State Lift Laws What Is Legal In Your State?
“Drivers should understand the heavy fines they subject themselves to when driving a lifted vehicle with illegal bumpers,” said Jeff Mohr, president, Mohr Manufacturing. “The cost of one citation or accident can far exceed the purchase price of a SUPERBUMPER. More importantly, a SUPERBUMPER ensures the safety of other motorists, your family, your vehicle and your insurance.”
If you get into an accident with an illegally modified vehicle you can be held criminally liable (ticket) and sued. Some states have maximum bumper height regulations among others. So check the local regulations (found below) for street driven vehicles, there are ways around the bumper thing so it’s better to know and prepare for it. Keep in mind, that you are only kidding yourself if you think an insurance company will stand behind you if they find out you’re driving a vehicle that is not street legal and you get into an accident.
CREDITS: This article was published in the December, 2000 edition of Peterson’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine.
ALABAMA
There aren’t codes dealing specifically with the suspension components; rather, you’ll have to base your mods on the reflectors. They can’t be more than 60 inches above the ground.
ALASKA
Alaska is another state that bases its laws on the lights, and in this case it’s the distance from the headlights and taillights to the ground, which is 54 inches max and 24 minimum front and rear. One note: This state requires mud flaps.
ARIZONA
It’s all about mud flaps. Mud flap laws apply to trucks, but not SUVs. The rear fender’s splashguards can’t be more than 8 inches from the ground and must be wide enough, of course, to actually cover the full tread of the tires. However, 3/4-ton or lighter pickups are exempt, unless you’ve increased the OE bumper height. So, in other words, lift it, and you’re stuck following the mud flap rules. Leave your pickup stock, and you can skip the flaps. Also keep in mind that empty or loaded, your truck can’t be taller than 13 feet 6 inches.
ARKANSAS
There’s no law governing suspension upgrades, but there is a statute that restricts the height of headlights. They can’t be lower than 24 inches or higher than 54 inches from the ground. However, overall height restriction is 13 feet 6 inches without permit, thereby limiting all those dreams you just had.
CALIFORNIA
What you can do is dependent on the GVWR. If your truck’s 4,500 pounds, the maximum frame height is 27 inches. If the GVWR is 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, it’s 30 inches, and for 7,501- to 10,000 pounders, it’s 31 inches. Also keep in mind that the lowest portion of the body floor can’t be more than 5 inches above the top of the frame.
COLORADO
No altering from the OE design is allowed. Psych! It’s not allowed unless you follow the rules: Headlights can’t be more than 44 inches high, while taillights reach their limit at 72 inches.
CONNECTICUT
Modifying the factory bumper height is OK, as long as you keep it at 30 inches from the ground, or lift the vehicle no more than 4 inches.
DELAWARE
Short and sweet, without legal-eagle mumbo-jumbo: Don’t let more than 30 inches get between the ground and the bottom of the bumper.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The headlamps on every motor vehicle (and that means your motorcycle too if you’ve got on) must stay below 54 inches, and each tail lamp must not be higher than 72 inches. The low for the front is 24, and for the rear 15 – but we would hope you’d be altering your truck in the other direction.
FLORIDA
If your truck’s net weight is less than 2,000 pounds, the max bumper height is 24 inches front and 26 inches rear. If it’s more than 2,000 but less than 3,000, it’s 27 front and 29 rear. And if it hits the scales between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds, it’s 28 and 30 inches.
GEORGIA
If you modify the OE bumper more than 2 inches above (or below, for that matter) the manufacturer’s spec, don’t be surprised if you’re cited.
HAWAII
Hawaii also determines what’s OK based on the GVWR. If your truck is 4,500 pounds or less, the front and rear bumpers’ maximum height is 29 inches. If you’re looking at 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, it’s 33 inches for both. And 7,501 to 10,000 pounds? Don’t make them higher than 35 inches at either end. Also be aware that the allowable distance between the body and the frame rail tops off at 3 inches.
IDAHO
Lift laws here depend on GVWR – 4,500 pounds or less, the front bumper can be up to 24 inches and the rear 26 inches. For 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, it’s 27 inches in front and 29 out back, and for 7,501 to 10,000 pounds, its 28 and 30 inches. Interestingly enough, 4×4’s and dual-wheel trucks with 10,000-pound or lighter GVWR can have 30-inch-tall bumpers up front and 31 in back.
ILLINOIS
You can’t lift the body from the chassis more than 3 inches. In terms of bumper height, a 4,500 pound GVWR or less and your front bumper can’t go higher than 24 inches, and the rear must be no more than 26 inches. GVWRs between 4,501 and 7,500 mean 27 inches at the front and 29 at the rear. Finally, if your truck is between 7,501 and 9,000, the allowable altering is 28 and 30 inches.
INDIANA
Simply put, that bumper needs to stay within 3 inches of the factory height. Keep those headlights at 54 inches while you’re at it.
