GA lift kit / height laws - thought I'd share

After reading about the XJ owner in Virginia with his head aches with the local authorities, it got me wondering about the vehicle code in Georgia for lift kits and bumper heights.

I called the GA State Patrol Barracks in Rome and spoke with Officer Pledger about vehicle height and lift kits. There are several statues in the books that make the issue a little vague. As officer Pledger told me, if they think it looks unsafe, they can pull you over. If you look reasonably safe, they won’t be so inclined to bother you.

Georgia Traffic Code 40-8-6 states you can’t alter your suspension more than 2 inches either way, up or down, that is measurable by bumper height, based from the factory “recommendations”. Problem with that one comes under the definition of factory “recommendation”. So most don’t go by that. Also, there is a book with factory specs, including bumper heights for all vehicles used in the U.S., BUT- only one in a million GA State Patrolmen out there will even have that book, and that is out of shear personal desire to have that info handy.

The more recent code Georgia Traffic Code 40-8-6.1 categorizes it by weight:
<4500 lbs – 27” from the lowest part of the chassis to the ground
4501 – 7500 lbs – 30” from the lowest part of the chassis to the ground
7501 - 14000 lbs – 31” from the lowest part of the chassis to the ground

As put to me, every State Patrolman has his pet peeve. And if a specific GSP has a thing about lift kits, and wants to pull you over, he can if he thinks your vehicle is unsafe. And if that is the case, just be familiar with GA Code 40-8-6.1 and be mindful of your chassis height.

I have a friend who is a patrolman for the GSP, and he says he doesn’t bother with trucks with high lifts, as long as they are operating safely, all lights working, not DUI, etc, he said he doesn’t bother them. Although he said that some local officers have nothing better to do ..........

Domino said:

. Although he said that some local officers have nothing better to do ..........

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thats the case 99% of the time

X2 amen...got pulled over last night in my driveway for having a brake light out...i turn around and three cops are there! useless

Officer Pledger:roflmao: Sorry, that cracks me up everytime I here it. You just have to know the guy. Actually you don't want to. Next time ask him how that Hummer is working for him:looser: :looser: .

mcraindog said:

X2 amen...got pulled over last night in my driveway for having a brake light out...i turn around and three cops are there! useless

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Holy Hek! Me TOO! Last night I got pulled for having a busted drivers side tail light... My girl is a dispatcher for them and her mom is a detective so I didnt even get a warning but what the hey!


SC law says that the factory headlight can not be more than 56" off the ground and not more than a 44" tire. Lots of guys around here put the factory headlights in the bumper and slap 44s on D35s and take off down the road.

here in NC i was told (not for sure) but cant have anything bigger than 40s and a lift over 6" unless its certified by commision of motor vehicles (w/e that is)

Well, thats what it means when they say operating a safe vehicle, no operating lights are out on your truck, your are not operating it unsafely, like driving under the influence.
As far as Officer Pledger, I don't know him. If he's answering the phone, he's probably not patroling. My friend is a patrolman, whose name I wouldn't like to share but his initials are J.S. ( I dont want to put him on the spot). But we we're taking right before I made this post, and we were talking about one individual in our county who has the biggest CHevy. Its hugh. You can park a Miata under it, it's that tall. Its got a big air brush mural on the tailgate, and it's a white four door p/u.
If you're driving a car with a taillight out, they pull you over......

One thing I might point out is, before calling the GSP, I called our Sheriff’s Office and was quickly directed to the GSP Office. After talking with J.S., he said the Sheriff’s Office does that because they know the GSP knows the law, and they don’t. The other thing I’d like to add is Officer Pledger is the one that happened to answer the phone at the GSP. He couldn’t answer my questions to begin with and had to look it up. And it was at that point Officer Pledger asked the help of his sergeant. (Honestly- he did sound more like a secretary than a patrolman).

In both cases, from the GSP Office, and my friend, I was told...operate the vehicle in a safe manor with all equipment functioning and 99.9% of the time GSP won’t hassle you.

As far as local authorities, YES, they get bored. I have several stories my self about such things. I know one county patrolman who confessed going to ROME from Summerville for Krystals on third shift during working/ patroling hours.

Know your chassis height/GVW that applies to you and state the CODE 40-8-6.1. If you are NOT within the limits according to the code, you’re rolling the dice. If you are within the limits of the CODE 40-8-6.1, odds are you can beat it court unless you to are unable to conduct yourself in a civil manor before a judge.

I hate to say it, but in small towns like ours, appearances will either gain you clout or cost you credibility. I have been dressed in a Polo shirt driving my 2000 Silverado and am called “Sir” by authorities, or drive my beater Mazda with a dirty work shirt and dirty jeans and am treated like a secong class citizen. I also live out of my vehicles, so its messy 99% of the time, so that doesn’t look good to them.

THEY have a theory that if you are not taking care of your vehicle, such that you have blown or busted tail lights and headlights, or a cracked windshield, you’re probably not being responsible in the rest of your life, like having a valid license or insurance. THIS IS NOT MY THEORY- it’s theirs, I am only sharing what I know.

