in or upon a vehicle in a cruel or inhumane manner a summary offense.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteTitle 75, the Vehicle Code, was searched in full for provisions on carrying an animal in a moving vehicle and contains none; no section requires a dog to be restrained or secured. Section 3704 bars driving when a vehicle is so loaded, or has more than three persons in the front seat, as to obstruct the driver's view or interfere with control, and does not name animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionTitle 75 was searched in full for provisions on animals in an open bed or cargo area and contains none. The only cargo-area passenger rules in the title concern securing children in child passenger restraint systems.

Distracted driving

General law only75 Pa.C.S. § 3714 · Pennsylvania General AssemblySection 3714 makes driving in careless disregard for the safety of persons or property a summary offense and names no distraction, and § 3316.1 reaches only the use of an interactive mobile device. The PennDOT driver's manual list of driving distractions does not include pets or animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animals18 Pa.C.S. § 5538 · Pennsylvania General AssemblySection 5538 makes it a summary offense to carry, or cause or allow to be carried, in or upon any cart or other vehicle an animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, and allows the animal and vehicle to be taken into custody. Section 5539 separately addresses carrying equine animals on a conveyance with two or more stacked levels.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← OregonRhode Island →

Rhode Island RI

Rhode Island General Laws section 31-22-28 requires an animal transported on or in an open air motor vehicle to be kept in an enclosed area, held by someone other than the driver, or restrained by an animal harness that is not a neck restraint. The section does not reach an animal carried inside an enclosed vehicle. Section 4-1-3 covers carrying an animal in a vehicle in a cruel manner.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteSection 31-22-28 applies only to transport on or in an open air motor vehicle, where the animal must be kept in an enclosed area of the vehicle, under the physical control of a person other than the operator, or restrained by a harness manufactured for restraining animals by means other than neck restraints. Chapter 31-22 was searched and sets no requirement for an animal carried inside an enclosed vehicle.

Open truck bed

RestrictedR.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-28 · Rhode Island General AssemblySection 31-22-28 makes it unlawful to transport an animal on or in an open air motor vehicle unless the animal is kept in an enclosed area of the vehicle, is under the physical control of a person other than the operator, or is restrained by a harness manufactured for restraining animals by means other than neck restraints. A first offense carries a fine of not more than fifty dollars, and each subsequent offense not more than two hundred dollars.

Distracted driving

Names animalsRhode Island Driver's Manual, Distractions inside the vehicle · Rhode Island Division of Motor VehiclesThe state driver's manual lists attending to pets among distractions inside the vehicle, and lists animals on the roadway among distractions outside it. The distracted driving provisions in chapter 31-22 are § 31-22-30 on text messaging and § 31-22-31 on mobile telephone usage, neither of which names animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsR.I. Gen. Laws § 4-1-3 · Rhode Island General AssemblySection 4-1-3 reaches an owner, possessor or custodian who carries an animal, or causes it to be carried, in or upon any vehicle or otherwise, in a cruel or inhuman manner. Penalties are those provided in § 4-1-2, or in § 4-1-5 where the offense results in the animal's death.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← PennsylvaniaSouth Carolina →

South Carolina SC

South Carolina has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Section 47-1-50 makes carrying an animal in or upon a vehicle in an unnecessarily cruel or inhumane manner unlawful. Section 56-5-3890 addresses mobile electronic devices and does not name animals. Section 56-5-3900 restricts open truck beds only for children under fifteen.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe South Carolina Code of Laws was searched, covering Chapter 56-5 (Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways) and Chapter 47-1 (Cruelty to Animals), and no provision requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. Section 56-5-3820 addresses a vehicle so loaded, or carrying persons in the front seat, as to obstruct the driver's view or interfere with control, and does not name animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionChapter 56-5 was searched for open bed, cargo area, and exterior riding provisions, and Chapter 47-1 was reviewed section by section. Section 56-5-3900 makes it unlawful to transport a person under fifteen years of age in the open bed or open cargo area of a pickup truck or trailer, and no comparable provision covers animals.

