Vehicle Mod Laws

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Old Oct 26, 2008 | 08:22 AM
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Vehicle Mod Laws

Since I have seen a lot of questions about legality of certain mods done to cars, especially cleared headlights, i have found the following site which links you to every states vehicle and traffic laws: http://public.findlaw.com/traffic-ti...tion-laws.html.

FYI: I have found that most states either do not specify turn signal color or you can have white or amber front signals and red or amber rears.
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Old Oct 26, 2008 | 10:03 AM
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Nice find, thanks.
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Old Oct 26, 2008 | 12:51 PM
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good shit
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Old Oct 26, 2008 | 02:31 PM
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Originally Posted by jokerman826
FYI: I have found that most states either do not specify turn signal color or you can have white or amber front signals and red or amber rears.
I thought things like turn signals were federally controlled, not state controlled. Otherwise every car made would have to adhere to 50 sets of guidelines instead of 1 set.
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Old Oct 26, 2008 | 04:09 PM
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Originally Posted by juniorbean
I thought things like turn signals were federally controlled, not state controlled. Otherwise every car made would have to adhere to 50 sets of guidelines instead of 1 set.
You are right, a state can only supersied the federal law, they cannot undermind it. So saying that, all the states that have the law saying they can be white or amber must be following federal. IDK, are there any traffic lawyers around.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 09:42 AM
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Originally Posted by juniorbean
I thought things like turn signals were federally controlled, not state controlled. Otherwise every car made would have to adhere to 50 sets of guidelines instead of 1 set.
Nope; only the major things on cars are federally controlled. That's why we can have white front turn signals but they can't in CA. Airbags, reflectors, minimum emissions, crash standards, etc. are set through federal law. And per the Constitution, laws not established at the federal level are left to the states. Therefore, color of lights, additional lighting for commercial vehicles, etc. is up to the state...in other words, piddly stuff. And honestly, lighting is pretty standard the world over...no manufacturer would make blue turn signals, even if there weren't laws against. it.

But...CA (and I believe NY) have emissions standards that are greater than the EPA's, forcing manufacturers to make a separate version of the car for those states, or making a car that is legal there but sell it everywhere. This is why many diesels aren't sold here; they don't meet 50-state emission laws since they don't meet CA and NY standards. The whole thing was a major court battle, if I remember correctly. Obviously CA won, NY then followed suit.
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Old Jan 8, 2012 | 05:54 PM
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Just thought I would bring this back up since I have been seeing qustions about modification legality lately. For all the new people who have questions, heres their chance to look it up. I appologize if you disagree with my motive.
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Old Jan 8, 2012 | 10:50 PM
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Thanks for bumping this.
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