There is no federal law against a dog riding in the bed of a pickup truck, but six states have specific laws that restrict it: California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. In those states an unsecured dog loose in an open bed on a public road can get you a ticket. In every other state, a loose dog in a truck bed can still lead to animal cruelty or unsecured-load charges if the dog falls or is hurt, and many cities have their own ordinances.
The legal question is only half the story. Veterinarians who see the results describe truck bed falls as some of the worst injuries they treat. This guide covers both: what the laws actually say, state by state, and how to carry a dog in a pickup in a way that would satisfy even the strictest of them. For restraint laws inside the cab, see our companion guide to dog seatbelt laws by state.
The short answer, state by state
The most complete legal summary comes from the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University, whose FAQ on dogs transported in pickup truck beds lists the six states with truck-bed statutes. The FAQ was last updated in 2019, so we checked the official text where the state publishes it. The pattern is consistent: none of these laws bans a dog from a truck bed outright. They ban an unsecured dog in an open bed and spell out what counts as secured.
The table below summarizes each law. Always check the current text before relying on it, because legislatures amend these sections and add new ones.
| State | Statute | What counts as secured | Notable exceptions or penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Vehicle Code 23117 | Enclosed space, sides at least 46 inches high, cross-tethered, or a secured cage or container | Livestock, ranching and farming work, trips to or from a livestock auction in rural areas |
| Connecticut | Gen. Stat. 14-272b | A cage or container, or restrained so the dog cannot be thrown, fall or jump | Livestock and dogs carried for ranching or farming |
| Maine | 29-A M.R.S. 2087 | Protected from falling, jumping or being thrown from an open vehicle | Farmers working with the dog; licensed hunters moving hunting dogs between sites |
| Massachusetts | Gen. Laws ch. 90, s. 22H | Enclosed load space, racks at least 46 inches high, cross-tethered, or a secured container or cage | Covers all animals; fine of not less than $50 |
| New Hampshire | RSA 644:8-f | Sides at least 46 inches high, cross-tethered, or a secured container or cage | Similar structure to California |
| Rhode Island | Gen. Laws 31-22-28 | Enclosed area, held by someone other than the driver, or a restraint harness without a neck restraint | Covers all animals; up to $50 first offense, up to $200 after |
California
California's rule sits in the Vehicle Code, which means it is enforced like any other traffic violation. A dog may ride in the back of a pickup or other open vehicle on a highway only if the space is enclosed, the vehicle has side and tail racks at least 46 inches high, the dog is cross-tethered, or the dog is in a secured container or cage. The law carves out working situations, including livestock transport and dogs used for ranching or farming. A dog standing loose in an open bed on a California freeway is the textbook violation.
Connecticut
Connecticut's law applies to pickup trucks on public highways. The dog must be in a cage or other container, or otherwise restrained so it cannot be thrown, fall or jump out. The state's Office of Legislative Research notes in its report on laws on securing animals in vehicles that the law covers the open rear compartment only, not dogs riding inside the cab, and that dogs carried for ranching or farming are exempt. An earlier legislative report also warned that simply tying a dog in place can be dangerous, because a dog that jumps can be caught by the tether.
Maine
Maine requires any dog in an open vehicle on a public way to be protected from falling, jumping or being thrown. It does not name a specific method, which gives owners some flexibility, but a loose dog with nothing to stop it from leaving the bed would not meet the standard. Maine exempts farmers using the dog for agricultural work and licensed hunters moving hunting dogs between hunting sites.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts law is one of the broadest because it covers any animal, not only dogs, carried in the open load space of a vehicle on a public way. According to the official text of Chapter 90, Section 22H, the space must be enclosed, or have side and tail racks at least 46 inches high, or the animal must be cross-tethered, kept in a secured container or cage, or otherwise protected from being thrown, falling or jumping. The fine is not less than $50.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire's rule closely mirrors California's: sides of at least 46 inches, cross-tethering, or a secured container or cage. It is part of the state's cruelty chapter rather than its traffic code, which signals that legislators saw unsafe transport as an animal welfare problem, not only a road hazard.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island's law covers any animal carried on or in an open-air motor vehicle, for business or pleasure. The official text of section 31-22-28 allows it only if the animal stays in an enclosed area, is under the physical control of someone other than the driver, or is secured by a restraint harness that does not use a neck restraint. Fines run up to $50 for a first offense and up to $200 for each later offense. The harness detail matters: a collar tied to a cleat does not meet this standard.
States without a specific truck bed law
If your state is not on the list, a loose dog in a truck bed is not automatically legal. Three kinds of law can still apply. First, a few states have broader rules about carrying animals on the outside of a vehicle. Oregon's ORS 811.200 makes it a traffic violation to carry a dog on any external part of a car or truck on a highway unless a framework, carrier or other device keeps it from falling, and Washington has a similar rule about live animals outside a vehicle. Second, every state has animal cruelty laws, and drivers whose dogs were injured or killed after falling from a truck have faced cruelty charges. Third, cities and counties write their own ordinances. Texas, for example, has no statewide truck bed law, but Fort Worth has a city ordinance, reported as section 6-13 of its code, that requires a dog in a pickup bed to be in an enclosed carrier or held by a leash or cross-connected device that stops it from falling or jumping out.