Distracted driving

General law onlyS.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3890 · South Carolina Legislature (South Carolina Code of Laws)Section 56-5-3890, as amended effective September 1, 2025, prohibits holding or supporting a mobile electronic device with any part of the body, reading or composing text, and watching video while driving. Its terms are limited to mobile electronic devices and no part of the section mentions an animal.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsS.C. Code Ann. § 47-1-50 · South Carolina Legislature (South Carolina Code of Laws)Section 47-1-50(A)(2) provides that an owner, possessor, or person having charge or custody of an animal may not carry it, or cause it to be carried, in or upon a vehicle or otherwise in an unnecessarily cruel or inhumane manner. Section 47-1-200 separately provides that during transportation an animal must not be confined in one area for more than twenty-four consecutive hours without being exercised, rested, fed, and watered.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← Rhode IslandSouth Dakota →

South Dakota SD

South Dakota has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none restricting a dog in an open truck bed. Section 40-1-36 prohibits leaving a dog, cat or other small animal unattended in a standing or parked vehicle in a manner that endangers it. Section 32-24-8 defines careless driving without naming animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteSouth Dakota Codified Laws Title 32 (Motor Vehicles) and Title 40 chapters 40-1, 40-2 and 40-34 were searched, and no section requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. The animal references found in the driving chapters concern animal-drawn vehicles and guide dogs only.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionTitle 32 chapters on traffic regulation, vehicle specifications, rules of the road, reckless and unsafe driving, and weight, size and load restrictions were searched for provisions on animals in an open bed or cargo area, and none exists. The livestock provisions in chapter 32-22 concern axle and weight limits only.

Distracted driving

General law onlyS.D. Codified Laws § 32-24-8 · South Dakota Legislature (South Dakota Codified Laws)Section 32-24-8 defines careless driving as driving carelessly and without due caution, at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger any person or property, not amounting to reckless driving. The section does not mention animals, and Section 32-26-47.1, which prohibits operating a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device, does not mention animals either.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsS.D. Codified Laws § 40-1-36 · South Dakota Legislature (South Dakota Codified Laws)Section 40-1-36 provides that no owner or caretaker may leave a dog, cat, or other small animal unattended in a standing or parked vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety of the animal, and authorizes reasonable force to remove it. Chapter 40-1 contains no language on how an animal is carried in a moving vehicle; Sections 40-1-2.3 and 40-1-2.4 state general neglect, mistreatment, and cruelty offenses.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← South CarolinaTennessee →

Tennessee TN

Tennessee has no confirmed law specifically requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. The pickup-bed rule reaches children only: none under six in the bed, none aged six to twelve on a state or interstate highway, with local ordinances able to extend it and exceptions for slow parades and farm work. The state driver manual covers distracted driving and does not name animals there.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Tennessee Code could not be searched: www.capitol.tn.gov and wapp.capitol.tn.gov refused every connection attempt, and the code itself is published on a LexisNexis portal rather than on a state host. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security's driver manual, which was reachable, sets out no requirement that an animal be secured in a moving vehicle.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe manual states that a child under six may not ride in the bed of a pickup truck, that a child aged six to twelve may not do so on any state or interstate highway, and that cities and counties may prohibit ages six to twelve by ordinance on local roads, with exceptions for an organized parade under twenty miles per hour and for agricultural activities. The narrowing is an age threshold plus highway class and local-ordinance authority, and no animal is named.

Distracted driving

General law onlyTennessee Driver License Manual, on Pub. Ch. 412 (2019) · Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland SecurityThe Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual states that under Public Chapter No. 412 (2019) a driver may not hold a cellphone or mobile device with any part of the body, write, send or read text-based communication, reach for a device out of a seated position, or watch or record video. The manual's list of distractions names phone use, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, personal grooming and adjusting the stereo or navigation system, and does not name an animal.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedPublic Chapter 428 of 2025 confirms that Tennessee Code Annotated 39-14-202 is the animal cruelty section and replaces its subdivision (a)(3) on abandonment, but the full list of prohibited acts, including any wording on transporting or confining an animal, could not be read. www.capitol.tn.gov and wapp.capitol.tn.gov refused all connections and the code sits on a LexisNexis portal.

