lift laws/ mud flap law how do you get around it?

[BigRubba]

After 7 months of driving it here I just got pulled over by Utah's finnest today and my Jeep is to tall and wide :-\ for Utah laws but in my home state NC it's just fine. I'm Military so I can keep everything NC as far as I know So am I still under NC's laws or UTs?

and how do you guys get away with it or do you just trailer it everywhere and then you still have to register it as a OHV right? and once you do that there's no turning back I guess. :-\

I love UT but this is BS I've been around alot of military and we all have cars from other states but I have noticed UT is different there's not that many people who have out of state tags here.

I need some help or some smaller tires and lift I guess. I dont want to sell her or stop driving it but I cant afford to pay a fine everytime.

 

[Caleb]

you dont get around it...end of story...the laws are the laws, either trailer it or make it legal...

 

[mbryson]

I'm making mine legal. Keeping a copy of the laws I have access to in the console in case I get pulled over. If it's not legal (according to the officer that could pull me over) and I'm respectful when pulled over, I don't know that I'd get a fine (maybe just a 'fix-it' ticket) with some documentation to back me up and at least let the officer know I tried to stay within the law.


There's a lift law thread somewhere on the BB.

http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=918&highlight=lift+law

You can have a pretty capable, street legal rig (even with your 39.5" tires). FWIW, I've got a YJ with 38" SX, waggy fronts and stock XJ rear springs sitting at about 24.5". I still need to add EVERYTHING to the interior and do a few more tubing and armoring projects. I SHOULD be real close to 24" at the frame by the time I'm done.

Basicly, your frame needs to be 24" from the road surface (for the YJ GVW) and you need flares that COVER your tires (there are a few thousand interpretations of that) and mudflaps that cover 50% of your tire or greater.


Your military though, so I think you should be OK by sticking to NC laws. I'd probably have some documentation to back up NC laws if I was driving it around, though.

 

[Brad J]

Your military though, so I think you should be OK by sticking to NC laws. I'd probably have some documentation to back up NC laws if I was driving it around, though.

All the 4x4 mag's seem to mention using caution when going to Moab about the Mud flap and tire coverage laws. Doesn't matter where the are from. Years ago my cousin got a ticket for driving/ living (temporarily) in SL County but passing safety in Sanpete county. They said he needed to pass emissions. I was told this about 15 years ago though so I may incorrect.

 

[mbryson]

All the 4x4 mag's seem to mention using caution when going to Moab about the Mud flap and tire coverage laws. Doesn't matter where the are from. Years ago my cousin got a ticket for driving/ living (temporarily) in SL County but passing safety in Sanpete county. They said he needed to pass emissions. I was told this about 15 years ago though so I may incorrect.

Being military has certain priviledges. One has to do with being licensed in the state of their origin (due to how often they are REQUIRED to move). The laws are quite lenient on military personnel and vehicle registration. I don't know all the specifics, but I do know there is a provision.

 

[jeepers]

just drive it they like to give us a hard time,i got stoped 4 times in one week,thats when i knew they where giving me a hard time(it was a Murray city cop) I faught the law and i one for now,iam running 9/half in lift 37" tires and no mudd flaps.But i know we really should follow the lift laws,but i hate mudd flaps they are ugley my penion we live in the hart of all the best trails around so they shouldn't make it such a big deal but thats utah.keep on truckin (wicked jeeps off road) later jeepers

 

[ZUKEYPR]

recently retired Army here and law enforcement at that;

The state of Utah gives no provision for military. you are required to register your vehicle in the state upon 30 days of arrival. They normally don't enforce it but it's on the books.

Now, if you were not living here and just "passing through" and your vehicle was legally registered in another state and met that states safety code the Utah Highway Patrol legally can't do jack. The problem is ignorance of the law by the vast majority of LEA's in this state. You cannot enforce Utah state safety laws on an out of state vehicle. What normally happens is the LEA is unaware of this and winds up citing you. Then it would be up to you to take it to court to prove that the LEA is incorrect on the issuing of the citation. I've seen it in the court system on more than one occasion and the LEA loses everytime. It's federal law

 

[Klif01]

You know, laws are there for a reason......hence the name safety inspection....

It really isn't that un-reasonable to comply with the laws....mud flaps are ugly, but it keeps a lot of debris off other cars........and the lift, well I keep lowering my 4runner because it feels more stable....

And fender flares...welll same thing as with the mudflaps....rather than figuring ways how I can "get around" the laws...why not put a little effort and stay as close to legal as possible.....

