Texas trailer laws and regulations
Texas trailer rules at a glance: 4,500 lb brake threshold, length, width, height limits, hitch and safety chain rules, lighting, and mirror requirements.
Texas requires trailer brakes on any trailer over 4,500 lbs gross weight, with a partial exemption up to 15,000 lbs at low speeds. Max trailer width is 102 inches, max height is 14 ft, the combined rig cannot exceed 65 ft, and safety chains are mandatory on every tow.
Quick reference
| Rule | Texas limit |
|---|---|
| Max combined length (tow + trailer) | 65 ft (including bumpers) |
| Max trailer length | Not specified |
| Max trailer width | 102 in (excludes mirrors and safety devices) |
| Max height (trailer + load) | 14 ft |
| Max drawbar / connection length | 15 ft (unless transporting structural items) |
| Trailer brakes required | Over 4,500 lbs gross weight |
| Conditional exemption | 4,500 to 15,000 lbs if towed under 30 mph |
| Safety chains | Required on every trailer or towed vehicle |
| White flag on chain/rope/cable connection | 12 in square, visible |
| Riding in a house trailer while moving | Prohibited |
Source: Texas Transportation Code Chapter 547 (vehicle equipment) and Chapter 545 (operation), administered by Texas DPS and TxDMV.
Dimensions
- Max combined length (vehicle plus trailer, with bumpers): 65 ft.
- Max trailer length: not separately specified, but the 65 ft combined cap applies.
- Max trailer width: 102 in (rearview mirrors and safety devices do not count toward width).
- Max trailer height including load: 14 ft.
It is also illegal to ride inside a house trailer while it is being towed.
Loads larger than these limits need a TxDMV oversize/overweight permit.
Hitch, drawbar, and safety chains
The drawbar or other primary connection must be strong enough to handle the full towed weight and cannot exceed 15 ft in length. The exception is when two vehicles together are transporting a structural item like poles, pipe, or machinery that cannot be broken down.
If you tow with a chain, rope, or cable as the primary connection, a 12 inch square white flag must be visible on the connection.
Safety chains are required on every trailer, semi trailer, house trailer, or towed motor vehicle in Texas. They must be approved by DPS, which in practice means they meet SAE J684 ratings for the trailer’s GVWR.
Lighting
Texas Transportation Code §547.323 sets the trailer lighting baseline. A trailer towed at the rear of a combination must have:
- Electric turn signal lamps
- Two tail lamps
- Two stop lamps
- At least two red reflectors
Trailers 80 inches or wider also need:
- Two front clearance lamps (one each side)
- Two rear clearance lamps (one each side)
- Four side marker lamps (one each side near front, one each side near back)
- Four reflectors (one each side near front, one each side near back)
- Hazard warning lamps
Trailers 30 ft long or more need an additional pair of side marker lamps and reflectors, centrally located on each side, plus operational hazard lamps.
Pole trailers require a front-mounted combination lamp showing amber to the front and red to the rear and sides, indicating the trailer’s maximum width, plus a reflector at or near the front of the load.
If your tow vehicle is a Ford built between 2021 and 2026 (F-150, Super Duty, Ranger, Expedition, Maverick, Transit, or Lincoln Navigator), confirm that recall 26C10 (NHTSA 26V104000) has been applied. Ford pushed an OTA software fix in March 2026 for an Integrated Trailer Module fault that can scramble trailer light operation.
Speed and operation
No special towing speed in general traffic. Posted limits apply. DPS can pull you over for unsafe operation when the trailer is swaying or otherwise creating a hazard, even if you are under the limit.
Mirrors
Texas does not spell out a specific mirror configuration, but the driver must be able to see at least 200 ft of road behind the vehicle. If the trailer obstructs that view, you need side mirrors or extenders that restore it.
Brakes
Texas brake thresholds, from Transportation Code §§547.401-405:
- Trailers and pole trailers over 4,500 lbs gross weight must have brakes.
- Trailers from 4,500 to 15,000 lbs that are towed at speeds under 30 mph are exempt from the brake requirement.
- Brakes must operate on both wheels of the rear axle on trailers between 4,500 and 15,000 lbs at higher speeds.
- A trailer over 4,500 lbs must have brakes on all wheels required to have brakes under §547.402.
- Every trailer over 4,500 lbs also needs emergency brakes that automatically engage if the trailer breaks away (Texas Transportation Code §547.405).
In practice: any trailer over 4,500 lbs needs an electric brake controller in the tow vehicle (Tekonsha P3, Redarc Tow-Pro, Curt Echo, or factory integrated) and a working breakaway switch on the trailer tongue.