What Minnesota Law Says About Dogs In Your Lap While Driving

With the warmer weather we are starting to see here in Minnesota, it's going to be a more common sight to see people getting outdoors more, as well as bringing their pets along. It's only natural to have your best friend riding along with you, but is it illegal to drive with your dog on your lap in Minnesota?

No Exact Law On The Books For Dogs On Laps

There isn't an exact law on the books in Minnesota that definitively states it's illegal to drive with a dog on your lap, but this situation does fall into some other areas of driving safety that could net you a ticket, or worse.

Having a dog riding on your lap could mean you are looking at a ticket for careless or distracted driving.

Careless driving is stated in Minnesota Statute 169.13 as: "Any person who operates or halts any vehicle carelessly or heedlessly in disregard of the rights of others, or in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger any property or any person, including the driver or passengers of the vehicle."

The distracted driving statute 169.475 covers driving while operating a cell phone, but also broadly covers anything that would take your attention off the road. Like a dog in your lap.

Won't Be Pulled Over For Having A Dog On Your Lap But...

Generally speaking, you won't be pulled over for having a dog on your lap, but you most certainly will be pulled over if that dog is affecting your ability to drive safely. The golden rule to think about this is that if it affects your ability to control the vehicle, it's illegal to do, including eating.

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If you are fond of taking your dog with you as you run errands, you might want to think about putting it in a carrier or securing it in the backseat. (And of course you shouldn't leave the pet behind in the car in hot or cold weather.)