For anyone living in California who is modifying or thinking about modifying their cars, here's a good reference for what's legal and what's not:

Source: http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/streetlegal.html

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Street Legal


For those who love cars, customizing and racing are a way of life. Some dedicated performance enthusiasts, however, are putting their cars, their buddies and their lives on the line by street racing.

Street racing is illegal. The CHP won't hesitate to take street racers to court.

A first conviction on a street racing violation means:

Minimum county jail sentence of 24 hours and maximum of 90 days.
Vehicle probably impounded for at least 30 days.
Owner responsible for vehicle's towing and storage charges ($1,000 or more).
If owner fails to pay, vehicle could be sold at a lien sale.
Anyone who aids or abets a street race also faces a maximum 90-day jail sentence.
Instead, take your car to a National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned track or drag strip, where you can race safely under optimum conditions.


"Nots" for the Hots

Illegal equipment most often cited by the CHP:


Loud car stereo.
Illegal if heard more than 50 feet from the vehicle
(27007 VC).
Lack of front and rear DMV-issued license plates
(5200 VC).

Radar jammers. Radar detectors are legal, but jammers, or any device which interferes with radar signals, are illegal (28150 VC).


Illegal...

Lowered frame (or any other part) that is lower than the lowest point of the wheel rim (24008 VC).
Air and hydraulic suspension systems that are operated unsafely or with the vehicle lower than allowed (24002, 24008 VC).
Tinting the front side windows and the windshield (except for a narrow band at the top of the windshield). Windows behind the driver's head may be tinted. If rear window is tinted, right-side mirror is required (26708 VC).
Lack of white rear license plate light (24601 VC). It must illuminate the license plate, not project light behind the vehicle.
Missing front and/or rear bumpers (28071 VC).

Illegal engine modifications. Most are illegal due to smog (27156 VC). See Air Resources Board web site for more info and list of parts that are legal.

Blue and yellow headlights. Headlights must be white - blue and yellow are illegal (24011 VC). Look for the DOT symbol on the bulb and package.
Headlights brighter or higher wattage than those from the factory. You may be able to see better, but the lights are illegal (24011 VC).
Tail lights other than red (24600 VC).
Illegal brake lights. Brake lights on vehicles newer than 1979 must be red (24603 VC). (Vehicles older than 1979 may be red or yellow.)
Lack of rear reflectors. Two red reflectors are required on the rear of cars and trucks (24607 VC).
Incorrect color of turn signal. It must be white or yellow to the front, red or yellow to the rear (24953 VC).
Red lights to the front. They are illegal except on emergency vehicles (24003 VC).
Tail lights that incorporate a bulb with a red tint or coating. In general, custom tail lights that incorporate a clear outer shell and red inner lens are legal (24011 VC). If they don't incorporate reflectors, they must be added to the vehicle (24607 VC).
Tail lights that are too dim, washed out or show yellow, white or other colors (24600 VC).
Illegal color of side marker lights. If present, must be yellow in the front and red in the rear (25106, 24003 VC).
Driving with just parking lights on (24800 VC). Vehicles that have factory-installed automatic daytime running lights must meet federal requirements and are legal.
Illegal decorative lights (24003 VC). All flashing decorative lights are illegal (25250 VC).
Illegal windshield washer nozzle lights. Only white or yellow are allowed. (25106 VC, 24003 VC).

Lights attached to tire valves (24003, 25250 VC).
Lighted license plate frames (unless red) (24003 VC).
Illegal lights, whether or not they are operating. It is illegal just to have them on the vehicle (24003 VC).

Excessively noisy exhaust systems and mufflers (27150, 27151 VC). Many aftermarket exhaust systems and parts are illegal. Look for parts that meet California law. If it doesn't say it meets the law, it probably doesn't.


