Auto accessories and the law

Are your car accessories illegal?

Let’s look at some of the most popular modifications on the road to see which are innocent and which could land you in steep legal trouble, starting with the most illegal accessories we could find.

Modifications resembling police accessories

While most of the accessories below fall into some sort of legal gray area, there’s one category of modifications that’s always against the law. Among countless other reasons, the police aren’t flattered by “impressions” because drivers need to know who represents the law and who doesn’t.

“One of the biggest categories of illegal car accessories is anything that would make your car resemble a police car. This includes emergency lights, bullhorns, and police decals for your vehicle,” Ben Michael, founder of Michael & Associates, a law firm based in Texas, told us. “Impersonating a police officer could allow someone to violate traffic laws, and even rob or kidnap people.”

Any modification that makes you look like a cop carries a far steeper punishment than those for other illegal auto accessories: “You could be looking at a felony in many jurisdictions,” Michael said.

Tinted windows

Window tinting is a relatively cheap modification that brings a bevy of benefits, protecting your skin from UV rays and hiding your valuables from prying eyes. But, depending on how dark you go, you may be in violation of your state’s laws.

Contrary to popular belief, tinting isn’t illegal because it makes it difficult for the police to see inside your car during traffic stops. That may be part of it, but the primary reason is that it makes it difficult for you to see out.

“Window tint can affect a driver’s visibility and cause car accidents,” according to the Hawk Law Group. “As a result, Georgia law regulates the darkness and location of window tints.”

Georgia and many other states have maximum levels of tinting they allow for each window, measured in visible light transmission (VLT). Texas, for example, allows for 25% VLT on the front-side windows and does not regulate the rear-side windows. Michigan allows you to tint your side windows any VLT you like — but only the top 4 inches.

Most tinting shops won’t install an illegal tint for you (or, at the very least, they’ll warn you first). If you do it yourself, it’s worth considering your local laws as well as the laws of nearby states where you frequently drive.

Custom lighting

If you’re cruising through a city at night, it’s only a matter of time before you see a Jeep, Lamborghini or three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot with a custom lighting setup. From grill-mounted LED bars to “underglow” beneath the car, special lighting is one of the most popular visual modifications for performance and off-road cars.

But as you’d expect, most states don’t simply allow you to drive around in a two-ton Christmas tree. Generally speaking, any lights that flash, resemble an emergency vehicle (red, blue, etc.) or blind other drivers aren’t legal.

“Many states make LED light bars illegal because they can blind oncoming drivers on highways and roads, making them dangerous,” Teo Spengler of Legal Beagle explained.

It’s also common for states to ban specific hues: “Don't pick underbody lighting that is red, blue, green or purple for a Georgia car. Lighting in these colors is forbidden on any vehicle that is not an emergency or police vehicle,” Spengler warned.

It’s hard to hide illegal LED lighting from police. If you’re caught, Spengler says the fines can range from a simple ticket all the way to a felony for impersonating an emergency vehicle.

Radar detectors and laser jammers

For starters, radar detectors and laser jammers are very different things. Radar detectors are small, dashboard-mounted devices that warn you when they detect the presence of police radar guns. The idea behind radar detectors is that you’ll hear the beep, slow down and possibly avoid a speeding ticket.

While most police still use radar guns to detect vehicle speed, some have upgraded to using Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) devices, or lasers, which are significantly more accurate and hard to detect. That’s where laser jammers come in.

Comprising three or more devices installed on the front of the car, laser jammers or “shifters” actually send a signal back to temporarily confuse the lidar system. As such, they’re banned in more states.

While radar detectors are legal everywhere but Virginia and Washington, D.C., laser jammers are illegal in the following states:

• California
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia

Depending on where you are, the consequences for getting caught can range from a simple $50 fine (Illinois) to a $1,000 fine plus a misdemeanor charge (South Carolina). Be sure to check your local and state laws before installing such a device.

License plate frames and covers

License plate frames are legal in every state but Oklahoma, where license plates cannot be covered or obscured in any way.

