15 Apr 10, 06:25 pm
Here is all the state codes pertaining to things such as lift, mudflaps, exhausts and such. the research in this write up was done by a former member, Kyle Cuzzort, years ago and I couldn't find the thread so I'm creating a new one. I omitted the emissions part as that is no longer valid.
Oh it is very long.
There is an awful lot of confusion out there regarding what is and is not legal in the State of Alaska. Everyone seems to have heard something from someone about some law in some state that probably doesn't apply here. So, I thought I'd simplify some things. If you'd like, you can skip through the quoted sections.
Firstly, I'll start out with everyone's favorite question, "How high can I lift my 4x4?" The laws are actually surprisingly simple, but the legalese is scary. It should be noted that there are no maximum-tire-size limits. Frame heights are pretty much the de-facto standard on how high you can lift your 4x4. The law states:[INDENT]13 AAC 04.005. Disconnection or Alteration of Equipment (a) For a vehicle intended to be operated on a public roadway, no person may disconnect or alter, except as is necessary in the repair or replacement of parts, equipment required by this chapter, unless the equipment is by nature designed and intended for disconnection or alteration; (b) No person may operate a motor vehicle upon a public roadway which violates the following limitations or prohibitions: (1) a motor vehicle may not be modified or altered from the original design so that any portion of the vehicle, other than the wheels, has less clearance from the surface of a level roadway than the clearance between the roadway and the lower most portion of any rim of any wheel in contact with the roadway; (2) a motor vehicle may not be modified to position the lowest portion of the body floor more than three inches above the top of the frame, or to result in a maximum frame height or body floor height greater than 24 inches for a vehicle of up to 4,500 pounds GVWR, 26 inches for 4,501 - 7,500 pounds GVWR, or 28 inches for 7,501 - 10,000 pounds GVWR. © No motor vehicle may be operated on a public roadway that has been modified, altered, manufactured, or is carrying a payload in a manner which adversely affects the steering, braking, or stability of the vehicle. (d) A vehicle operated on a public roadway that exceeds the minimum or maximum specifications of subsection (b) must be in compliance with this section by 3/31/93. (e) For purpose of this section(1) "frame" means the manufacturer's main longitudinal structural members of the chassis of the vehicle, or, for vehicles with unitized body construction, the lowest main longitudinal structural members of the body of the vehicle; (2) "frame height" means the vertical distance between the ground and the lowest point of the frame midway between the front axle and the second axle on the vehicle; (3) "GVWR" means the gross vehicle weight rating as defined in AS 28.40.100 (a)(9); (4) "payload" means anything added to a vehicle that increases its unladen weight.[/INDENT]Time to simplify that up a bit.
Look on the door jamb tag on your 4x4. It will tell you what your GVWR is. Then go under your rig, between the front and rear tires. Find the lowest part of the frame (if you have a unibody (like a Jeep Cherokee), find the lowest part that looks important), and measure how far it is to the ground. Then compare that to the numbers given above.
Some of you might be thinking "Oh, crap!" right now. The logical thing to do would be to lose a little bit of lift and go with a body lift. But if you noticed, that was covered as well. The law is written to eliminate anything larger than a 3" body lift. If you get sneaky, you can compare the body mounts to a part of the frame that rises higher, and be legal. However, greater than a 3" body lift just plain isn't safe, so don't do it.
So, now you've passed the frame height test. What about your headlights?[INDENT]13 AAC 04.020. Headlights(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a motor vehicle must be equipped with at least two headlights, one on each side of the front of the motor vehicle. The headlights must emit white light to the front of the vehicle, comply with the requirements and limitations set out in this section, and be mounted at a height of not more than 54 inches or less than 24 inches.[/INDENT]Here's where things start to get interesting.
For starters, the law is very ambiguous. It doesn't say whether you measure to the top or the bottom of the lights. While I'm sure that you could probably argue your case in court (after you've received a citation), it would probably be better to try to keep your lights under 54" to the top. Keep in mind that headlights don't have to be mounted in their factory location. You can mount them on a bumper or a bull bar.
Also, take note that the law plainly states WHITE light. That specifically prohibits any form of blue-tint headlight. High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights found on modern luxury cars do, in fact, emit white light. Don't convert any vehicle that didn't come with them to HID lighting, however, because factory systems have a complex arrangement of weights and motors to level the beam at all time. No aftermarket 'kit' has such a system, and only serves to blind other drivers.