Not fully confirmed. www.capitol.tn.gov and wapp.capitol.tn.gov refused every connection attempt from this network, and the Tennessee Code Annotated is published on a LexisNexis portal that the source policy excludes, so the restraint and cruelty blocks could not be settled from primary text. Reachable official hosts were www.tn.gov, sos.tn.gov and publications.tnsosfiles.com; the Department of Agriculture's livestock-welfare page cites 39-14-202 but links to the LexisNexis portal for its wording.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← South DakotaTexas →

Texas TX

Texas has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle. Penal Code Section 42.092 makes transporting or confining an animal in a cruel manner an offense. Transportation Code Section 545.414 restricts open truck beds only for children under eighteen, and Section 545.4251 addresses electronic messaging without naming animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteTransportation Code chapter 545 (Operation and Movement of Vehicles) was searched in full for animal, dog and pet terms, and no section requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. Section 545.417 prohibits driving a vehicle loaded so that the operator's view is obstructed or control over the driving mechanism is impaired, and does not name animals.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionTransportation Code chapter 545 was searched for open bed, cargo area and exterior riding provisions. Section 545.414 makes it an offense to operate an open-bed pickup truck or open flatbed truck, or draw an open flatbed trailer, while a child younger than eighteen occupies the bed, and no provision covers animals.

Distracted driving

General law onlyTex. Transp. Code § 545.4251 · Texas Legislative Council (Texas Constitution and Statutes)Section 545.4251 makes it an offense to use a portable wireless communication device to read, write, or send an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is stopped. Section 545.401 separately covers driving in wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Neither section mentions an animal.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsTex. Penal Code § 42.092 · Texas Legislative Council (Texas Constitution and Statutes)Section 42.092(b)(5) makes it an offense to intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence transport or confine an animal in a cruel manner, and Section 42.092(a)(3) defines a cruel manner as one that causes or permits unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering. The section covers non-livestock animals; livestock animals fall under Section 42.09.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← TennesseeUtah →

Utah UT

No Utah statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle was confirmed on this pass. The Utah Code site was unreachable, so the restraint, cruelty and open-bed questions remain unconfirmed. The Utah Driver Handbook, published by the Driver License Division, lists pets among driving distractions and describes carrying them in a pet carrier rather than loose in a vehicle.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedle.utah.gov, which publishes the Utah Code, refused every connection on ports 443 and 80 across roughly forty attempts during this pass. Title 41 Chapter 6a could not be searched for an animal restraint requirement.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedle.utah.gov refused all connections, so 41-6a-1505 and the surrounding provisions on riding in an open bed could not be retrieved or checked for animal specific language.

Distracted driving

Names animalsUtah Highway Safety Office, Distracted Driving · Utah Department of Public Safety, Highway Safety OfficeThe Utah Highway Safety Office's distracted driving page groups pets with passengers under the heading People Distractions and states that a driver needing to intervene with a child or pet pulls over first. The page cites Utah Code Section 41-6a-1716 as the governing provision.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe Utah Code host le.utah.gov refused all connections, so the current cruelty to animals provisions could not be read. Any language reaching how an animal is carried in a vehicle could not be confirmed from a primary source.

Not fully confirmed. le.utah.gov is the sole official publisher of the Utah Code and resolves to a single address, 204.113.30.131, with no AAAA record. It refused every TCP connection on ports 443 and 80 throughout this pass, via WebFetch, plain curl and browser-header curl, and the same single address was returned by the local resolver and by public resolvers 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1. Reachable Utah agency hosts (dld.utah.gov, dps.utah.gov, highwaysafety.utah.gov, udot.utah.gov, ag.utah.gov, adminrules.utah.gov) do not publish statutory text. Search-engine summaries carried apparent text of the cruelty and dog-transport provisions and indicated the cruelty offenses were renumbered into Title 76 Chapter 13 Part 2 effective 5/7/2025, but a search snippet is not a primary-source fetch and was not relied on.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← TexasVermont →

