Sheriff's Department says rumor about ball hitches is untrue

Posted: Wed, Aug 3, 2011 8:24 PM

The Winneshiek County Sheriff's Department wants to make sure the public knows it is not now and was not previously illegal to leave a ball or ball mount in a trailer hitch receiver.

Law enforcement agencies and officers throughout Iowa have been receiving numerous inquiries about a new law that requires a person operating a vehicle to remove the ball and ball mount from a trailer hitch receiver when not towing a trailer.

An Iowa State Trooper was successful in tracing the rumor to its source. In September 2010, some Iowa high school students generated phony citations on their computers and began issuing citations in a high school parking lot as a prank against members of a high school athletic team. This gave rise to the rumor that has now spread throughout the state.

The Winneshiek County Sheriff's Department says no such law exists in Iowa and it is perfectly legal to leave a ball or ball mount in a trailer hitch at all times.