Mid-Illini Jeepers

Now that it is groundhog day kind of makes you think of warm weather and driving with out the top and doors. I found out that it is against the law to drive with out the doors. How many of you have become harden criminals and been stopped for this particular offense? Wondering if there are towns more hard core about driving without doors than others?

(625 ILCS 5/12-101) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-101)
Sec. 12-101. Scope and effect of equipment requirements. (a) It is unlawful for any person to drive or move or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person or property, or which does not contain those parts or is not at all times equipped with such lamps and other equipment in proper condition and adjustment as required in this Chapter 12, or which is equipped in any manner in violation of this Code, or for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required under this Chapter 12.
(b) The provisions of this Chapter 12 with respect to equipment on vehicles shall not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery, road rollers, or farm tractors or to farm-wagon type trailers having a fertilizer spreader attachment permanently mounted thereon, having a gross weight of not to exceed 36,000 pounds and used only for the transportation of bulk fertilizer or to farm-wagon type tank trailers of not to exceed 2,000 gallons capacity, used during the liquid fertilizer season as field-storage "nurse tanks" supplying the fertilizer to a field applicator and moved on highways only for bringing the fertilizer from a local source of supply to farm or field or from one farm or field to another.
(Source: P.A. 82-523.)

Where in the code 625 Chapter 12 do you see info about no doors? I have read and reviewed that section multiple times and have never seen anything to do with doors, frame/floor height, windshields and mirrors are addressed, but not doors. As far as my Jeeps, doors were a factory option that mine were not equipped with and therefore not legally needed, same as not needing a seatbelt in a pre 1965 vehicle.

Maybe my interpretation is wrong I don't know why it would be any different than a motorcycle.

In the first paragraph after you get through the who is driving or the owner lets the vehicle to be driven in a unsafe condition. Police have given tickets using 625 ILCS 5/12-101) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-101) saying that the doors are part of the Jeep that should always be on while driving on public roadways.


a) It is unlawful for any person to drive or move or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person or property,

Follow the rules of the road. Do the speed limit and drive like a responsible adult.
You will not have a problem.
If you are out at 1:00 in the morning and they have a some what of a reason to pull you over, they will.

Though I have never seen any direct reference to doors in the code, I was told you it wasn't lawful to drive on the interstate without doors and know of people who have been pulled over and told to leave the highway on the next exit. UPS drivers also told me they have to have their doors closed on the interstate.

I have cloth doors and they count.

Like always, it depends if the cop is a dick.

There's a lot of enforcement/interpretation inconsistency between motorcycles and cars, so that's not a great comparison to make. My wife got pulled over once for a loud exhaust in her car (disclaimer: before I knew her) and I can guarantee you it was still quieter than the average stock Harley, let alone the bikes that have straight pipes or all the baffles removed from the mufflers. I wouldn't want to get into an accident without doors on, but a Jeep without doors is still way safer than any motorcycle.

I agree with Tom and Steve though... just like the discussions we've had about bumper height enforcements, it all comes down to whether a cop decides you need to be taught a lesson. If you're not driving like an idiot, you'll very likely be just fine with no doors.

What Dave said.