The practical rule: if you would be unwilling to explain your setup to a police officer after your dog fell out of it, it is not good enough, whatever your state's statute says.
Why veterinarians push back on truck beds
Data on dogs is limited, but what exists is grim. The AVMA's literature review on dogs traveling in truck beds describes the injuries as typically severe and multiple, including fractures and abrasions, and cites a Massachusetts survey in which 141 veterinary practitioners reported treating 592 dogs injured from riding in truck beds in a single year. The same review notes that human passengers in truck beds face much higher injury risk than passengers in the cab, and the physics are no kinder to a dog.
Falls are not the only risk. Dogs in open beds get grit and insects in their eyes, ears and noses at highway speed. Metal truck beds get hot enough in summer sun to burn paw pads and cold enough in winter to chill a short-coated dog. A dog can also jump at a passing dog, a squirrel or a stopped car and be hit by traffic behind you. You may have seen a widely shared claim that 100,000 dogs a year die in truck bed accidents. We could not find any primary source for that figure, so we do not repeat it as fact. The documented injury reports are reason enough.
Why tethering alone is risky
Tying a dog to the truck bed feels like a fix, and several state laws accept cross-tethering. But a single tether attached to a collar can be worse than no tether. The AVMA review warns that tethers can tangle, choke a dog, or leave it dragging beside the truck if it jumps. If you use a tether at all, it should be a cross-tether, meaning two short lines from opposite sides of the bed, attached to a well-fitted harness, never a collar, and short enough that the dog's front and hind legs stay inside the bed. Even then, a crate is safer.
The safest way to carry a dog in a pickup
The best place for a dog in a pickup is inside the cab. In a crew cab, that means the back seat, in a crash-tested harness or a strapped-down crate. Our guide to the best crash-tested dog car harnesses lists options that have passed independent testing. Keep the dog out of the front seat, where an airbag can injure it. For more on restraint inside a vehicle, see how to transport a dog in a car.
If the dog has to ride in the bed, for example a large dog in a single-cab truck, use a crate built for the job and anchor it so it cannot slide or tip. That means a sturdy, well-ventilated crate strapped to the bed's tie-down points on at least two sides, positioned against the cab where wind and road spray are lowest. Add a non-slip mat inside, shade in summer and wind protection in winter. A camper shell or tonneau cover does not make the bed safe on its own: exhaust fumes can collect in an enclosed bed, and the space can overheat quickly when parked. Our guide on how to choose a pet transport crate covers sizing and ventilation.
How to check the rules for your own route
Because local ordinances fill the gaps between state laws, the rules can change several times on one trip. A few minutes of checking before a long drive is worth it. Start with your state legislature's website and search the vehicle code and the animal cruelty chapter for terms such as "open bed", "pickup" and "animal transport". Then search the municipal code for the cities you live in and drive through most often; most cities publish their codes online through services such as Municode or American Legal Publishing. Finally, if you are crossing several states, assume the strictest rule on your route applies the whole way. In practice that means an anchored crate or a dog in the cab, which satisfies every law listed above.
If you are unsure how an ordinance applies, call the non-emergency line of the local animal services department. Officers who enforce these rules are usually happy to tell you what they look for, which is almost always the same thing: a dog that cannot fall, jump or be thrown out of the truck.
Weather and parking: the risks after you stop
Most truck bed laws focus on the moving vehicle, but some of the worst outcomes happen when the truck is parked. A crate in an open bed sits in full sun with no airflow from driving, and the metal around it heats up quickly. A dog left in a parked truck, in the bed or the cab, can overheat in minutes on a warm day. Our guide to how hot is too hot for a dog in a car explains the temperature math. In winter the risk flips: wind chill at highway speed can drop well below the air temperature, which matters for small, short-coated, young or senior dogs.
Working dogs, farms and hunting
Most of these laws carve out exceptions for ranching, farming, livestock and hunting. That reflects reality: a cattle dog moving between fields at walking pace is a different situation from a family dog on an interstate. But the exceptions are narrow. They usually cover the dog while it is being used for that work, not every trip the truck makes. A ranch dog riding loose in the bed on a highway run to town may not be covered. If you rely on a working-dog exception, read your state's exact wording and keep the dog secured whenever the truck leaves the property.
Moving a large dog a long way
Owners often ask about truck beds because they are moving a big dog that will not fit comfortably in the cab for a multi-day drive. That is the situation where the bed is most dangerous, because it combines highway speed with long hours and changing weather. Better options are a crate in the cab of a larger vehicle, a rented SUV or van for the move, or a professional ground transporter that carries large dogs in climate-controlled vehicles every week. Our guide on how to transport a large dog compares the choices, and a transporter quote costs nothing.