New York Lift Laws

[MrMindless]

I was just doing some research after my truck was refused an inspection (which it should not have been, as none of these restrictions are a part of the inspection), and I thought I\'d share what I found.

This is distilled from data which has a heading saying \"non authoritative, consult current code\" so take it with a small grain of salt and don\'t go nitpicking without doing just that.


no tail light height restrictions


headlight height: top edge of low beam must be even with the middle of the light at 25\' and ≤42\" at 75\'


bumpers must be \"substantially constructed and firmly attached\" and are defined as having a primary purpose of protecting against body work or light damage in low speed impacts.  body work or frame parts that meet these requirements are fine.  For 1990 and newer vehicles both the front and the rear bumper must have some part between 16 and 30\" from the ground, must be spaced less than 24 horizontal inches apart if the bumper is not continuous, and must go to within 18\" or less of the edge of the body.  In the rear, the bumper must be within 24\" of the rear of the vehicle.


and just because the bumper thing is complicated, here you go:

Bumpers

48. Bumpers or similar devices. (a) For the purposes of this subdivision, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(i) Bumper. A system, the primary function of which is to provide protection against damage affecting front or rear external lamps, body parts and vehicle occupants during low speed impacts.

(ii) Passenger car. A motor vehicle whose body style is a sedan, hardtop, coupe, convertible, station wagon or hatchback but not a van, minivan, multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck, tractor, motorcycle or bus.

(b) No person shall operate a passenger car registered in New York unless it is equipped with both a front and rear bumper, each securely fastened and with some part of the bumper located between sixteen inches and twenty inches above the ground. This provision shall not apply to a vehicle registered as an historical vehicle.

(c) Except insofar as paragraph (b) of this subdivision shall apply, no person shall operate a motor vehicle designated as a nineteen hundred ninety or newer model year vehicle, which is registered in this state, except a motorcycle or special purpose commercial vehicle registered under schedule F of subdivision seven of section four hundred one of this chapter, which is so constructed that the body has a clearance at the front end of more than thirty inches from the ground when empty, unless the front end of the vehicle is equipped with bumpers or devices serving similar purposes which shall be so constructed and located that (i) some part of the bumpers or devices must be at least sixteen but not more than thirty inches above the ground with the vehicle empty; (ii) the maximum distance between the closest points between bumpers or devices, if more than one is used, shall not exceed twenty-four inches; (iii) the maximum transverse distance from the widest part of the motor vehicle at the front to the bumper or device shall not exceed eighteen inches; and (iv) the bumpers or devices shall be substantially constructed and firmly attached. A motor vehicle constructed and maintained so that the body, chassis, or other parts of the vehicle afford the front end protection contemplated shall be deemed to be in compliance with this section.

(d) Except insofar as paragraph (b) of this subdivision shall apply, no person shall operate a motor vehicle or a combination of vehicles, designated as a nineteen hundred ninety or newer model year vehicle, except a tractor, pole trailer, vehicle engaged in saddle-mount operation, motorcycle or special purpose commercial vehicle registered under schedule F of subdivision seven of section four hundred one of this chapter, if the motor vehicle is registered in this state, and which is so constructed that the body, or the chassis assembly without the body, has a clearance at the rear end of more than thirty inches from the ground when empty, unless the rear end of the vehicle or combination of vehicles is equipped with bumpers or devices serving similar purposes which shall be so constructed and located that: (i) some part of the bumpers or devices must be at least sixteen but not more than thirty inches above the ground with the vehicle empty; (ii) the maximum distance between the closest points between bumpers, or devices, if more than one is used, shall not exceed twenty-four inches; (iii) the maximum transverse distance from the widest part of the motor vehicle at the rear to the bumper or device shall not exceed eighteen inches; (iv) the bumpers or devices shall be located not more than twenty-four inches forward of the extreme rear of the vehicle; and (v) the bumpers or devices shall be substantially constructed and firmly attached. Motor vehicles constructed and maintained so that the body, chassis, or other parts of the vehicle afford the rear end protection contemplated shall be deemed to be in compliance with this section.

[GTJake]

do you need help getting inspection? post, or call me and ill see what i can do.

[MrMindless]

emailed your work address Jake, thanks.

[Joe]

Yah those rules are nothing new but I\'m amazed someone tried to call you on it. I\'ve never heard of anyone getting ticketed or denied inspection for any lift law violations around here.

[MrMindless]

funny, all the Keystone Crawlers guys I was with this weekend don\'t even have plates on their rigs that are about as built as mine because it\'s apparently a huge pain in the butt down there.  I was giving them a hard time, they were in awe that I drive mine around town or 4+ hours to and from the trail :)

[MrMindless]

bump for an old thread just so everyone who wasn\'t around in \'08 knows the info is here.  quick search for \"bumper\" brought it up.

Looking at making the Dakota slightly more legal in this regard since it\'ll see some daily driver duty while the Cummins is down.