What is legal and what isn't?

The area of car modification can be as clear as mud and the laws regarding modified cars are often subject to change. However we will try and help you shed some light on the legal aspect of modifying your ride however we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Undercar Neon's are legal if only the glow is visible. You should be able to turn them off. Read more about undercar neon kits.
Interior Neon's have the same rules as under car kits - no visible, distracting bulbs or tubes and be able to switch them off if the police request you to do so.

Lights at the front and rear and side indicators must meet the legal requirements (regardless of what else you have added). These being two white lights at the front, two red lights at the rear, orange turning lights at front, rear and both sides.

Window Tints are legal to any degree at the rear of the vehicle. In the front driver and passenger windows and the windscreen your vision must not be impaired - in legal terms this has been interpreted to mean that a minimum of 70% of visible light must be transmitted. Read more about window tints.
Radar/Laser Detectors are another confusing area. GPS systems that alert you to the presence of "safety" cameras are perfectly legal; in fact the latest AA road maps also contain camera locations. Laser detectors are now illegal, as are any systems which jam or don't reflect radar and laser.

Step 1
Keep your seatbelts. If you're installing racing seats in your car, make sure you reinstall seatbelts for the driver and the passenger. Purchase separate floor-mount seatbelts if the originals were seat-mounted.

Step 2
Maintain an unobstructed view. When mounting an air intake hood or other features in the front of your car, make sure you have a clear view of the road while sitting in your seat.

Step 3
Clear your windshield. Tint only the side and rear windows of your modified car. Your front windshield should be clear, allowing a police officer and other drivers to see inside the vehicle from the front.

Step 4
Stay off the road. Unfortunately, some of the modifications you see at car shows are not legal on the street. If you are running straight pipes instead of an approved muffler, you risk getting a fine or having your car impounded if you drive it on public roads. If you're competing in modified car shows, bring your car on a trailer and take it home the same way.

Step 5
Raise a pickup truck but keep the bumper at a legal level. Raise trucks and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with lift kits but make sure their bumpers adhere to a safe level, usually about 15 inches from the ground. Contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles for the specifications in your local area.

Step 6
Leave the mud flaps on dual rear wheels. Removing them is illegal, since dual wheels tend to throw rocks backwards and into the windshields of vehicles following behind.

Step 7
Prepare to speak to local law enforcement if you modify your car to resemble the cars in popular racing movies. Officers are pulling over drivers even if they aren't breaking any traffic laws to allow the officers to determine whether or not the modifications are street-legal