Exhaust systems which meet smog requirements but are still too loud. Exhaust equipment that states it is, "Legal in all 50 states," refers to smog, not noise.
Note: New law (27150.2 VC) does not require law enforcement to use sound level meters to test for excessive noise. Citation is based on officer's judgment. Cited violators may have testing done at smog referee stations or may be directed by the court to have testing done. Vehicles in violation must be brought into compliance. A fine may also be imposed.

California Highway Patrol

Office of Public Affairs


This pamphlet is intended as a guide only. Contact your nearest CHP office for any questions or interpretations.

More detailed information is also available in CHP publications CHP 885 (Passenger Car Equipment), CHP 888 (Motorcycle Equipment) and CHP 892 (Special Construction Vehicles).

They may be obtained from your local CHP office.

Remember - FTBC (failure to be cool) is not a crime!
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I think we should start a survey to see how many of those owners are violating. I think I have around 10.

 

ok...

 

I have 2, but I'll be having about 5 in a month.

 

LOL good post, Xyntax! Bookmarked that page

 

nice info thanks

 

I've always argued that Radar detectors ARE legal, and people didn't believe me. I told them that as long as it's just a reader and not a jammer, cops can't do anything about it.

 

True, but it's likely that it'll **** the cop off.

 

Can we make this sticky? Thanx for the info! :]

 

no joke I have had a ticket for almost all of those in my last rice rocket civic

I got a ticket for air suspension and the cop put AIR on the ticket with a code and I had some dumb kid sign it off at a cop station because I told him the cop meant the tire was low in air and I showed him my new tires to get it signed off

 

HAHA, that's great Mike!

 

Dumb cop. Thats hella funny though.

 

 

Isn't your tire lower then the lowest part of the wheel rim

Anyway, seriously Cali law sucks...do they strictly enforce all that?

 

they can, that's the point. Dumb street racing, they have a specific task force out to enforce these laws especially areas with a lot of street racing problems. Should be out spending their time catching real criminals instead of wasting time measuring how far my bumper is past the "lowest part" of my rim. BAH!

 

fu... the po po and crapy law they can suck my d...

 

I also wanted to warn of a new law that just went into effect on July 1, 2005. It is not modification law, but it is still a law that many of you may not know about. it is now a law that if you have your windshield wipers on you also have to have your driving lights on. Im not sure if you guys knew this or not, but thought you would like to know.

 

^ Someone posted that last time. Not driving lights, but headlights. It says that the law now requires us to turn on our headlights if we're running with windshield wipers on. This makes sense, because when it is raining, it really helps to see other drivers' headlights on (specially silver, titanium or black cars!)

 

They've got me on 3 of those...

 

If they wanted to catch real criminals, they'd be police officers. They obviously decided early on that being a "Hall Monitor" on the freeway was a good career. Besides, if anyone is really worried about all those violations, save up some, join the CHP's 11-99 Foundation. Get the licence plate and card that says you're a member. Joining is a tax right-off, then you can enjoy the hypocrites drive by and wave while you're speeding in your loud, turbo'd, window tinted, lighted undercarriage RX-8.

- Cesar -

...Was that too rough???

 

So Mr. hung-over patrolman's ears hurt , he cites you and sends you off to a SMOG station for evaluation? SMOG?? WTF!?

Next step will be decible meters at smog stations, you watch. Smog and noise are both pollution to the enviro-hippies.

 

hmmmmmm i dont have that. instead i have this "California police and sheriff organization supporter" sticker on my car, and it also comes with a card saying i am a member. it works like a charm and its a 35 bucks donation.

 

'cause i totally need my lights on to clear the bugs off of my windshield while i'm on my way to San Francisco from L.A., passing through those bug laden farm areas.

boooo!

 

LOL... and they're filming Fast N Furious 3 right now... where else would silly street racers get their genius ideas from?

Blame it all on FnF....

 

Does anybody know if CAers are required to have a front license plate at all? I'd really like my front bumper to not have one. But I do know in some states it is required.