No one is perfect, but if a cop sees that you understand the laws and are trying to stay as close to possible to them then I think you would be better off than trying to dodge the laws and be as outrageous as possible...but thats just me...

 

[Fade2Black]

I've been driving my Tacoma with about 4 inches of tire sticking out of the fender, no flares, and no mudflaps for the better part of a year. I have no front license plate and the rear is taped into the rear window of my canopy. Rear bumper is just metal tubing that may or may not meet minimum height (depth?) requirements.

I've received one warning (Nov '04) about the tires and one warning (Dec '05) about the rear plate from Weber State campus police. Absolutely no warnings from "real" law enforcement.

The truck has been driven from Utah to L.A. to Alaska and back to Utah in that form with not a single issue.

The low overall height I feel is what keeps me from gathering attention from the wrong people.

As far as safety goes, in terms of things being thrown by the tires, I've been hit by far more rocks thrown by cars than I have from trucks. It's also been my observation that most stock trucks on the road have as much tire exposed as me and have no mudflaps from the factory.

My truck is registered in Alaska, mostly complies with Alaska law, and has never been involved in any moving violation in Alaska or any other place.

I also happen to have a military base access tag on the windshield, but that is not visible from a great distance away.

 

[Houndoc]

You know, laws are there for a reason......

It really isn't that un-reasonable to comply with the laws

..

Tend to agree here. The fact that alot of great off-roading close doesn't make a trail rig any safer on the highway.

I understand the frustration with the move and being fine in another state. I would say make the modest changes needed to be legal and safe, and then enjoy playing!

 

[dep]

If you live on a base then you dont have to change your plates cause its not in Utah.

 

[Fade2Black]

If you live on a base then you dont have to change your plates cause its not in Utah.

It's not Utah, but why would you change your plates, i.e. change the registration on your vehicle, as long as it's registered somewhere?

 

[leorn]

I agree. I can't count the times that I was pulled over in Utah for my truck. Generally if you are respectful and have the intent of complying with the laws the officers are good about giving a warning.

Every officer seems to have his thing. So let em pull you over, and be polite. And usually its not too much hassle.

or... you could move to vegas where enforcement officers have better things to do than routine traffic stops. 8 months and I haven't been stopped once. In Utah it would have been 2 or 3 times. Thats with a fairly legal truck!

 

[utahxjer]

or... you could move to vegas where enforcement officers have better things to do than routine traffic stops. 8 months and I haven't been stopped once. In Utah it would have been 2 or 3 times. Thats with a fairly legal truck!

LOL, better knock on wood

 

[Geepfreak]

You drive in Utah, you are bound to abide by Utah laws. Here's and example, you drive through Virginia with lights mounted above the hood, you will get a ticket, reguardless of where the vehicle is lisenced. You drive through Utah with a suspension modified(or tire increase or decrease of vehicle production) you have to have mud flaps. easy as that...

 

[Zukimog]

No matter what state you reside in, you're still subjected to the state laws you are in.

 

[BigRubba]

well I got to say thats a bunch of BS.. and and with that said I paid my ticket today cause your right Zukimog Utah doesn't take any bs even mine, and I put out alot.

I love this state but I miss NC for there Good Ole Boy look on laws.
My jeep never even got a second look from local Po Po.

but here even with a AD ID and out of state everything I'm still paying Utah's fines.
I dont like it but I still like it here beter.....so far.

 

[SUPERFLY]

i drove my soa cruiser with out mud flaps for a while with out any tickets and i thought i was real cool, til one day i got a big @$$ rock chip in my windsheild from some fool sizer with out mud flaps, yup i was REAL COOL, thats when I realized just how big of an A-hole i was, from now on i dont think ill ever drive a lifted truck with out mud flaps, not cuz its the law but because windsheilds cost a lot more than mud flaps and i dont want to be the @$$ on the road, so go get some mud flaps and quit complaining cuz "their ugly" they arent ugly, your either too lazy to put them on or too cheap to buy them.

 

[Zukimog]

Utah doesn't take any bs even mine

I love this state but I miss NC for there Good Ole Boy look on laws.
My jeep never even got a second look from local Po Po.

but here even with a AD ID and out of state everything I'm still paying Utah's fines.
I dont like it but I still like it here beter.....so far.

That's the crappy part, but that's just the way State laws go. You're in a lot better place than here on the East Coast, I have 13 more years to go and I will be out of the North East

Are you still active?

 

[BigRubba]

yep 8 to go dont know if I'll spend them all here or not. my wife is a east coast girl and really misses her family. so I'm guessing I'll be back there or single haha