Delaware trailer laws and regulations
Delaware brake threshold, length and width caps, the 10 mph rule for unbraked heavy trailers, and what every towable needs for lighting.
Delaware quick reference for anyone towing in the state:
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Trailer brakes required | 3,000 lb GVWR or more |
| Max combined length (tow + trailer) | 65 feet |
| Max trailer length | 40 feet |
| Max width | 102 inches (8 ft 6 in) |
| Max height | 13 feet 6 inches |
| Drawbar / connection length | 15 feet maximum |
| Trailer over 4,000 lb with no brakes | 10 mph speed limit |
| Tow only one trailer | Yes; double towing not permitted |
| Riding in house trailer while towed | Prohibited |
| Rear lights | At least one red tail lamp visible 500 ft |
| Trailer registration | Required (titled at DMV) |
| Mirrors | Clear view directly behind on a line parallel to the vehicle |
The 10 mph rule for heavy unbraked trailers is the one that catches people off guard. If you’re hauling a 4,500 lb car on a basic flat trailer with no electric brakes, you legally cannot go faster than 10 mph in Delaware.
Brakes
Delaware requires brakes on trailers of 3,000 lb GVWR or more, with automatic application on breakaway. The tow vehicle must be able to apply the trailer brakes from the driver’s seat (proportional electric brake controller is the standard).
Two separate means of applying brakes must work. The service brake (foot pedal that actuates trailer brakes through the controller) plus a parking / breakaway brake usually counts.
If the trailer is over 4,000 lb and has no working brakes controllable from the tow vehicle, the maximum speed is 10 mph. That makes it functionally undriveable on most roads. Add brakes to the trailer or stay home.
Drawbar length and double towing
The connection between the tow vehicle and the trailer (hitch, drawbar, pintle, or other) must be no longer than 15 feet. That covers nearly every conventional setup; it’s a rule aimed at improvised or makeshift hookups.
Delaware does not allow double towing. One trailer behind one tow vehicle. Triple-tow setups are illegal.
If your connection includes a rope, chain, or cable (an emergency tow, for example), a red flag or cloth at least 12 inches square must be attached to the connection so it’s visible to other drivers.
Registration
Trailers must be titled and registered through the Delaware DMV before they can be used on public roads. The list of vehicles requiring a title:
- Motor vehicles
- Truck tractors
- Trailers (utility, boat, RV, snowmobile, etc.)
- Motorcycles and mopeds
- Mobile homes and house trailers
Boats are registered with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, but the boat trailer itself goes through the DMV.
You have 30 days from purchase to register. After that, late fees apply.
Dimensions
Combined length of 65 feet is standard. A 20-foot truck can pull a 40-foot fifth wheel. Width of 102 inches and height of 13 ft 6 in match most East Coast states.
Lighting
The Delaware minimum is one red tail lamp visible from 500 feet. That’s lower than most states’ two-lamp requirement, but practically every trailer made in the last 40 years already has two lights, brake lamps, signals, and reflectors. Federal motor vehicle safety standards drive the actual hardware, so unless you’re towing a Great Depression-era trailer, lighting is covered.
What state troopers actually check:
- Both tail lamps working
- Both brake lamps working
- Both turn signals working
- License plate light working
- Reflectors visible and clean
A burned-out bulb on the trailer is a routine traffic stop reason.
If you tow with a Ford built in 2021 or later (F-150, F-Series Super Duty 2022+, Ranger 2024+, Expedition 2022+, Maverick 2022+, Transit 2026, Lincoln Navigator), check whether Ford recall 26C10 / NHTSA 26V104000 applies. The recall covers an Integrated Trailer Module software fault on roughly 4.3 million vehicles. OTA fix pushed March 2026.
Safety chains
Delaware “strongly recommends” but does not strictly mandate safety chains in the statute for all trailers. In practice every modern trailer is required to have chains for highway use, and police will treat missing or broken chains as an equipment violation. Use two chains, crossed under the tongue, rated above the trailer’s GVWR. Don’t try to use Delaware’s looser wording as a defense.
Speed limits
Posted speed limits apply. Delaware does not have a separate trailer speed cap on properly braked trailers.
Special case: trailer over 4,000 lb with no working brakes controllable from the tow vehicle is capped at 10 mph by statute. Practical implication: don’t tow heavy trailers without functional brakes.
Mirrors
Both outside mirrors must give a clear view of the highway directly behind the tow vehicle on a line parallel to it. No specific distance is set, but if your stock mirrors are blocked by the trailer, install extended tow mirrors. The same clip-on or telescoping factory tow mirror solutions used elsewhere apply.
Passengers in towed trailers
You may not ride inside a house trailer (travel trailer or fifth wheel) while it is being towed in Delaware. Truck campers (slide-ins) are not house trailers and follow different rules; the camper is part of the truck, not a trailer.
What gets cited
The common stops:
- Burned-out tail or brake light
- No working trailer brakes on a trailer over 3,000 lb
- Safety chains missing, broken, or dragging
- Expired registration
- Wide combination without adequate mirrors
- Speeding (no separate tow limit, but the standard cop math applies)