Is It Legal to Drive With Your Doors Off in Louisiana & Texas?

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For YEARS, I wanted a Jeep Wrangler. Ever since I was a kid, really. They look awesome, they can go anywhere and do anything. When I think of fun vehicles, a Jeep is one of the first things that come to mind. And after years of saving up and driving other vehicles, I FINALLY pulled the trigger on one (that's my Jeep in the picture).

And, one of the most unique features of the Jeep Wrangler, is that it is "open-air" capable. Which means the windshield folds down, the doors come off, the tops come off...you can literally strip it down like a dune buggy and take it out on the road or trails or whatever.

I was pumped to take everything off and hit the road. But, then I got to seeing some people say "it's illegal to drive a car without doors on a public road". Which, I guess, kinda made sense. There's so many things vehicles have to have to be road legal, it's possible that it would be illegal to drive with the doors off.

Turns out, that's only partially true. It is, in fact, illegal to drive on a public road with the doors off in some states. However, luckily for me, Louisiana & Texas are not included in that.

BUT, in Louisiana & Texas, you can't just take the doors off and roll. Both states require at least one mirror. In Texas, all you need is an unobstructed rearview mirror to be legal. So, you don't need to buy anything extra or do anything special as long as you have a functional and unobstructed rearview mirror.

In Louisiana, it's a little bit different. Any vehicle made after 1972 requires a mounted driver side mirror. So, unless you have a classic Bronco or Jeep, you're going to have to buy a mirror to be street legal. They make mirrors that mount right in your door hinges for convivence, but you can't just pop off the door and hit the road.

There are some states where it's completely illegal to remove your doors, so if you plan on road tripping this summer, be sure to check the local laws before stripping your vehicle down.

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Filed Under: louisiana, Texas