IOWA
We’ve been told that Iowa has repealed requirements concerning lifted 4x4s. For now, that means that general height, weight, and width requirements that apply to all other vehicles in the state apply to your four-by. Translation: The height cannot exceed 13 feet 6 inches, and the width can’t go beyond 8 feet.
KANSAS
There aren’t laws specifically about the suspension, but rather about headlight, tail lamp, and reflectors. Headlights should be no higher than 54 inches (no lower than 24 inches), and the tail lamps can’t reach higher than 72 inches (or below 15). Reflectors must be present front and rear (out back they can be incorporated into the light or stand alone) and can’t be higher than 60 inches or lower than 15.
KENTUCKY
Currently, there are no restrictions on terms of bumper height. The Kentucky General Assembly has addressed the issue before but, lo and behold, no one could agree on anything. Just keep it at what most mortals would call safe.
LOUISIANA
It’s a headlight state. No matter what kind of motor vehicle you drive, the lights can’t be higher than 54 inches. Alter the suspension however you deem fit, as long as the lights are up to code. FYI, fog lights can’t be higher than 30 inches from the ground.
MAINE
Headlights: Don’t even think about going higher than 54 inches. However, keep in mind that the original suspension cannot be “disconnected,” but don’t let that stop you from bolting on heavy-duty shocks and overload springs. Other need-to-knows: Don’t remove or disconnect the ABS, and the tires can only be two sizes larger than the manufacturer’s recommendation. Spring-shackle extensions are also a no-no.
MARYLAND
No trucks or multipurpose vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less can be taller than 28 inches. A truck beyond 10,000 pounds – but not more that 18,000 pounds – can go beyond 30 inches (you Excursions owners just made it into that first grouping under the wire). Lift more than those 30, and you’ll be ticketed and/or given a Safety Equipment Repair Order (SERO) to fix the violation.
MASSACHUSETTS
Get your calculator: The maximum allowable mechanical lift (as well as what’s acceptable in terms of bigger rubber) can be determined by this formula:
Maximum Lift = Wheelbase x Wheel Track divided by 2200
For example, if you did the formula and came up with 2 inches, then a 2 inch lift and a 2 inch increase in tire size is allowable, equaling a total lift of 4 inches over stock.
MICHIGAN
Lift blocks between the front axle and springs, or lift blocks that exceed 4 inches in height between the rear axle and springs, are not allowed. Shackle replacements cannot exceed OE length by more than 2 inches, and ixnay on the coil spring spacers. In terms of acceptable height, less than 4,501 GVWR, and your frame height cannot exceed 24 inches, and the bumper height can’t go beyond 26 inches. For GVWR’s between 4,501 and 7,500, those numbers are 24 and 28 inches. For 7,501 and 10,000-pound vehicles, keep the height at 26 and 30 inches.
MINNESOTA
The maximum legal height for bumpers is 25 inches from the bottom of the bumper to the ground. If you attach something to the bumper to make it conform to the legal height, it must be just as strong as the factory bumper or meet SAE standards. Simply bolting on pieces of wood or metal isn’t gonna cut it folks. If you slap on a lift kit, you might actually be required to register your truck as a “reconstructed” vehicle, and that would mean you’ll have to pay additional road-use tax and need an inspection where a new VIN would be applied.
MISSISSIPPI
No vehicle can be modified in any way that will put it over the state’s 8-inch total-lift limit, and the maximum suspension lift front and rear is 6 inches (so make sure your big tires won’t be over the limit if you raise the suspension that much).
MISSOURI
Here’s another state that use GVWR as the bumper-height guideline. For vehicles 4,500 pounds and under, the front bumper can’t be taller than 24 inches and the rear must see no more than 26 inches. For 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, it’s 27 inches in front and 29 rear, and for 7,501 to 9,000 pounds, it’s 28 and 30 inches.
MONTANA
No laws here, but your truck will need the lighting requirement, which is that the headlights are no higher than 72 inches or lower than 15 inches.
NEBRASKA
There aren’t any specific laws concerning lift kits, but mud flaps get all the attention. They must block the entire width of the tires.
NEVADA
We’ll cut to the chase. The bumper height, be it front or rear, cannot go beyond 24 inches.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
No vehicle’s height (and we’re talking loaded too), may be taller than 13 feet 6 inches. Don’t change the height or alter the bumper in any way that would make it farther than 20 inches from the ground.
NEW JERSEY
You can raise the suspension only 4 inches above stock height. Go any higher and your truck becomes classified as a “High Rise” and it must undergo a stability test at a state facility.
NEW MEXICO
The restrictions this state has are that headlamps can’t be higher than 54 inches, and tail lamps can’t be higher than 72 inches. However, it’s no-holds-barred on the type of lift used.
NEW YORK
All ’90 and newer commercial vehicles and trucks can’t go crazy and get that bumper above 24 inches from the ground. Also keep in mind the headlights must not be more than 54 inches above the cement, and taillights can’t be higher than 72 inches. Turn-signal lights can’t exceed 83 inches.