Vermont VT

No Vermont statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle was confirmed on this pass, and the Vermont Statutes Online site was unreachable, leaving the restraint, cruelty and open-bed questions unconfirmed. The Vermont Driver's Manual lists pets among driver distractions in its distracted driving section and describes carrying a pet in a carrier rather than in the driver's lap.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedlegislature.vermont.gov, which publishes the Vermont Statutes Online, refused every connection on ports 443 and 80 throughout this pass. Title 23 could not be searched for an animal restraint requirement.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedlegislature.vermont.gov refused all connections, so Title 23 could not be searched for any open bed or cargo area restriction. No reachable Vermont agency page addresses riding in the open bed of a truck.

Distracted driving

Names animalsVermont Driver's Manual, Distracted Driving · Vermont Department of Motor VehiclesThe Vermont Driver's Manual names pets in its Distracted Driving section, listing under Dealing with Distractions that pets can be distracting and belong in a carrier rather than in the driver's lap or free to move. The separate Vermont DMV distracted driving page covers portable electronic devices only and names no animal.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedlegislature.vermont.gov refused all connections, so Title 13 Chapter 8 could not be read and any vehicle transport language in it could not be confirmed. The Agency of Agriculture animal welfare page confirms Title 13 cruelty provisions exist but reproduces no statutory text and shows no transport language.

Not fully confirmed. legislature.vermont.gov is the sole official publisher of the Vermont Statutes Online and resolves to a single address, 159.105.0.20, with no AAAA record. It refused every TCP connection on ports 443 and 80 throughout this pass, via WebFetch, plain curl and browser-header curl, and the same single address was returned by the local resolver and by public resolvers 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1. Other vermont.gov hosts (dmv, vsp, shso, agriculture, vtrans, drivewell, sos) initially returned 403 to a bare user agent but served normally once full browser headers were sent, confirming the failure is specific to the statutes host rather than a general block; none of them publishes statutory text. Search-engine summaries carried apparent text of 13 V.S.A. 352 including a reference to transporting animals in overcrowded vehicles, but a search snippet is not a primary-source fetch and was not relied on.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← UtahVirginia →

Virginia VA

Virginia has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle and none restricting dogs in an open truck bed; Section 46.2-1156.1 covers only people under sixteen. Section 3.2-6570 makes carrying an animal by vehicle in a cruel or inhumane manner a misdemeanor. The Department of Motor Vehicles describes unrestrained pets as a driver distraction.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteThe Code of Virginia was searched at law.lis.virginia.gov across Title 46.2 equipment, loads, accident, speed and driving articles and across Title 3.2, Chapter 65 on comprehensive animal care; no provision requires an animal in a moving vehicle to be restrained or secured. Section 46.2-1054 reaches only objects suspended so as to obstruct the driver's view, and names no animal.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionArticle 20 of Title 46.2, Chapter 10 on loads and cargoes and Article 3 of Title 3.2, Chapter 65 on transportation and sale of animals were both searched at law.lis.virginia.gov, and neither restricts carrying a dog in an open truck bed or cargo area. Section 46.2-1156.1 bars only persons under sixteen from riding in a pickup truck bed.

Distracted driving

Names animalsVirginia DMV, Pets in Cars · Virginia Department of Motor VehiclesSection 46.2-852 defines reckless driving as driving in a manner that endangers life, limb or property, and names no animal. The Department of Motor Vehicles' Pets in Cars page states that unrestrained pets cause many accidents because they can distract the driver or interfere with the driver's ability to control the vehicle.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsVa. Code § 3.2-6570 · Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Information SystemSection 3.2-6570(A) makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to carry, or cause to be carried by any vehicle or vessel, an animal in a cruel, brutal or inhumane manner so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering. Section 3.2-6508 separately bars confining an animal in a conveyance beyond 24 consecutive hours without rest, food and water, and requires adequate space in the primary enclosure.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← VermontWashington →

Washington WA

RCW 46.61.660 requires a harness, cage or enclosure for a living animal carried on the running board, fenders, hood or other outside part of a vehicle. No Washington statute requires an animal inside the passenger compartment to be secured. RCW 16.52.080 reaches transporting a domestic animal in a manner that jeopardizes the animal or the public.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteRCW 46.61.660 requires a suitable harness, cage or enclosure for a living animal transported on the running board, fenders, hood or other outside part of a vehicle, attached so the animal cannot fall or be thrown from it. Chapter 46.61 RCW was searched section by section and carries no requirement that an animal inside the passenger compartment be secured.

