Legal bumper height varies from model to model of vehicle and is based on federal standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, N.C. Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer Garifo said.
In North Carolina, Chapter 20-135.4 of the general statutes states:
“The manufacturer’s specified height of any passenger motor vehicle shall not be elevated or lowered, either in front or back, more than six inches by modification, alteration, or change of the physical structure of said vehicle without prior written approval of the commissioner of motor vehicles.”
Date posted: September 9, 2010
User-contributed question by:
Don McConville
Interesting. But yet I regularly only see the bumper of standard pickups in my rear view mirror when stopped at a light on can see the car on the other side of them from underneath their vehicle when they pull up next to me. And I would be willing to wager they did not get special written permission from the commissioner of motor vehicles.
This law does apply to trucks or other multi-purpose vehicles that are designed for off-road use. Read the exceptions in part A of this statute. This article makes it appear these vehicles are subject to this statute, when in fact, they are exempt.