This is a hotly debated question. The confusion seems to come from 2 main opposing camps of people.
Those who have received a ticket or know someone who has, or those who knows someone in Canadian law enforcement who has never heard of such a law.
Is it illegal to drive with a hitch in Alberta?
There is no law against driving with a hitch in the Alberta Vehicle Equipment Regulation, or the Alberta Traffic Safety Act as a whole.
Nobody is quite sure where this rumour came from. In fact, it is legal to drive with your hitch on in most, if not all of Canada, as far as we can tell.
If such a law existed, it would be mentioned in the Alberta Vehicle Equipment Regulation here.
However, it is possible for your hitch to get you into some legal trouble, but not just for it’s mere existence.
You could possibly draw attention from the authorities if they deem that the hitch is covering or obscuring the license plate in any way.
It could also be possible to be in violation if the hitch extends out too far, though this scenario would be rare and unlikely.
In Alberta:
- If a vehicle’s load extends 1.5 metres (5 feet) or more beyond the rear of the vehicle, the following is required:
- During daylight hours, a red flag should be attached to the end of the extension or load. The flag must be at least 30 centimetres (one foot) long on each of the four sides of the square.
- At night, a red light must be attached to the end of the extension or load.
In Summary
- There is no law in the Alberta Vehicle Equipment Regulation prohibiting you from keeping your hitch on while driving in Alberta.
- While it is legal, some people choose to remove their hitches while not in use, for safety and theft concerns.
- In our limited research of jurisdictions outside of Alberta (rest of Canada and U.S.A) we are yet to find anywhere that has a “no hitch while driving law”. This does not mean that one does not exist.