Open truck bed

RestrictedRCW 46.61.660 · Washington State LegislatureThe statute names the running board, fenders, hood or other outside part of any vehicle, and requires a harness, cage or enclosure attached so the animal cannot fall or be thrown out; it does not use the term truck bed. The exceptions in the section, for authorized emergency vehicles and for solid waste collection vehicles on route at twenty miles per hour or less, apply to carrying persons rather than animals.

Distracted driving

Names animalsWashington State Driver Guide, Distracted Driving · Washington State Department of LicensingRCW 46.61.673 defines a dangerously distracted driver as one engaging in any activity unrelated to operating the vehicle in a manner that interferes with its safe operation, and names no animal. The Department of Licensing's driver guide, in its distracted driving section, lists limiting the number of passengers and pets in the vehicle among its steps for reducing distraction.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsRCW 16.52.080 · Washington State LegislatureRCW 16.52.080, titled transporting or confining in unsafe manner, makes it a misdemeanor to wilfully transport or confine a domestic animal in a manner, posture or confinement that will jeopardize the animal or the public. An officer taking such a person into custody may take charge of the animal, with expenses recoverable as a lien.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← VirginiaWest Virginia →

West Virginia WV

No West Virginia statute requiring a dog in a moving vehicle to be restrained was confirmed here. The state's official code site refused every request during this review, so the restraint, cruelty and open-truck-bed questions stay unconfirmed against primary sources. The Division of Motor Vehicles driver's licensing handbook, which was retrieved, mentions pets, dogs and animals nowhere in its text.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe West Virginia Code host code.wvlegislature.gov returned HTTP 403 Forbidden on every path attempted, including the section pages, the /pdf/ views and robots.txt, and the same 403 was returned when the site was loaded in a full browser rather than a fetcher. www.wvlegislature.gov returned 403 on its Bill_Status and Bill_Text_HTML paths and 404 on the legacy /wvcode/ paths, so no primary text of Chapter 17C could be read.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe open-bed question could not be checked against the code because code.wvlegislature.gov returned HTTP 403 for Chapter 17C, article 15 and for every individual section path. transportation.wv.gov, dmv.wv.gov and wvsp.gov were reachable and were searched, and none of them publishes an open-bed or animal-transport rule.

Distracted driving

General law onlyW. Va. Div. of Motor Vehicles, Governor's Highway Safety Program — Distracted Driving · West Virginia Division of Motor VehiclesThe Division of Motor Vehicles states that West Virginia enacted a texting and handheld phone ban in July 2012 and describes distracted driving as any activity that diverts attention from driving, listing phone use, eating and drinking, talking to people in the vehicle, and adjusting the stereo, entertainment or navigation system. Animals and pets do not appear in that list, and the distraction guidance in the state Driver's Licensing Handbook does not name them either.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedChapter 61, article 8, section 19 could not be read from a primary source: code.wvlegislature.gov refused both the section page and its PDF view with HTTP 403, and www.wvlegislature.gov refused the introduced and enrolled bill text pages that carry the section. No reachable West Virginia agency host republishes the statute text.

Not fully confirmed. The West Virginia Code is published only at code.wvlegislature.gov, which returned HTTP 403 Forbidden to every request from this environment, including from a real browser session, and the legislature's bill-text mirrors on www.wvlegislature.gov returned 403 as well. Statute text for Chapter 17C and for 61-8-19 was available only from prohibited secondary aggregators, so no status was borrowed.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← WashingtonWisconsin →

Wisconsin WI

No Wisconsin statute requiring a dog in a moving vehicle to be restrained was confirmed here. Every Wisconsin state web host tried during this review, including the legislature's statutes site, the Department of Transportation and other state domains, failed to respond, so the restraint, distraction, cruelty and open-truck-bed questions all stay unconfirmed against primary sources.