One other thing that's commonly overlooked is mud flaps. The figure that I commonly hear used is that 75% of the tire must be under some form of flare, and there must be some sort of mud flap. That's not exactly true.[INDENT]13 AAC 04.265. Antispray Device(a) No person may drive a motor vehicle unless it has a device which effectively reduces the wheel spray or splash of water or other substance to the rear of the vehicle. (b) The device required in (a) of this section must be installed and maintained so that the device placed behind a wheel extends downward to a distance of 14 inches from the surface of the ground when the vehicle is standing on level ground. [/INDENT]That's actually pretty simple. You don't need any flares, you don't need anything behind the front tires, you only need mud flaps that cover the rear tires down to 14" above the ground. One thing to keep in mind is that most vehicles come from the factory with their mud flaps very close to that figure; even a very minimal lift may put you in violation. Some vehicles (such as my FJ40) didn't come from the factory with mud flaps at all, and are in violation of the law unless the owner puts on some form of anti-spray device.
But then there is this
No where in the Alaska Administrative Code (AAC) does it state that tires have to be covered. But if you read the Alaska Statutes (AS) there is this
That pretty much sums up Alaska's lift laws. But what about upgrading the performance of your vehicle? How about that nice Flowmaster© muffler with the throaty growl?[INDENT]13 AAC 04.215. Noise Prevention; Mufflers(a) A motor vehicle must be equipped, maintained, and operated so as to prevent excessive or unusual noise and the escape of fumes into the vehicle. A motor vehicle must be equipped with a muffler or other effective noise-suppressing system in good working order and in constant operation. No person may use a muffler cutout, bypass, or similar device, or modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which amplifies or increases the noise emitted by the engine of the vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle for use on the highway or a vehicular way or area. A person may not alter an exhaust particle emission system built into a motor vehicle to decrease its effectiveness. (b) The engine and power mechanism of a motor vehicle must be equipped and adjusted to prevent the escape of excessive fumes or smoke.[/INDENT]Ouch. Sorry, everyone, pretty much every performance muffler increases the noise output. That makes pretty much every one of them illegal. You probably wouldn't have any problems with a mild muffler, but if issued a citation, there is no way around it.
Well, what about other methods of increasing the performance? You could install some headers, a nice cam, possibly a bigger carburetorâ¦
Oh it is very long.
There is an awful lot of confusion out there regarding what is and is not legal in the State of Alaska. Everyone seems to have heard something from someone about some law in some state that probably doesn't apply here. So, I thought I'd simplify some things. If you'd like, you can skip through the quoted sections.
Firstly, I'll start out with everyone's favorite question, "How high can I lift my 4x4?" The laws are actually surprisingly simple, but the legalese is scary. It should be noted that there are no maximum-tire-size limits. Frame heights are pretty much the de-facto standard on how high you can lift your 4x4. The law states:[INDENT]13 AAC 04.005. Disconnection or Alteration of Equipment (a) For a vehicle intended to be operated on a public roadway, no person may disconnect or alter, except as is necessary in the repair or replacement of parts, equipment required by this chapter, unless the equipment is by nature designed and intended for disconnection or alteration; (b) No person may operate a motor vehicle upon a public roadway which violates the following limitations or prohibitions: (1) a motor vehicle may not be modified or altered from the original design so that any portion of the vehicle, other than the wheels, has less clearance from the surface of a level roadway than the clearance between the roadway and the lower most portion of any rim of any wheel in contact with the roadway; (2) a motor vehicle may not be modified to position the lowest portion of the body floor more than three inches above the top of the frame, or to result in a maximum frame height or body floor height greater than 24 inches for a vehicle of up to 4,500 pounds GVWR, 26 inches for 4,501 - 7,500 pounds GVWR, or 28 inches for 7,501 - 10,000 pounds GVWR. © No motor vehicle may be operated on a public roadway that has been modified, altered, manufactured, or is carrying a payload in a manner which adversely affects the steering, braking, or stability of the vehicle. (d) A vehicle operated on a public roadway that exceeds the minimum or maximum specifications of subsection (b) must be in compliance with this section by 3/31/93. (e) For purpose of this section(1) "frame" means the manufacturer's main longitudinal structural members of the chassis of the vehicle, or, for vehicles with unitized body construction, the lowest main longitudinal structural members of the body of the vehicle; (2) "frame height" means the vertical distance between the ground and the lowest point of the frame midway between the front axle and the second axle on the vehicle; (3) "GVWR" means the gross vehicle weight rating as defined in AS 28.40.100 (a)(9); (4) "payload" means anything added to a vehicle that increases its unladen weight.[/INDENT]Time to simplify that up a bit.