Elsewhere, license plate frames are legal as long as they don’t block any numbers, lettering or your registration sticker. In 2015, one motorist in Florida found out the hard way that blocking the words “Sunshine State” can get you pulled over.

As for license plate covers, also known as “plate shields,” they’re legal in 36 states as long as they’re 100% clear and transparent. The following states don’t allow plate shields of any kind, regardless of transparency:

• California
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• New York
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Vermont

As a general rule, anything that makes your plate harder to read by man or machine is illegal. That includes smoky plate shields, overly thick frames and even clear tape designed to fool automated plate readers.

Even though your average police officer won’t be able to spot clear tape, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has developed a simple system for catching repeat offenders: “If we have the same unreadable transaction number of days in a row, we’ll go out there, the Operations Department and try to interdict that vehicle.”

Lift kits and the “Carolina Squat”

Lift kits are aftermarket modifications that raise the body of a vehicle higher above the axle. They’re popular among truck and Jeep owners because they allow for bigger tires, road height and, in some cases, superior off-road performance. Many simply like the look and feel of a taller truck.

Lift kits are legal in most states, but many have restrictions on how many inches you can raise the front and/or rear bumper in order to protect pedestrians. New Hampshire, for example, caps maximum bumper height at 30 inches front and rear.

Lenient lift kit laws in California and the Southeast gave rise to the “Cali Lean” or “Carolina Squat,” a popular truck modification that raises the front while keeping the back as low as possible. However, once the modification led to several driver and pedestrian deaths, states like Virginia and soon both Carolinas will have banned the practice.

Once the new law goes into effect in November 2023, “Carolina Squatters” in South Carolina will receive a $100 fine for the first offense and a $200 fine for the second. If they still refuse to “de-squat” their car, the third violation results in a $300 fine plus a license suspension.

Exhaust modifications

Last but not least, loud exhausts are illegal in most states.

“The law varies by jurisdiction, but almost every state in the country requires a muffler and has some sort of law on the books that prohibits any modification that increases a vehicle’s exhaust noise,” Matt Dodge of CheckEngine.com said.

As a baseline, the average gas-powered vehicle generates up to 70 decibels as it drives down the road, roughly the equivalent noise level of a dishwasher. Muscle cars like the Mustang GT have exhaust notes as loud as 86 decibels, about the level of a passing subway train.

Anything beyond that, and you may run afoul of your state’s laws. Most states have a vague ban on “excessive or unusual noise,” but some, like Maine and Montana, actually cap exhaust noise at 95 decibels.

Ohio has some of the strictest noise laws in the country, capping exhaust notes at 70 decibels at speeds below 35 and 79 decibels at speeds above. That means that technically speaking, all Mustangs in Ohio must remain in “quiet mode” at all times, and the McLaren 720S, which reaches 109 decibels, is legally undrivable.

So how are car companies able to sell cars that violate noise laws from the factory? A lot of it comes down to how police officers are equipped — or, rather, not equipped — to enforce noise-related laws.

So while you might get away with a loud exhaust, consider the environment and your neighbors’ sleep schedule before going overboard.

“Exhaust modifications that increase noise levels or bypass emissions controls can disturb the peace and contribute to environmental pollution, respectively,” said Andrew Kuttow, an automotive journalist with LamboCARS.

As with all auto accessories and modifications, it’s worth considering more than just the law. “Always remember, the road is a shared space, and we all have a responsibility to maintain its safety and respectability,” Kuttow told us.

Will aftermarket accessories void my warranty?

Generally speaking, simply installing an aftermarket part will not instantly void most warranties. However, most warranty agreements will not cover any failure that can be traced back to the aftermarket part, such as a lift kit causing suspension issues.

» MORE: What voids a car warranty?

Will aftermarket accessories affect my insurance rates?

Aftermarket accessories can affect your insurance rates — both positively and negatively.

Some safety-related modifications like alarms, cameras, sensors and adaptive headlights can actually lower your premiums. But most modifications, especially performance-related ones, can raise your premiums if your provider determines they raise the value of your car or the risk of a crash. Some providers may request that you purchase custom parts and equipment coverage to protect the value of your accessories.

» CALCULATE: How much is car insurance?