Animal restraint statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkeddocs.legis.wisconsin.gov, which serves the Wisconsin Statutes, refused the connection outright on every statute path tried, in both the fetcher and a full browser. wisconsindot.gov, datcp.wi.gov, dnr.wisconsin.gov, doa.wi.gov, lrb.legis.wisconsin.gov and wisconsin.gov all failed to resolve, and widmv.gov and legis.wisconsin.gov do not resolve at all, so no Wisconsin primary text could be read.

Open truck bed

UnverifiedWhat was checkedThe open-cargo-area question could not be checked against chapter 346 because docs.legis.wisconsin.gov refused every connection and the wisconsindot.gov copy of the chapter would not load. Secondary sources indicated the cargo-area section reached children rather than animals, but that was not confirmable from the statutes site.

Distracted driving

UnverifiedWhat was checkedChapter 346 could not be read: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov refused every connection, and the Department of Transportation's own hosted copies of chapter 346 and of the Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook on wisconsindot.gov could not be loaded because that host did not resolve.

Cruelty statute

UnverifiedWhat was checkedChapter 951 could not be retrieved from a primary source: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov refused the connection for both the chapter's HTML pages and its PDF, and no other Wisconsin state host resolved, so the transportation-of-animals section could not be read or quoted.

Not fully confirmed. No Wisconsin official host was reachable from this environment. docs.legis.wisconsin.gov returned connection refused on every attempt across the fetcher and a real browser; wisconsindot.gov, datcp.wi.gov, dnr.wisconsin.gov, doa.wi.gov, lrb.legis.wisconsin.gov and wisconsin.gov timed out at DNS; widmv.gov and legis.wisconsin.gov do not resolve. Text for 346.88, 346.89, 346.922 and chapter 951 was available only from prohibited secondary aggregators, so nothing was borrowed.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← West VirginiaWyoming →

Wyoming WY

Wyoming has no statute requiring a dog to be restrained in a moving vehicle, and none restricting a dog in an open truck bed. Section 31-5-236 defines careless driving without naming animals. Section 6-3-1002(a)(iii) provides that knowingly carrying an animal in a manner that poses undue risk of injury or death is cruelty to animals.

Animal restraint statute

No specific statuteTitle 31 of the Wyoming Statutes, the Motor Vehicle Code, was searched in full for animal, dog, livestock, restrain and secure; the only occupant-restraint provisions are the Child Safety Restraint Act at article 13 and the safety belt article, and no provision requires an animal to be restrained or secured in a moving vehicle.

Open truck bed

No state restrictionTitle 31 was searched for cargo area, truck bed, pickup, open bed and riding on the exterior of a vehicle; section 31-5-119(c) restricts a passenger riding on a fender or running board and applies to persons, and the only reference to the back of a pickup truck is in the open container provision at section 31-5-235. No provision restricts carrying a dog in an open bed or cargo area.

Distracted driving

General law onlyWyo. Stat. § 31-5-236 · Wyoming Legislature, Legislative Service OfficeSection 31-5-236 defines careless driving as driving in a manner inconsistent with the due and diligent care of a reasonably prudent person where that operation creates an unreasonable risk of harm to other persons or property, and the text names no animal. Section 31-5-116, on obstruction of the driver's view or driving mechanism, refers to the vehicle being loaded and to people in the front seat, not to animals.

Cruelty statute

Names animalsWyo. Stat. § 6-3-1002(a)(iii) · Wyoming Legislature, Legislative Service OfficeSection 6-3-1002(a)(iii) provides that a person commits cruelty to animals if the person knowingly carries an animal in a manner that poses undue risk of injury or death. Section 6-3-1002(a)(iv)(A) separately reaches a person with charge and custody of an animal who, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the animal's safety, health or life, fails to provide protection from the weather adequate for the species.

Reviewed 2026-08-21Back to the table← Wisconsin