There currently is no national legislation for securing loads, but some states have taken the initiative to have their own laws.
State
|
Law |
Reference |
Fine |
Alabama |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying agricultural loads. |
Code of Alabama 32-5-76 |
$500 |
Alaska |
Applies to all motor vehicles except agricultural, mining, and timber. |
Alaska Statute 46.06.080 |
$1000 + litter pickup |
Arizona |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying agricultural loads. |
Arizona Revised Statutes 28-1098 |
$250-1000 |
Arkansas |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying rock, sand, or gravel. |
Ark Leg 27-35-110 |
None found. |
California |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying agricultural and food processing products. |
Vehicle Code 23114 |
None found. |
Colorado |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-1407 |
$45-700 |
Connecticut |
Applies to all motor vehicles except farming vehicles. |
Connecticut General Statutes 248-14-271 |
$35-100 |
Delaware |
None found. |
|
|
District of Columbia |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
District of Columbia Official Code 50-2101 |
$500 |
Florida |
Applies to all motor vehicles except farming vehicles. |
Florida Statutes 316.520 |
$500 and/or jail time |
Georgia |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying agricultural, silvicultural, or forest products. |
Official Code of Georgia Annotated 40-6-248.1 |
$1000 and/or 1 year jail time |
Hawaii |
Applies to all motor vehicles except agricultural vehicles, vehicles carrying birds with feathers, and vehicles carrying rocks, sand, or gravel. |
Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-131 |
$250-1000 + jail time |
Idaho |
None found. |
|
|
Illinois |
None found. |
|
|
Indiana |
None found. |
|
|
Iowa |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying hay or stover. |
Iowa Code 321.460 |
$100 |
Kansas |
Applies to all motor vehicles except trailers and semi-trailers carrying livestock. |
Kansas Statute 8-1906 |
None found. |
Kentucky |
None found. |
|
|
Louisiana |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:383 |
$500 and/or 6 months jail time |
Maine |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying hay, straw, vines, cornstalks, or grain. |
Maine Statute 29-A-2396 |
$150-500 |
Maryland |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying agricultural products. |
Maryland Code 24-106 |
None found. |
Massachusetts |
None found. |
|
|
Michigan |
Applies to all motor vehicles except agricultural andhorticultural vehicles. |
Michigan Compiled Laws Complete 257.720 |
$500 and/or 90 days jail time |
Minnesota |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying agricultural products such as grains, shelled corn, soybeans, or other farm produce; or sand, gravel, aggregate, dirt, lime rock, silica, or similar material. |
Minnesota Statute 169.81 Sub.5 |
None found. |
Mississippi |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Mississippi Code 63-5-55 |
$100-500 and/or jail time |
Missouri |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Missouri Revised Statutes 307.010 |
$50 |
Montana |
Applies to motor vehicles carrying solid waste except commercial motor and agricultural vehicles. |
Montana Code Annotated 61-8-370 |
None found. |
Nebraska |
None found. |
|
|
Nevada |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those containing radioactive waste. |
Nevada Revised Statutes 484.773 |
None found. |
New Hampshire |
Applies to motor trucks, trailers, semi-trailers; junk motor vehicles; construction vehicles; and other commercial vehicles. |
New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 266:72 |
None found. |
New Jersey |
Applies to all motor vehicles except agricultural vehicles. |
New Jersey Permanent Statutes 39:4-77 |
$500 |
New Mexico |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
New Mexico Statutes 66-7-407 |
$0-300 and/or jail time |
New York |
None found. |
|
|
North Carolina |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
North Carolina General Statutes 20-116 |
$200 |
North Dakota |
None found. |
|
|
Ohio |
Applies to all motor vehicles except agricultural and garbage vehicles. |
Ohio Revised Code 4513.31 |
$500 and jail time |
Oklahoma |
Applies to all vehicles. |
Oklahoma Statutes Citationized 47-14-105 |
$117 |
Oregon |
None found. |
|
|
Pennsylvania |
Applies to all motor vehicles except logging and garbage trucks, and feathers from slaughter vehicles. |
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 75.4903 |
$100-1000 |
Rhode Island |
Applies to all motor vehicles except logging trucks or those carrying wood, lumber, or sawmill wastes. |
Rhode Island Statutes 31-25-9 and 10 |
$100-500 |
South Carolina |
Applies to all motor vehicles except those carrying rock, gravel, stone, or similar substances. |
South Carolina Code of Laws 56-5-4100 |
$100 |
South Dakota |
None found. |
|
|
Tennessee |
Applies to trucks with open beds for public use except vehicles carrying farm produce to the market. |
Tennessee Code 55-7-109 |
None found. |
Texas |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Texas Statutes 725.021 |
$25-500 |
Utah |
Applies to all motor vehicles except vehicles carrying dirt, sand, gravel, rock fragments, pebbles, crushed base, aggregate, any other similar material, or scrap metal. |
Utah Code 72-7-409 |
None found. |
Vermont |
Applies to private motor vehicles; trailers; semi-trailers. |
Vermont Statutes Annotated 23:13:1454 |
None found. |
Virginia |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Code of Virginia 10.1-1424 |
$50 |
Washington |
Applies to all motor vehicles. Exempt: vehicles carrying gravel, sand, and dirt if 6 inches of freeboard is maintained within the bed. |
Revised Code of Washington 46.61.655 |
$216-5000 and/or jail time |
West Virginia |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
West Virginia Code 17C-17-6 |
$500 or 10 days jail time |
Wisconsin |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Wisconsin Statutes 348.10(2) |
$10-200 |
Wyoming |
Applies to all motor vehicles. |
Wyoming Statutes 31-5-228 |
$750 and/or 6 mos. Jail time |
Source: Washington State Department of Ecology.