Topic: Virginia State Laws - Car Modification and Inspection
Date Written: May 20, 2002
§ 46.2-103. Stopping vehicles for inspection or to secure information.

Except as prohibited by § 19.2-59, on his request or signal, any law-enforcement officer who is in uniform or displays his badge or other sign of authority may:

1. Stop any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer to inspect its equipment, operation, manufacturer's serial or engine number; or

2. Stop any property-carrying motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer to inspect its contents or load or to obtain other necessary information.

(Code 1950, § 46-16; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-8; 1989, c. 727.)

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§ 46.2-110. Right to inspect vehicles in garages.

Any law-enforcement officer or Department officer or employee who is in uniform or exhibits a badge or other sign of authority shall have the right to inspect any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer in any public garage or repair shop for the purpose of locating stolen motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers and for investigating the title and registration of motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers. For this purpose the owner of any garage or repair shop shall permit any law-enforcement officer or Department officer or employee freely to make investigation as authorized in this section.

(Code 1950, § 46-17; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-9; 1989, c. 727.)


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§ 46.2-1052. Tinting films, signs, decals, and stickers on windshields, etc.; penalties.
A. Except as otherwise provided in this article or permitted by federal law, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate any motor vehicle on a highway with any sign, poster, colored or tinted film, sun-shading material, or other colored material on the windshield, front or rear side windows, or rear windows of such motor vehicle. This provision, however, shall not apply to any certificate or other paper required by law or permitted by the Superintendent to be placed on a motor vehicle's windshield or window.

The size of stickers or decals used by counties, cities, and towns in lieu of license plates shall be in compliance with regulations promulgated by the Superintendent. Such stickers shall be affixed on the windshield at a location designated by the Superintendent.

B. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, whenever a motor vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side of such vehicle, so located as to reflect to the driver of such vehicle a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle, any or all of the following shall be lawful:

1. To drive a motor vehicle equipped with one optically grooved clear plastic right-angle rear view lens attached to one rear window of such motor vehicle, not exceeding eighteen inches in diameter in the case of a circular lens or not exceeding eleven inches by fourteen inches in the case of a rectangular lens, which enables the driver of the motor vehicle to view below the line of sight as viewed through the rear window;

2. To have affixed to the rear side windows, rear window or windows of a motor vehicle any sticker or stickers, regardless of size; or

3. To drive a motor vehicle when the driver's clear view of the highway through the rear window or windows is otherwise obstructed.

C. Except as provided in § 46.2-1053, but notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, no sun-shading or tinting film may be applied or affixed to any window of a motor vehicle unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side of such motor vehicle, so located as to reflect to the driver of the vehicle a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle, and the sun-shading or tinting film is applied or affixed in accordance with the following:

1. No sun-shading or tinting films may be applied or affixed to the rear side windows or rear window or windows of any motor vehicle operated on the highways of this Commonwealth that reduce the total light transmittance of such window to less than thirty-five percent;

2. No sun-shading or tinting films may be applied or affixed to the front side windows of any motor vehicle operated on the highways of this Commonwealth that reduce total light transmittance of such window to less than fifty percent;

3. No sun-shading or tinting films shall be applied or affixed to any window of a motor vehicle that (i) have a reflectance of light exceeding twenty percent or (ii) produce a holographic or prism effect.

Any person who operates a motor vehicle on the highways of this Commonwealth with sun-shading or tinting films that (i) have a total light transmittance less than that required by subdivisions 1 and 2 of this subsection, (ii) have a reflectance of light exceeding twenty percent, or (iii) produce holographic or prism effects shall be guilty of a traffic infraction but shall not be awarded any demerit points by the Commissioner for the violation.

Any person or firm who applies or affixes to the windows of any motor vehicle in Virginia sun-shading or tinting films that (i) reduce the light transmittance to levels less than that allowed in subdivisions 1 and 2 of this subsection, (ii) have a reflectance of light exceeding twenty percent, or (iii) produce holographic or prism effects shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor for the first offense and of a Class 2 misdemeanor for any subsequent offense.

D. The Division of Purchases and Supply, pursuant to § 2.2-1112, shall determine the proper standards for equipment or devices used to measure light transmittance through windows of motor vehicles. Law-enforcement officers shall use only such equipment or devices to measure light transmittance through windows that meet the standards established by the Division. Such measurements made by law-enforcement officers shall be given a tolerance of minus seven percentage points.

