Ok you guys in VA....good news and bad news...... got pulled today for my lift height. The cool part is that I just registered my Jeep again and they change the registration to an SUV with a GVW of 6000lbs, so I didn't complain. Worked out real well for me actually. So I was in traffic on I-95 south doing about 45mph when I see a state trooper in the median, pull out and throw his lights on. So I'm like, ok, he's going to an accident or something. Nope, he came, followed behind me, and as I got over in another lane, just followed me, so yeah, I'm thinking...Dude, I was going 45mph! Well, he comes up to me, asks for my licence and registration and goes back to his car. So as I'm sitting there, I'm wondering how in the hell I could have broken the speed limit and he comes back with a tape measure. "I pulled you over because your vehicle is lifted too heigh. You'll need to go to court on this date, bla bla bla....", so I ask him what he measured and what the law states. He said that it was done by his eye sight and then he proceded to tell me the law. I (trying my hardest not to flip the hell out and go apeshit on him about him just using his eyes) politely asked him to show me with a tape measure that I was over the limit. Well, I wasn't, thankfully and it turns out that I was within the law by 1/2". So I got out of that one and thanks for all the waves guys! Don't know who was waving at me, but I'm assuming it must be one of us. Anyhow, I asked him for the web site where I can get the law and pass it on, so here it is. This is what the law states:
"No person shall drive on a public highway any motor vehicle registered as a truck if it has been modified by alteration of its altitude from the ground to the extent that its bumpers, measured to any point on the lower edge of the main horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, do not fall within the limits specified herein for its gross vehicle weight rating category. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 4,500 pounds or less shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 28 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 28 inches. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 4,501 pounds to 7,500 pounds shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 29 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 30 inches. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 7,501 pounds to 15,000 pounds shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 30 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 31 inches. Bumper height limitations contained in this section shall not apply to trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings in excess of 15,000 pounds. For the purpose of this section, "truck" includes pickup and panel trucks, and "gross vehicle weight ratings" means manufacturer's gross vehicle weight ratings established for that vehicle as indicated by a number, plate, sticker, decal, or other device affixed to the vehicle by its manufacturer.
In the absence of bumpers, and in cases where bumper heights have been lowered, height measurements under the foregoing provisions of this section shall be made to the bottom of the frame rail. However, if bumper heights have been raised, height measurements under the foregoing provisions of this section shall be made to the bottom of the main horizontal bumper bar.
No vehicle shall be operated on a public highway if it has been modified by any means so as to raise its body more than three inches, in addition to any manufacturer's spacers and bushings, above the vehicle's frame rail or manufacturer's attachment points on the frame rail."
Thankfully I was registered at 6000lbs GVW and measured 29" front and 28 3/4" in the rear. Here is the actual web site for everything else including lift laws. Luckily, we don't have to worry about most of them. I haven't found one that states how high if any modifications to the suspension can be done, but it does say that body lifts over 3" are illegal. Fortunately for us, we can't do that. So anyways, here's the laws as they are actually written:
http://leg1.state.va.us/000/reg/TOC19030.HTM#C0070
and for the short version (this includes other states HEADS UP FOR EVERYONE ELSE OUTSIDE OF VA....THIS MEANS YOU!!)
go to this site and download the pdf.
Site-----> http://www.truckaddicts.com/pages/laws.html
PDF----> http://www.semasan.com/images/pdf/33525.pdf
Hope this helps you guys. I don't know how you all feel about it, but I printed up a copy to keep with my licence and registration so that if a cop tries to write me up again, I can pull out the law and show him. I know there's gonna be a cop that won't let my printed copy slide, so I also included the web site so they can look up the online version on their computers in their cars. Good luck you all and drive safe!
"No person shall drive on a public highway any motor vehicle registered as a truck if it has been modified by alteration of its altitude from the ground to the extent that its bumpers, measured to any point on the lower edge of the main horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, do not fall within the limits specified herein for its gross vehicle weight rating category. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 4,500 pounds or less shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 28 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 28 inches. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 4,501 pounds to 7,500 pounds shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 29 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 30 inches. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 7,501 pounds to 15,000 pounds shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 30 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 31 inches. Bumper height limitations contained in this section shall not apply to trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings in excess of 15,000 pounds. For the purpose of this section, "truck" includes pickup and panel trucks, and "gross vehicle weight ratings" means manufacturer's gross vehicle weight ratings established for that vehicle as indicated by a number, plate, sticker, decal, or other device affixed to the vehicle by its manufacturer.
In the absence of bumpers, and in cases where bumper heights have been lowered, height measurements under the foregoing provisions of this section shall be made to the bottom of the frame rail. However, if bumper heights have been raised, height measurements under the foregoing provisions of this section shall be made to the bottom of the main horizontal bumper bar.
No vehicle shall be operated on a public highway if it has been modified by any means so as to raise its body more than three inches, in addition to any manufacturer's spacers and bushings, above the vehicle's frame rail or manufacturer's attachment points on the frame rail."
Thankfully I was registered at 6000lbs GVW and measured 29" front and 28 3/4" in the rear. Here is the actual web site for everything else including lift laws. Luckily, we don't have to worry about most of them. I haven't found one that states how high if any modifications to the suspension can be done, but it does say that body lifts over 3" are illegal. Fortunately for us, we can't do that. So anyways, here's the laws as they are actually written:
http://leg1.state.va.us/000/reg/TOC19030.HTM#C0070
and for the short version (this includes other states HEADS UP FOR EVERYONE ELSE OUTSIDE OF VA....THIS MEANS YOU!!)
go to this site and download the pdf.
Site-----> http://www.truckaddicts.com/pages/laws.html
PDF----> http://www.semasan.com/images/pdf/33525.pdf
Hope this helps you guys. I don't know how you all feel about it, but I printed up a copy to keep with my licence and registration so that if a cop tries to write me up again, I can pull out the law and show him. I know there's gonna be a cop that won't let my printed copy slide, so I also included the web site so they can look up the online version on their computers in their cars. Good luck you all and drive safe!