NORTH CAROLINA
Don’t even think about going higher than 6 inches from the factory height – unless, of course, you get a written OK from the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. You don’t need a permission slip if yours is a multipurpose ride atop a truck chassis that sees some dirt.
NORTH DAKOTA
A height of 14 feet, loaded or unloaded, is the limit. Keep in mind that if your tires poke out from the body, you’re best advised to stick on fender flares to keep the police at bay.
OHIO
This state keeps an eye on the GVWR for bumper height. For 4,500 pounds and under, 24 inches is the max at front, 26 at the rear, and 4,501 to 7,500 is 27 to 29. For 7,501 to 10,000, it’s 28 and 31 inches. If the body or truck-bed height is altered, the difference in height between the body floor and/or the bed floor to the top of the frame rail can be no more than 4 inches.
OKLAHOMA
Before you pick out that lift kit, keep in mind that headlights can be no more than 54 inches from the ground, and the taillights can’t exceed 72 inches.
OREGON
Oregon doesn’t have a maximum bumper-height law, but headlights can be only 54 inches from the center of the headlight to the asphalt. Also, maximum height of a vehicle, with anything on top or loaded is 14 feet.
PENNSYLVANIA
Be aware that increasing the wheel track by using spacers or similar doodads thicker than 1/4 inch is a very bad move. On medium and heavy duty trucks, the rear bumper must be within 30 inches of the ground when the truck is unloaded
RHODE ISLAND
For all vehicles with a 10,000-pound GVWR or less, you can raise the chassis or body no more than 4 inches from the OE height.
SOUTH CAROLINA
You can’t modify either up or down by more than 6 inches from the original height.
SOUTH DAKOTA
There aren’t regulations for suspensions, per se, but the taillights can be no higher than 72 inches.
TENNESSEE
There can be no more than 4 inches between the body floor and the top of the frame. The distance between the bumper and the ground is 24 inches for GVWRs of 4,500 and less; 26 inches for 4,501 to 7,500; and 28 inches for 7,501 to 10,000.
TEXAS
Laws concern lighting but not bumper height or even lift blocks. The headlamps must be mounted between 24 and 54 inches from the ground, the tail lamps between 15 and 72, and fog lamps between 12 and 30.
UTAH
After being told it’s a “mathematical nightmare” to figure out by one local trooper, we got the scoop from another trooper: If your vehicle’s wheelbase is 100 inches or less, the most you can lift can be determined by:
Maximum Lift = Wheelbase x Wheel Track divided by 2200
For 4×4 wheelbases beyond 100 inches, you can lift a total of 8 inches, but you’ll have to remember your new tires do that equation (so if you lift 4 inches, you can go up in tire size that much too).
Added:
26″ ground to bottom of frame = 1/2 ton
28″ = 3/4 ton
not sure on 1 ton though’
Utah is based on GVWR, not necessarily wheelbase.
VERMONT
For trucks and multipurpose vehicles, the allowable bumper-height increase for front bumpers and rear bumpers depends on the GVWR. For 4,500 pounds and under, it’s 24 inches front and 26 inches rear. For 4,501 to 7,500, it’s 27 and 29, and for 7,501 to 10,000, it’s 28 and 31.
VIRGINIA
Don’t even think about driving on these highways if there is more than 28 inches between the bumpers and the road if your truck falls in the 4,500-pound GVWR rating. For 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, the front bumper must stay lower than 29 inches and the rear 30 inches; for 7,501 to 15,000 pounds, it’s 30 at the front and 31 at the rear.
WASHINGTON
You can lift your truck in Washington without fear, as long as the kit is manufactured by an aftermarket company and is designed for your make and model of truck, as well as installed the right way. You know this already, right? Body lifts can’t use more than a 3 inch spacer and are not allowed to rise the body more than 4 inches above the frame after all components are installed.
-GVWR 4500lbs and under
front bumper height 24″ maximum
rear bumper height 26″ maximum
-GVWR 4501-7500lbs
front bumper height 27″ maximum
rear bumper height 29″ maximum
-GVWR 7501-10000lbs
front bumper height 28″ maximum
rear bumper height 30″ maximum
-Minimum bumper height is 4.5″.
-Mud flaps are required and must be as wide as the tire and extend down to the axle centerline.
WEST VIRGINIA
The most space you can have between the body and frame are 3 inches, while the acceptable gap between the bumpers and the ground is 31 inches for a 10,000-pound or less GVWR or less. More weight than that, you’re free and clear.
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin law says that vehicles with an 8,000 pound GVWR can be pushed 5 inches above the OE height, and the tires can be increased by up to 4 inches in radius over the factory size, equaling an acceptable 9-inch lift.
WYOMING
There are no official statutory guidelines for bumper height, frame height, rear blocks, or shackle lifts – all laws referring to these alterations say the vehicle must simply be in “safe” working condition.