{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/46.2-1070.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/46.2-1070.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/46.2-1070.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/46.2-1070.html"}],"law_id":364668,"edition_id":2,"section_id":364668,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1070","catch_line":"Brakes on trailers","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 46-286; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-280; 1959, Ex. Sess., cc. 21, 90; 1962, c. 313; 1966, c. 654; 1968, c. 164; 1970, c. 169; 1989, c. 727; 2006, cc. 874, 891.","full_text":"Every semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle attached by a drawbar, chain, or coupling to a towing vehicle other than a farm tractor or a vehicle not required to obtain a registration certificate and having an actual gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more, shall be equipped with brakes controlled or operated by the driver of the towing vehicle, which shall conform to the specifications set forth in \u00a7 46.2-1067 and shall be of a type approved by the Superintendent. Farm trailers used exclusively for hauling raw agricultural produce from farm to farm or farm to packing shed or processing plant within the normal growing area of the packing shed or processing plant and trailers or semitrailers drawn by a properly licensed motor vehicle but exempt from registration, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.\n\n“Gross weight” for the purpose of this section includes weight of the vehicle and the load upon such semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle.\n\nThis section shall not apply to any vehicle being towed for repairs, repossession, in an emergency, or being moved by a tow truck when two wheels of the towed vehicle are off the ground.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1358641,"text":"Every semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle attached by a drawbar, chain, or coupling to a towing vehicle other than a farm tractor or a vehicle not required to obtain a registration certificate and having an actual gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more, shall be equipped with brakes controlled or operated by the driver of the towing vehicle, which shall conform to the specifications set forth in \u00a7 46.2-1067 and shall be of a type approved by the Superintendent. Farm trailers used exclusively for hauling raw agricultural produce from farm to farm or farm to packing shed or processing plant within the normal growing area of the packing shed or processing plant and trailers or semitrailers drawn by a properly licensed motor vehicle but exempt from registration, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1358642,"text":"“Gross weight” for the purpose of this section includes weight of the vehicle and the load upon such semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1358643,"text":"This section shall not apply to any vehicle being towed for repairs, repossession, in an emergency, or being moved by a tow truck when two wheels of the towed vehicle are off the ground.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":52061,"edition_id":2,"name":"Brakes","identifier":"9","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":9,"parent_id":52052,"metadata":{"child_laws":6,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:52:38","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:12","permalink":{"id":1456683,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52061,"identifier":"9","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/9\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52052,"edition_id":2,"name":"Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52051,"metadata":{"child_laws":265,"child_structures":23},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:52:29","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:11","permalink":{"id":1455601,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52052,"identifier":"10","token":"46.2\/III\/10","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52051,"edition_id":2,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":52048,"metadata":{"child_laws":589,"child_structures":55},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:52:29","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:07","permalink":{"id":1455599,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52051,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52048,"edition_id":2,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":101,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1830,"child_structures":157},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:52:29","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:02","permalink":{"id":1452291,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52048,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":364663,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1066","catch_line":"Brakes","url":"\/46.2-1066\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1066","metadata":false},{"id":364664,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1067","catch_line":"Within what distances brakes should stop vehicle","url":"\/46.2-1067\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1067","metadata":false},{"id":364665,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1068","catch_line":"Emergency or parking brakes","url":"\/46.2-1068\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1068","metadata":false},{"id":364666,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1069","catch_line":"Brakes on motorcycles","url":"\/46.2-1069\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1069","metadata":false},{"id":364668,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1070","catch_line":"Brakes on trailers","url":"\/46.2-1070\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1070","metadata":false},{"id":364669,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1071","catch_line":"Requirements for parking","url":"\/46.2-1071\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1071","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":364666,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1069","catch_line":"Brakes on motorcycles","url":"\/46.2-1069\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1069","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":364669,"structure_id":52061,"section_number":"46.2-1071","catch_line":"Requirements for parking","url":"\/46.2-1071\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1071","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-1070\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 7 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1958, chapter 541; in 1962, chapter 313; in 1966, chapter 654; in 1968, chapter 164; in 1970, chapter 169; in 1989, chapter 727; in 2006, chapters 874<\/a> and 891<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":364664,"section_number":"46.2-1067","catch_line":"Within what distances brakes should stop vehicle","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1067\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1456701,"object_type":"law","relational_id":364668,"identifier":"46.2-1070","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1070","url":"\/46.2-1070\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-1070\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/9\/46.2-1070","dublin_core":{"Title":"Brakes on trailers","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-1070","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every semitrailer<\/span>, trailer<\/span>, or separate vehicle attached by a drawbar, chain, or coupling to a towing vehicle other than a farm tractor<\/span> or a vehicle not required to obtain a registration certificate and having an actual gross weight<\/span> of 3,000 pounds or more, shall be equipped with brakes controlled or operated by the driver<\/span> of the towing vehicle, which shall conform to the specifications set forth in \u00a7 46.2-1067<\/a> and shall be of a type approved by the Superintendent<\/span>. Farm trailers<\/span> used exclusively for hauling raw agricultural produce from farm to farm or farm to packing shed or processing plant within the normal growing area of the packing shed or processing plant and trailers<\/span> or semitrailers<\/span> drawn by a properly licensed motor vehicle<\/span> but exempt from registration, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.<\/p>

“Gross weight<\/span>” for the purpose of this section includes weight of the vehicle and the load upon such semitrailer<\/span>, trailer<\/span>, or separate vehicle.<\/p>

This section shall not apply to any vehicle being towed for repairs, repossession, in an emergency, or being moved by a tow truck<\/span> when two wheels of the towed vehicle are off the ground.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nBRAKES ON TRAILERS (\u00a7 46.2-1070)\n\nEvery semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle attached by a drawbar, chain, or\ncoupling to a towing vehicle other than a farm tractor or a vehicle not required\nto obtain a registration certificate and having an actual gross weight of 3,000\npounds or more, shall be equipped with brakes controlled or operated by the\ndriver of the towing vehicle, which shall conform to the specifications set\nforth in \u00a7 46.2-1067 and shall be of a type approved by the Superintendent.\nFarm trailers used exclusively for hauling raw agricultural produce from farm to\nfarm or farm to packing shed or processing plant within the normal growing area\nof the packing shed or processing plant and trailers or semitrailers drawn by a\nproperly licensed motor vehicle but exempt from registration, shall be exempt\nfrom the requirements of this section.\n\n“Gross weight” for the purpose of this section includes weight of\nthe vehicle and the load upon such semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle.\n\nThis section shall not apply to any vehicle being towed for repairs,\nrepossession, in an emergency, or being moved by a tow truck when two wheels of\nthe towed vehicle are off the ground.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 46-286; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-280; 1959, Ex. Sess., cc.\n21, 90; 1962, c. 313; 1966, c. 654; 1968, c. 164; 1970, c. 169; 1989, c. 727;\n2006, cc. 874, 891.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}