E. No film or darkening material may be applied on the windshield except to replace the sunshield in the uppermost area as installed by the manufacturer of the vehicle.

F. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the affixing to the rear window of a motor vehicle of a single sticker no larger than twenty square inches if such sticker is totally contained within the lower five inches of the glass of the rear window, nor shall subsection B of this section apply to a motor vehicle to which but one such sticker is so affixed.

G. Nothing in this section shall prohibit applying to the rear side windows or rear window of any multi-purpose passenger vehicle or pickup truck sun-shading or tinting films that reduce the total light transmittance of such window or windows below thirty-five percent.

H. As used in this article:

"Front side windows" means those windows located adjacent to and forward of the driver's seat;

"Holographic effect" means a picture or image that may remain constant or change as the viewing angle is changed;

"Multipurpose passenger vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is (i) designed to carry no more than ten persons and (ii) constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road use;

"Prism effect" means a visual, iridescent, or rainbow-like effect that separates light into various colored components that may change depending on viewing angle.

"Rear side windows" means those windows located to the rear of the driver's seat;

"Rear window" or "rear windows" means those windows which are located to the rear of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and which are approximately parallel to the windshield;

I. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, sun-shading material which was applied or installed prior to July 1, 1987, in a manner and on which windows not then in violation of Virginia law, shall continue to be lawful, provided that it can be shown by appropriate receipts that such material was installed prior to July 1, 1987.

J. Where a person is convicted within one year of a second or subsequent violation of this section involving the operation of the same vehicle having a tinted or smoked windshield, the court, in addition to any other penalty, may order the person so convicted to remove such tinted or smoked windshield from the vehicle.

K. The provisions of this section shall not apply to law-enforcement vehicles.

L. The provisions of subdivision C 1 of this section shall not apply to sight-seeing carriers as defined in § 46.2-2200 and limousine and executive sedan carriers as defined in § 46.2-2500.

(Code 1950, § 46-295; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-291; 1970, c. 16; 1978, c. 233; 1981, cc. 17, 626; 1985, c. 160; 1987, cc. 298, 315; 1988, c. 751; 1989, c. 727; 1991, cc. 100, 328; 1993, c. 808; 1994, c. 118; 1997, cc. 744, 880; 1998, c. 133; 1999, c. 75.)


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§ 46.2-1063. Alteration of suspension system; bumper height limits; raising body above frame rail.

No person shall drive on a public highway any motor vehicle registered as a passenger motor vehicle if it has been modified by alteration of its altitude from the ground to the extent that its bumpers, measured to any point on the lower edge of the main horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, are not within the range of fourteen inches to twenty-two inches above the ground. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the range of bumper heights for motor vehicles bearing street rod license plates issued pursuant to § 46.2-747 shall be nine to twenty-two inches.

No vehicle shall be modified to cause the vehicle body or chassis to come in contact with the ground, expose the fuel tank to damage from collision, or cause the wheels to come in contact with the body under normal operation. No part of the original suspension system of a motor vehicle shall be disconnected to defeat the safe operation of its suspension system. However, nothing contained in this section shall prevent the installation of heavy duty equipment, including shock absorbers and overload springs. Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit the driving on a public highway of a motor vehicle with normal wear to the suspension system if such normal wear does not adversely affect the control of the vehicle.

No person shall drive on a public highway any motor vehicle registered as a truck if it has been modified by alteration of its altitude from the ground to the extent that its bumpers, measured to any point on the lower edge of the main horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, do not fall within the limits specified herein for its gross vehicle weight rating category. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 4,500 pounds or less shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 28 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 28 inches. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 4,501 pounds to 7,500 pounds shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 29 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 30 inches. The front bumper height of trucks whose gross vehicle weight ratings are 7,501 pounds to 15,000 pounds shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 30 inches, and their rear bumper height shall be no less than 14 inches and no more than 31 inches. Bumper height limitations contained in this section shall not apply to trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings in excess of 15,000 pounds. For the purpose of this section, "truck" includes pickup and panel trucks, and "gross vehicle weight ratings" means manufacturer's gross vehicle weight ratings established for that vehicle as indicated by a number, plate, sticker, decal, or other device affixed to the vehicle by its manufacturer.

