Law on requirement of mud flaps

So the State Trooper pulls me over the other day and says he stopped me because I do not have mud flaps on my vehicle. I replied by saying I thought that only trucks were required to have mud flaps. He says any vehicle with modified suspension that makes it taller needs to have mud flaps that cover the entire width of the tire and cannot be any higher than 10 inches off the ground. He gave me a warning and let me go. While I'm researching my state laws on this I thought I would see what other people think or know about their state laws.

'89 2 door Laredo
4.5" RE lift (taller in the rear because of stiff springs)
33x9.50 mud terrains

all four flares are still on but trimmed on the inside which does not compromise tire coverage.

Yea, not sure about your state but if a trooper gets a bug up his @ass thats an option. Most however don't pay any attention as long as your flares cover them.

I was looking up the law the other day about fender flares because I plan on taking mine off to paint them black again and to paint the Cherokee...This is what I found...

Idaho Statutes

TITLE 49 MOTOR VEHICLES CHAPTER 9 VEHICLE EQUIPMENT 49-949. REQUIREMENT AS TO FENDER OR COVERS OVER ALL WHEELS ON MOTORVEHICLES. (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or move or anyowner to permit to be operated or moved, any motor vehicle, truck, bus,semitrailer or trailer, upon any highway without having the vehicle equippedwith fenders or covers which may include flaps or splash aprons, over and tothe rear of wheels, as follows: (a) On the rear wheels of every truck equipped with a body, bus, trailer or semitrailer the fenders or covers shall extend in full width from a point above and forward of the center of the tires over and to the rear of the wheels to a point that is not more than ten (10) inches above the surface of the highway when the vehicle is empty; (b) Behind the rear wheels of every truck not equipped with a body the fenders or covers shall extend downward in full width from a point not lower than halfway between the center of the wheels and the top of the tires on the wheels to a point that is not more than ten (10) inches above the surface of the highway when the vehicle is empty; (c) Behind all wheels of every motor vehicle other than trucks, buses, semitrailers, or trailers, the fenders or covers shall extend in full width from a point above and forward of the center of the tire over and to the rear of the wheel to a point that is not more than twenty (20) inches above the surface of the highway, unless the bumper is a factory built bumper fastened directly to the frame of the vehicle pursuant to factory installation requirements; (d) Fenders or covers are not required on any modified American-made pre-1935 vehicle, or any identifiable vintage or replica thereof that is titled as a later assembled vehicle or replica and is used for show and pleasure use when such vehicle is used and driven only during fair weather on well-maintained hard-surfaced roads. (2) Fenders or covers, as used in subsection (1) of this section, shallbe deemed to be of sufficient size and construction as to comply with thoserequirements if constructed as follows: (a) When measured on the cross sections of the tread of the wheel or on the combined cross sections of the treads of multiple wheels, the fender or cover extends at least to each side of the width of the tire or of the combined width of the multiple tires, as the case may be; (b) The fender or cover is constructed as to be capable at all times of arresting and deflecting dirt, mud, water, or other substance as may be picked up and carried by wheels; (c) For school buses if the body extension behind the rear wheels exceeds five (5) feet.

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Yeah, I did find that right after I posted. My interpertation is that our vehicles would fall under section (c), being a motor vehicle other than a truck, bus, semitrailer, or trailer. So therefore if my fender flare provides sufficient coverage of the width of the tire it would be a matter of how high the bottom of my flare is off the ground. Meaning if the bottom of my flare is less than 20 inches off the ground I do not need flaps. If the bottom of my flare is higher than 20 inches off the ground I do need mud flaps. Do you agree?

I've been pulled over by an ISP and he told me that the mud flaps have to be 10" from the ground and no tire is allowed out of the wheel well. I'm also on 35-12.5 w/ 4" back space and 6" lift in the rear so I have a lot of tire showing

I got pulled over not too long ago in Eagle. Same thing 10" or less from the ground. I'm running 6" and 33's so a wee bit shows...

Move to Florida....no fender rules, no mud flaps, height regs are not enforced, blah, blah, blah.

cardboard and duct tape makes for some good temporary mudflaps. cops in my town the cops are really uptight. but u have to put gigantic :laugh3: faces on them to show u r cooperating with them.

Are the Idaho State Troopers calling our vehicles trucks? Subsections 1a and 1b of the statute is for trucks, buses, semitrailers, and trailers and it states 10 inches. It seems to me that subsection 1c would be for our types of vehicles. Although if I am in violation I would rather just put mud flaps on the rear and not on the front and rear.

MudDawg said:

Move to Florida....no fender rules, no mud flaps, height regs are not enforced, blah, blah, blah.

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They don't have hurricanes in Idaho.

I don't know...

The advantages of not having a rule on tire coverings just might make up for the fact that the place is hot and sticky in the Summer, has higher than normal amounts of lightning, and huricanes.


Then again....NOT !

Florida might be a nice place to visit... site see etc... I went through there once and just in the airport I walked off the plane and the humidity just about ate me alive. It's nasty! I'll take Boise,ID anyday :rof: However it would be nice not having a mud-flap/fender law... but there's quite a few people around these parts who drive big ol' trucks and lots of places to get muddy... gotta protect the rich people here who drive their nice cars and don't wanna get crap flown at their car. Oh well...

I've never had a problem driving my Jeep even with one mud flap... I need to get another. But then again... it's Idaho. And unless you live in Nampa or Caldwell the police don't have much else to do but bust people for silly traffic laws.

These vehilces are not truck though. They are station wagons. My title even shows that it is a station wagon. By definition in webster's dictionary they are station wagons too. Maybe you should show the cop the dictionary, and be prepared for him to get really pissed at you?

Zuki-Ron said:

I don't know...

The advantages of not having a rule on tire coverings just might make up for the fact that the place is hot and sticky in the Summer, has higher than normal amounts of lightning, and huricanes.


Then again....NOT !

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Yeah, but water don't turn to ice all by it's self....LOL!!! I run an air conditioning company...I LOVE the heat and humidity...and a hurricane is no worse that an a big ole Nor easter. And lightning is a good excuse to go home and drink a brewski....

MudDawg said:

and a hurricane is no worse that an a big ole Nor easter.

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Nor-easters seldom ever take out cities the size of New Orleans.

All I will say about people who live in the 'cane zone in a city that is below sea level and right on the water....HERES YER SIGN!!!

What's a mud flap? Is that the thing that keeps getting ripped off everytime that I go and play? One of them used to have "Marvin the Martian" on it. :dunce: