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Tennessee Ride Height & Lift Laws (2026)
Info: Tennessee limits how high a modified vehicle may sit: a passenger vehicle other than a four-wheel-drive recreational vehicle that has been modified by altering its altitude may not have its bumpers more than 22 inches above the ground.
Tennessee limits how high a modified vehicle may sit: a passenger vehicle other than a four-wheel-drive recreational vehicle that has been modified by altering its altitude may not have its bumpers more than 22 inches above the ground. The maximum legal frame height is 22 inches for a passenger car; for a truck or recreational vehicle it is 24 inches up to 4,500 pounds, 26 inches from 4,501 to 7,500 pounds, and 28 inches from 7,501 to 10,000 pounds. No modification may cause the body or chassis to contact the ground, expose the fuel tank to collision damage, cause the wheels to contact the body in normal operation, or disconnect the original suspension system. A first conviction brings a fine of no less than $250; a second or subsequent conviction for the same defect on the same vehicle brings a one-year suspension of the vehicle registration and of the owner's and operator's driver licenses. See Tenn. Code § 55-9-215.
Official source: capitol.tn.gov →
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Ride Height & Lift in states bordering Tennessee
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- AlabamaInfo
Alabama sets no specific statutory limit on bumper height, frame height, ride height, or lift. The only limit is the general overall vehicle height cap of 13 1/2 feet (13 feet 6 inches), including load. See Ala. Code § 32-9-20(a)(1).
Verified Jul 24, 2026 · Source: alison.legislature.state.al.us · Full Alabama rule →
- ArkansasInfo
Arkansas bans "squatted" vehicles: the front bumper can't sit 4 in or more higher than the rear (Act 492 of 2025). A general overall-height limit also applies. (Ark. Code §27-35-214; §27-35-207.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: arkleg.state.ar.us · Full Arkansas rule →
- GeorgiaInfo
Rewritten July 1, 2024 (S.B. 352 / Act 611): the old ±2-inch-from-factory rule was repealed. …
Verified Jul 26, 2026 · Source: legis.ga.gov · Full Georgia rule →
- KentuckyInfo
No Kentucky statute sets a bumper-height or suspension-lift limit. The general size limit applies: a truck, trailer, manufactured home or vehicle may not exceed 11 1/2 feet in height or 96 inches in width, including any part of the body or load, on highways other than those the secretary of transportation designates for larger dimensions under KRS 189.222. (KRS 189.221(1).)
Verified Jul 28, 2026 · Source: apps.legislature.ky.gov · Full Kentucky rule →
- MississippiInfo
Mississippi sets no bumper or lift-height limit, but a 2024 "squatted truck" ban prohibits raising the front fender 4 in or more above the rear. Overall height can't exceed 13 ft 6 in. (Miss. Code Ann. 63-7-105.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: billstatus.ls.state.ms.us · Full Mississippi rule →
- MissouriInfo
Missouri caps bumper height by weight class - 22 in on non-commercial vehicles, up to 31 in in the rear for 9,001-11,500 lb vehicles - and prohibits raising a vehicle so much that it blocks the driver's view. (RSMo 307.172.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: revisor.mo.gov · Full Missouri rule →
- North CarolinaInfo
North Carolina bans the "Carolina Squat": you can't alter the suspension, frame, or chassis so the front fender sits 4 in or more above the rear. (N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-135.4(d).)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: ncleg.gov · Full North Carolina rule →
- VirginiaInfo
Virginia caps bumper height at 14-22 in on cars, and up to 28-31 in on trucks by weight class. The body can be raised no more than 3 in, and the front bumper can't sit 4 in or more above the rear (Virginia's "squatted truck" ban). (Va. Code 46.2-1063.)
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: law.lis.virginia.gov · Full Virginia rule →
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