Q: The other night my coworker got pulled over and was given a warning about ride height. It was not slammed to the ground but the trooper said that it was illegal. What is the Minnesota state law for ride height?
A: Typically we get questions about how high a vehicle can be and what is the maximum bumper height, but the law applies to both high and low profile vehicles.
Minnesota state law says that if a vehicle’s suspension has been altered by more than 6 inches either higher or lower, it would be considered illegal, unless the bumper is modified to within the 6 inches of the original manufactured bumper height.
All passenger vehicles must be equipped with front and rear bumpers, except pickup trucks and vans shall be equipped with front bumpers, and with either rear bumpers or reflectors.
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Bumpers can’t exceed a height of:
- 20 inches on any passenger automobile or station wagon
- 25 inches on any four-wheel drive multipurpose type vehicle, van, or pickup truck, when the vehicle is being operated on a public highway.
The height of the bumper shall be determined by measuring from the bottom of the bumper, excluding any vertical bumper attachments, to the ground.
A vehicle which has an original bumper and does not exceed a height of 30 inches, may be modified by attaching a full width bumper to the regular bumper to meet the height requirement. The attached bumper must be at least 4.5 inches vertically, be centered on the vehicle's centerline, extend at least 10 inches on either side of the frame, and be attached to the frame in at least four places with angle braces at no less than 45 degrees so that it effectively transfers impact to an extent equal to or greater than the original bumper.
Send your questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota to trooper@duluthnews.com or Sgt. Neil Dickenson – Minnesota State Patrol at 1131 Mesaba Ave., Duluth, MN 55811 . You can follow him on Twitter @MSPPIO_NE or reach him at neil.dickenson@state.mn.us .
