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Pennsylvania Ride Height & Lift Laws (2026)

Info: No statutory suspension-lift limit. Bumpers are required front and rear unless the vehicle was originally designed and manufactured without them (75 Pa.C.S. Sec. 4536), and state safety inspection rejects a vehicle if no part of the main horizontal bumper bar falls within 16-20 inches above ground level on passenger vehicles, or within 16-30 inches on multipurpose passenger vehicles and light trucks (67 Pa. Code Sec. 175.80).

InfoVerified Jul 28, 2026

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Official source: pacodeandbulletin.gov →

General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.

Ride Height & Lift in states bordering Pennsylvania

The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.

DelawareInfo
Delaware caps bumper height at 22 in on a passenger car or wagon, or 30 in on other vehicles (measured to the bottom of the bumper). After a lift, the frame rail can't sit higher than the bumper, and the gap between the body and frame can't exceed 3 in. (21 Del. C. §4318.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: delcode.delaware.gov · Full Delaware rule →
MarylandInfo
At Maryland safety inspection, bumper height can't exceed 20 in on a passenger car or 28 in on a light truck or multipurpose vehicle, and you can't add bumper extensions to pass after a lift. (COMAR 11.14.02.07.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: regs.maryland.gov · Full Maryland rule →
New JerseyInfo
Bumpers must be no lower than 16 inches from the ground to the bottom of the bumper. For vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 lb or under, maximum tire diameter is 38 inches OR six inches more than the largest tire offered by the original manufacturer as standard or optional equipment — whichever is less (N.J.A.C. 13:20-37.3(a)).
Verified Jul 30, 2026 · Source: nj.gov · Full New Jersey rule →
New YorkInfo
Bumpers are required. Under NY Vehicle & Traffic Law 375(48), a passenger car registered in New York must have both a front and rear bumper, securely fastened, with some part between 16 and 20 inches above the ground (historical vehicles exempt). For 1990-or-newer model-year vehicles whose body clears more than 30 inches off the ground at the front or rear when empty, bumpers must have some part at least 16 but not more than 30 inches above the ground.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 · Source: nysenate.gov · Full New York rule →
OhioInfo
In Ohio, the gap between the body floor and the top of the frame can't exceed 4 in, and you can't defeat the suspension or make changes that let the vehicle contact the ground. (ORC 4513.021; Ohio Admin Code 4501-43-03.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: codes.ohio.gov · Full Ohio rule →
West VirginiaInfo
For vehicles up to 10,000 lb, West Virginia requires bumpers to sit 6-31 in off the ground, prohibits front lift blocks, and limits a body lift to 3 in over the factory spacer. (W. Va. Code 17C-15-48.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · Full West Virginia rule →

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