Can you drive with a pet in your lap in NC? Or in a truck bed? Here’s the state law

Evan Moore
·2 min read
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Many pets enjoy accompanying their owners on car rides, as it’s a chance for them to leave the house and get some fresh air.

However, if your pet is hyperactive, they can become distractions while you’re driving.

In these situations, leashes and cages can come in handy for keeping unruly pets in check, and making sure your attention stays on the road.

But does North Carolina have a rule that prevents your pets from sitting in your lap in the car, or riding in the bed of your truck? Here’s what to know about state laws regarding the matter.

Can you drive with a pet in your lap in NC?

Pets like dogs and cats do not have to be restrained in North Carolina, but state law requires them not to be distractions while riding in a vehicle, according to Woody White, an attorney based in Wilmington.

A bill introduced in the N.C. House would have made it illegal for anyone to drive with a live animal in their lap was withdrawn in 2017, the News & Observer reported.

A military family’s dog hangs out of their car window after their trunk was loaded with donated food at Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough, N.C. on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina partnered with the Gary Sinise Foundation to donate over 300 boxes of food, produce, and local milk from Maple View Farms to veterans, active duty military members and their spouses.

Rep. Garland Pierce, a Democrat from Scotland County who introduced the bill, said some pet owners didn’t like it, and he also heard from a group of military veterans who told him some vets travel with service animals who can detect signs of a stroke. The animals have to be kept close while driving.

Can dogs ride in the back of pickup trucks in NC?

Since there are no state laws that require pets to be restrained in cars, dogs are permitted to ride in the back of pickup trucks.

Rep. Grier Martin, a Democrat from Wake County, introduced a bill that would make it illegal for dogs to be transported in the back of pickup trucks last year, the Winston-Salem Journal reported. The bill currently sits in the house.

While only six states have laws that ban the transport of pets in truck beds, according to Michigan State University’s Animal Legal & Historical Center, data show that the practice can be unsafe for dogs.

Thousands of dogs in the U.S. die every year while riding in truck beds, either from wrecks or jumping out of vehicles traveling at high speeds, according to MotorBiscuit, an online resource for automobile information.