And like the guy in VA(?), ask to measure your vehicle when pulled over, and know what its going to measure before hand. IF not, don't measure and do it afterwards take a picture, and take that to court.....:gee:

xjhiker said:

Officer Pledger:roflmao: Sorry, that cracks me up everytime I here it. You just have to know the guy. Actually you don't want to. Next time ask him how that Hummer is working for him:looser: :looser: .

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Do tell....

J.S.= Swords? And yeah, Pledger is pretty much just a suckretary:jester: . His dad is a really good guy and was a Patrolman for a long time. He was in charge of the post in Lafayette for a while. Not that I'm saying that had anything to do with Pledger getting his now 8? year desk job with the State Patrol. You must have called the Chattooga Sheriff's Office:confused1 because they know nothing and if they did they would be too busy screwing around to help you (or do their job).

lowrange2 said:

Holy Hek! Me TOO! Last night I got pulled for having a busted drivers side tail light... My girl is a dispatcher for them and her mom is a detective so I didnt even get a warning but what the hey!


SC law says that the factory headlight can not be more than 56" off the ground and not more than a 44" tire. Lots of guys around here put the factory headlights in the bumper and slap 44s on D35s and take off down the road.

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Read these and more here Want all Title 56 in SC (Motor Vehicle laws) Click here!

SECTION 56-5-4445. Unlawful to elevate or lower motor vehicle; exception for "pickup trucks".
SECTION 56-5-4500. Height of head lamps from ground.
SECTION 56-5-4910. Bumpers; "private passenger automobile" defined.
SECTION 56-5-5040. Tires.

OldBlueXJ said:

Read these and more here Want all Title 56 in SC (Motor Vehicle laws) Click here!

SECTION 56-5-4445. Unlawful to elevate or lower motor vehicle; exception for "pickup trucks".
SECTION 56-5-4500. Height of head lamps from ground.
SECTION 56-5-4910. Bumpers; "private passenger automobile" defined.
SECTION 56-5-5040. Tires.

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SECTION 56-5-4445. Unlawful to elevate or lower motor vehicle; exception for "pickup trucks". It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a passenger motor vehicle on the highways of this State which has been elevated or lowered either in front or back more than six inches by a modification, alteration or change in the physical structure of the vehicle. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than fifty dollars. Provided, however, this shall not apply to motor vehicles commonly called "pickup trucks".

Not more then 6" unless it's a truck.... soooooo all the trucks move the headlights down since the only law that dictates lift for a truck is the headlight law.

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SECTION 56-5-4500. Height of head lamps from ground. Every head lamp upon every motor vehicle, including every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle, shall be located at a height measured from the center of the head lamp of not more than fifty-four inches nor less than twenty-four inches to be measured as set forth in Section 56-5-4480. However, this section shall apply only to new vehicles sold in this State after June 30, 1949.

I was mistaken by 2 inchs.

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SECTION 56-5-4910. Bumpers; "private passenger automobile" defined. For the purposes of Sections 56-5-4910 to 56-5-4940, the term "private passenger automobile" shall mean a four-wheeled motor vehicle designed for carrying ten persons or less, except a multipurpose passenger vehicle which is constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation.

What does this have to do with anything?

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SECTION 56-5-5040. Tires. Every motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer operated upon the highways shall be equipped with tires of sufficient size and in sufficient number to distribute the wheel loads on the road surface so as to avoid damage to the highway, and all such tires shall be in a safe operating condition. Every solid rubber tire on a vehicle shall have rubber on its entire traction surface at least one inch thick above the edge of the flange of the entire periphery. No person shall operate or move on any highway any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer having any metal tire in contact with the roadway. No tire on a vehicle moved on a highway shall have on its periphery any block, stud, flange, cleat or spike or any other protuberance of any material other than rubber (or other resilient material) which projects beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire, except that it shall be permissible to use farm machinery with tires having protuberances which will not injure the highway and except also that it shall be permissible to use tire chains of reasonable proportions upon any vehicle when required for safety, because of snow, ice or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skid. It shall also be permissible to use upon any vehicle for increased safety, regular and snow tires with studs which project beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire not more than one sixteenth of an inch when compressed.

This just says they have to be rubber.

my jeep has been across ATL for the last 5 years and even with no doors i have never run into any trouble... i am sitting at 7 inches lift and 35 inch tires... honestly if you are driving respectfully you will never get flagged... i always drive slow because with all the bumpers and armor on my heep it would make for a nasty wreck... interesting info but i have to tell ya the more rural the area the easier... i go to school in MS and i have had two cops in cars come up to me and talk about my jeep when they see my tag from GA! one was black and he was actually super interested in the fab work, etc... turns out he had a TJ he was building and we slapped on one of the plate winch bumpers we have been designing at my friends shop... oh and did a roll cage too! anyways i am still young at 21 but drive my jeep like i am 70... i think modified vehicles get stereotyped and i am always calm on the roads... anyways

I do agree that in the big shots hang around Columbia. While I have never had anyone nag me about my my lift, I did have one trooper in columbia give me a ticket for my lowrider truck... That sucked.

I wanna hear from Andy with the giant red jeep, if he's had any troubles with the law. Thats gotta be the biggest XJ I've seen around sitting on those front leafs.

For the most part, it's up to the cops discretion. most cops around GA won't pull you over just for having a lifted vehicle (nature of the southern beast!), but they will get you for something else and can tack on the lifted violation.