In the absence of bumpers, and in cases where bumper heights have been lowered, height measurements under the foregoing provisions of this section shall be made to the bottom of the frame rail. However, if bumper heights have been raised, height measurements under the foregoing provisions of this section shall be made to the bottom of the main horizontal bumper bar.

No vehicle shall be operated on a public highway if it has been modified by any means so as to raise its body more than three inches, in addition to any manufacturer's spacers and bushings, above the vehicle's frame rail or manufacturer's attachment points on the frame rail.

This section shall not apply to specially designed or modified motor vehicles when driven off the public highways in races and similar events. Such motor vehicles may be lawfully towed on the highways of the Commonwealth.

(1973, c. 498, § 46.1-282.1; 1978, c. 605; 1980, c. 342; 1986, c. 570; 1989, c. 727; 1991, c. 688; 1992, c. 864; 1993, c. 73.)


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§ 46.2-1568.1. Discrimination by manufacturers or distributors prohibited.

No manufacturer or distributor, or any officer, agent, or representative of either, shall discriminate against a dealer holding a franchise of the manufacturer or distributor in favor of another dealer or other dealers of the same line-make in the Commonwealth by:

1. Selling or offering to sell a new motor vehicle to a dealer at a lower actual price, including the price for vehicle transportation, than the actual price at which the same model similarly equipped is offered to or is available to another dealer in the Commonwealth during a similar time period;

2. Using a promotional program or device or an incentive, payment, or other benefit, whether paid at the time of the sale of the new motor vehicle to the dealer or later, that results in the sale or offer to sell a new motor vehicle to a dealer at a lower price, including the price for vehicle transportation, than the price at which the same model similarly equipped is offered or is available to another dealer in the Commonwealth during a similar time period. This subdivision shall not prohibit a promotional or incentive program that is functionally available to competing dealers of the same line-make in the Commonwealth on substantially comparable terms;

3. Providing lead information to a dealer when the address provided by the prospective customer (or the preferred contact address, if more than one address is provided) is in the relevant market area of another dealer or other dealers of the same line-make without providing or offering to provide the same information on equal terms to the dealer or dealers of the same line-make in whose relevant market area the prospective customer's address (or preferred contact address, if more than one address is provided) is located. The foregoing requirement of this subdivision shall not apply if (i) the lead information is generated under any program administered by an entity in which one or more dealers, together with the manufacturer or distributor, hold an ownership interest, where the program is designed to facilitate sales of motor vehicles through dealers participating in the program, provided that ownership or the right to participate in the entity has been made available to all dealers of the same line-make in the Commonwealth on substantially comparable terms or (ii) the prospective customer requests that the lead information be forwarded to a particular dealer or (iii) the lead information is the result of the prospective customer's request for a specific type of vehicle when the specific type of vehicle in the color and with the equipment desired by the prospective customer is not available at a dealer or dealers of the same line-make in whose relevant market area the prospective customer's address (or preferred contact address, if more than one address is provided) is located. For purposes of this subsection, "lead information" is information concerning a prospective customer (i) who contacts the manufacturer or distributor in response to an advertisement, a solicitation, or a message broadcast, distributed, or made available to the public by the manufacturer or distributor or (ii) who is contacted by the manufacturer or distributor, and (iii) such contact is in relation to the sale of, service on, or parts or accessories for new or used motor vehicles. This subdivision shall not be construed to permit provision of or access to customer information that is otherwise protected from disclosure by law or by agreement between a dealer and a manufacturer or distributor.


there. in print. so stop whining.

 

fuck everything on this page

 

that's fucking homo. i almost got fired from my job once because i got pulled over by a cop that wanted to harass me. made me 15 minutes late. fucking discriminating cops..

i want to see those rednecks with trucks 50 feet off the ground start getting tickets for being too high. i have seen trucks in my area i could park under. seriously.

 

If your pissed of about that stuff, do something about. Join SEMA or something.

 

fuck it you live in VA get used to it....

 

its like that anywhere. just learn how to brake the law and not care.

 

I don't believe I just read all that......boredum

 

okay i see i had too be the one to post this FUCK THE LAW I HATE PIGS ! fuck the cops fuck the dt's fuck the fbi ! if u are a police officer i hate you

 

or just don't break the law....it's less stressful.

 

hey smartbomb

since when do cops write the laws?

If your pissed register to vote and support representatives who are simpithetic to your opinions


I feel dirty for even quoting this fool