{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-1119.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-1119.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-1119.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-1119.html"}],"law_id":63056,"edition_id":1,"section_id":63056,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1119","catch_line":"Tow dolly and converter gear","history":"1984, c. 182, \u00a7 46.1-336.1; 1989, c. 727.","full_text":"No axle-like device, commonly called a “tow dolly,” used to support the front or rear wheels of a passenger vehicle or pick-up or panel truck for towing purposes, and no axle-like device, commonly called “converter gear,” on which is mounted a fifth wheel used to convert a semitrailer to a full trailer, shall be considered vehicles. Either such device, when used on the public highways, shall be equipped with a safety chain or chains of a strength to restrain the device and vehicle being towed, should the connection fail. In addition, either device, when moved on the public highway, shall be equipped with rear marker lights or reflectors when towed without a load. When a tow dolly or converter gear is used to tow a vehicle, the towed vehicle must comply with all requirements of law pertaining to towed vehicles.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":229982,"text":"No axle-like device, commonly called a “tow dolly,” used to support the front or rear wheels of a passenger vehicle or pick-up or panel truck for towing purposes, and no axle-like device, commonly called “converter gear,” on which is mounted a fifth wheel used to convert a semitrailer to a full trailer, shall be considered vehicles. Either such device, when used on the public highways, shall be equipped with a safety chain or chains of a strength to restrain the device and vehicle being towed, should the connection fail. In addition, either device, when moved on the public highway, shall be equipped with rear marker lights or reflectors when towed without a load. When a tow dolly or converter gear is used to tow a vehicle, the towed vehicle must comply with all requirements of law pertaining to towed vehicles.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15010,"edition_id":1,"name":"Maximum Vehicle Lengths","identifier":"16","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12828,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:28","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:28","permalink":{"id":228847,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15010,"identifier":"16","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/16\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12828,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228599,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12828,"identifier":"10","token":"46.2\/III\/10","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":66443,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1112","catch_line":"Length of vehicles, generally; special permits; vehicle combinations, etc., operating on certain highways; penalty","url":"\/46.2-1112\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1112","metadata":false},{"id":57771,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1113","catch_line":"Length exceptions for certain passenger buses and motor homes","url":"\/46.2-1113\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1113","metadata":false},{"id":84276,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1114","catch_line":"Length of watercraft transporters; operation on certain highways","url":"\/46.2-1114\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1114","metadata":false},{"id":73314,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1114.1","catch_line":"Length of automobile transporters; operation on certain highways","url":"\/46.2-1114.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1114.1","metadata":false},{"id":69234,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1115","catch_line":"Lengths of manufactured homes or house trailers","url":"\/46.2-1115\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1115","metadata":false},{"id":62289,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1116","catch_line":"Vehicles having more than one trailer, etc., attached thereto; exceptions","url":"\/46.2-1116\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1116","metadata":false},{"id":79246,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1117","catch_line":"Tractor truck semitrailer combinations operating on certain highways; access to certain facilities","url":"\/46.2-1117\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1117","metadata":false},{"id":81922,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1117.1","catch_line":"Commercial delivery of towaway trailers","url":"\/46.2-1117.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1117.1","metadata":false},{"id":74985,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1118","catch_line":"Connection between vehicles; tow trucks towing vehicles by means of a wheel lift apparatus","url":"\/46.2-1118\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1118","metadata":false},{"id":63056,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1119","catch_line":"Tow dolly and converter gear","url":"\/46.2-1119\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1119","metadata":false},{"id":70911,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1120","catch_line":"Extension of loads beyond front of vehicles","url":"\/46.2-1120\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1120","metadata":false},{"id":57233,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1121","catch_line":"Flag or light at end of load","url":"\/46.2-1121\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1121","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":74985,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1118","catch_line":"Connection between vehicles; tow trucks towing vehicles by means of a wheel lift apparatus","url":"\/46.2-1118\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1118","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":70911,"structure_id":15010,"section_number":"46.2-1120","catch_line":"Extension of loads beyond front of vehicles","url":"\/46.2-1120\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1120","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-1119\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1984. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 182 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1984 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1989, chapter 727.<\/p>","references":[{"id":62299,"section_number":"46.2-1158.01","catch_line":"Exceptions to motor vehicle inspection requirement","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1158.01\/"},{"id":84029,"section_number":"46.2-648.1","catch_line":"Optional registration of tow dolly and converter gear","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-648.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":228885,"object_type":"law","relational_id":63056,"identifier":"46.2-1119","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1119","url":"\/46.2-1119\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-1119\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/16\/46.2-1119","dublin_core":{"Title":"Tow dolly and converter gear","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-1119","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No axle-like device, commonly called a “tow dolly,” used to support the front or rear wheels of a passenger vehicle<\/span> or pick-up or panel<\/span> truck<\/span> for towing purposes, and no axle-like device, commonly called “converter gear,” on which is mounted a fifth wheel used to convert a semitrailer<\/span> to a full trailer<\/span>, shall be considered vehicles<\/span>. Either such device, when used on the public highways<\/span><\/span>, shall be equipped with a safety chain or chains of a strength to restrain the device and vehicle<\/span> being towed, should the connection fail. In addition, either device, when moved on the public highway<\/span>, shall be equipped with rear marker lights<\/span> or reflectors when towed without a load. When a tow dolly or converter gear is used to tow a vehicle<\/span>, the towed vehicle<\/span> must comply with all requirements of law<\/span> pertaining to towed vehicles<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTOW DOLLY AND CONVERTER GEAR (\u00a7 46.2-1119)\n\nNo axle-like device, commonly called a “tow dolly,” used to support\nthe front or rear wheels of a passenger vehicle or pick-up or panel truck for\ntowing purposes, and no axle-like device, commonly called “converter\ngear,” on which is mounted a fifth wheel used to convert a semitrailer to\na full trailer, shall be considered vehicles. Either such device, when used on\nthe public highways, shall be equipped with a safety chain or chains of a\nstrength to restrain the device and vehicle being towed, should the connection\nfail. In addition, either device, when moved on the public highway, shall be\nequipped with rear marker lights or reflectors when towed without a load. When a\ntow dolly or converter gear is used to tow a vehicle, the towed vehicle must\ncomply with all requirements of law pertaining to towed vehicles.\n\nHISTORY: 1984, c. 182, \u00a7 46.1-336.1; 1989, c. 727.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}