Look on the door jamb tag on your 4x4. It will tell you what your GVWR is. Then go under your rig, between the front and rear tires. Find the lowest part of the frame (if you have a unibody (like a Jeep Cherokee), find the lowest part that looks important), and measure how far it is to the ground. Then compare that to the numbers given above.
Some of you might be thinking "Oh, crap!" right now. The logical thing to do would be to lose a little bit of lift and go with a body lift. But if you noticed, that was covered as well. The law is written to eliminate anything larger than a 3" body lift. If you get sneaky, you can compare the body mounts to a part of the frame that rises higher, and be legal. However, greater than a 3" body lift just plain isn't safe, so don't do it.
So, now you've passed the frame height test. What about your headlights?[INDENT]13 AAC 04.020. Headlights(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a motor vehicle must be equipped with at least two headlights, one on each side of the front of the motor vehicle. The headlights must emit white light to the front of the vehicle, comply with the requirements and limitations set out in this section, and be mounted at a height of not more than 54 inches or less than 24 inches.[/INDENT]Here's where things start to get interesting.
For starters, the law is very ambiguous. It doesn't say whether you measure to the top or the bottom of the lights. While I'm sure that you could probably argue your case in court (after you've received a citation), it would probably be better to try to keep your lights under 54" to the top. Keep in mind that headlights don't have to be mounted in their factory location. You can mount them on a bumper or a bull bar.
Also, take note that the law plainly states WHITE light. That specifically prohibits any form of blue-tint headlight. High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights found on modern luxury cars do, in fact, emit white light. Don't convert any vehicle that didn't come with them to HID lighting, however, because factory systems have a complex arrangement of weights and motors to level the beam at all time. No aftermarket 'kit' has such a system, and only serves to blind other drivers.
One other thing that's commonly overlooked is mud flaps. The figure that I commonly hear used is that 75% of the tire must be under some form of flare, and there must be some sort of mud flap. That's not exactly true.[INDENT]13 AAC 04.265. Antispray Device(a) No person may drive a motor vehicle unless it has a device which effectively reduces the wheel spray or splash of water or other substance to the rear of the vehicle. (b) The device required in (a) of this section must be installed and maintained so that the device placed behind a wheel extends downward to a distance of 14 inches from the surface of the ground when the vehicle is standing on level ground. [/INDENT]That's actually pretty simple. You don't need any flares, you don't need anything behind the front tires, you only need mud flaps that cover the rear tires down to 14" above the ground. One thing to keep in mind is that most vehicles come from the factory with their mud flaps very close to that figure; even a very minimal lift may put you in violation. Some vehicles (such as my FJ40) didn't come from the factory with mud flaps at all, and are in violation of the law unless the owner puts on some form of anti-spray device.
But then there is this
No where in the Alaska Administrative Code (AAC) does it state that tires have to be covered. But if you read the Alaska Statutes (AS) there is this
Quote:AS 28.35.253. Anti-Spray Devices Required.
A person may not drive a motor vehicle on a highway unless the vehicle is equipped with fenders, mud flaps, or other anti-spray devices adequate to prevent the vehicle from being a hazard to other users of the highway.
That pretty much sums up Alaska's lift laws. But what about upgrading the performance of your vehicle? How about that nice Flowmaster© muffler with the throaty growl?[INDENT]13 AAC 04.215. Noise Prevention; Mufflers(a) A motor vehicle must be equipped, maintained, and operated so as to prevent excessive or unusual noise and the escape of fumes into the vehicle. A motor vehicle must be equipped with a muffler or other effective noise-suppressing system in good working order and in constant operation. No person may use a muffler cutout, bypass, or similar device, or modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which amplifies or increases the noise emitted by the engine of the vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle for use on the highway or a vehicular way or area. A person may not alter an exhaust particle emission system built into a motor vehicle to decrease its effectiveness. (b) The engine and power mechanism of a motor vehicle must be equipped and adjusted to prevent the escape of excessive fumes or smoke.[/INDENT]Ouch. Sorry, everyone, pretty much every performance muffler increases the noise output. That makes pretty much every one of them illegal. You probably wouldn't have any problems with a mild muffler, but if issued a citation, there is no way around it.
Well, what about other methods of increasing the performance? You could install some headers, a nice cam, possibly a bigger carburetorâ¦
