CHP info every (CA) car owner needs to understand
08-05-2005, 07:34 PM
#1
CHP info every (CA) car owner needs to understand
For some reason this information just dosen't get soaked in no matter how many times it gets posted
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/streetlegal.html
Street racing is illegal. The CHP won't hesitate to take street racers to court.
A first conviction on a street racing violation means:
Minimum county jail sentence of 24 hours and maximum of 90 days.
Vehicle probably impounded for at least 30 days.
Owner responsible for vehicle's towing and storage charges ($1,000 or more).
If owner fails to pay, vehicle could be sold at a lien sale.
Anyone who aids or abets a street race also faces a maximum 90-day jail sentence.
Instead, take your car to a National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned track or drag strip, where you can race safely under optimum conditions.
"Nots" for the Hots
Illegal equipment most often cited by the CHP:
Loud car stereo.
Illegal if heard more than 50 feet from the vehicle
(27007 VC).
Lack of front and rear DMV-issued license plates
(5200 VC).
Radar jammers. Radar detectors are legal, but jammers, or any device which interferes with radar signals, are illegal (28150 VC).
Illegal...
Lowered frame (or any other part) that is lower than the lowest point of the wheel rim (24008 VC).
Air and hydraulic suspension systems that are operated unsafely or with the vehicle lower than allowed (24002, 24008 VC).
Tinting the front side windows and the windshield (except for a narrow band at the top of the windshield). Windows behind the driver's head may be tinted. If rear window is tinted, right-side mirror is required (26708 VC).
Lack of white rear license plate light (24601 VC). It must illuminate the license plate, not project light behind the vehicle.
Missing front and/or rear bumpers (28071 VC).
Illegal engine modifications. Most are illegal due to smog (27156 VC). See Air Resources Board web site for more info and list of parts that are legal.
Blue and yellow headlights. Headlights must be white - blue and yellow are illegal (24011 VC). Look for the DOT symbol on the bulb and package.
Headlights brighter or higher wattage than those from the factory. You may be able to see better, but the lights are illegal (24011 VC).
Tail lights other than red (24600 VC).
Illegal brake lights. Brake lights on vehicles newer than 1979 must be red (24603 VC). (Vehicles older than 1979 may be red or yellow.)
Lack of rear reflectors. Two red reflectors are required on the rear of cars and trucks (24607 VC).
Incorrect color of turn signal. It must be white or yellow to the front, red or yellow to the rear (24953 VC).
Red lights to the front. They are illegal except on emergency vehicles (24003 VC).
Tail lights that incorporate a bulb with a red tint or coating. In general, custom tail lights that incorporate a clear outer shell and red inner lens are legal (24011 VC). If they don't incorporate reflectors, they must be added to the vehicle (24607 VC).
Tail lights that are too dim, washed out or show yellow, white or other colors (24600 VC).
Illegal color of side marker lights. If present, must be yellow in the front and red in the rear (25106, 24003 VC).
Driving with just parking lights on (24800 VC). Vehicles that have factory-installed automatic daytime running lights must meet federal requirements and are legal.
Illegal decorative lights (24003 VC). All flashing decorative lights are illegal (25250 VC).
Illegal windshield washer nozzle lights. Only white or yellow are allowed. (25106 VC, 24003 VC).
Lights attached to tire valves (24003, 25250 VC).
Lighted license plate frames (unless red) (24003 VC).
Illegal lights, whether or not they are operating. It is illegal just to have them on the vehicle (24003 VC).
Excessively noisy exhaust systems and mufflers (27150, 27151 VC). Many aftermarket exhaust systems and parts are illegal. Look for parts that meet California law. If it doesn't say it meets the law, it probably doesn't.
Exhaust systems which meet smog requirements but are still too loud. Exhaust equipment that states it is, "Legal in all 50 states," refers to smog, not noise.
Note: New law (27150.2 VC) does not require law enforcement to use sound level meters to test for excessive noise. Citation is based on officer's judgment. Cited violators may have testing done at smog referee stations or may be directed by the court to have testing done. Vehicles in violation must be brought into compliance. A fine may also be imposed.
California Highway Patrol
Office of Public Affairs
This info is intended as a guide only. Contact your nearest CHP office for any questions or interpretations.
More detailed information is also available in CHP publications CHP 885 (Passenger Car Equipment), CHP 888 (Motorcycle Equipment) and CHP 892 (Special Construction Vehicles).
They may be obtained from your local CHP office.
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/streetlegal.html
Street racing is illegal. The CHP won't hesitate to take street racers to court.
A first conviction on a street racing violation means:
Minimum county jail sentence of 24 hours and maximum of 90 days.
Vehicle probably impounded for at least 30 days.
Owner responsible for vehicle's towing and storage charges ($1,000 or more).
If owner fails to pay, vehicle could be sold at a lien sale.
Anyone who aids or abets a street race also faces a maximum 90-day jail sentence.
Instead, take your car to a National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned track or drag strip, where you can race safely under optimum conditions.
"Nots" for the Hots
Illegal equipment most often cited by the CHP:
Loud car stereo.
Illegal if heard more than 50 feet from the vehicle
(27007 VC).
Lack of front and rear DMV-issued license plates
(5200 VC).
Radar jammers. Radar detectors are legal, but jammers, or any device which interferes with radar signals, are illegal (28150 VC).
Illegal...
Lowered frame (or any other part) that is lower than the lowest point of the wheel rim (24008 VC).
Air and hydraulic suspension systems that are operated unsafely or with the vehicle lower than allowed (24002, 24008 VC).
Tinting the front side windows and the windshield (except for a narrow band at the top of the windshield). Windows behind the driver's head may be tinted. If rear window is tinted, right-side mirror is required (26708 VC).
Lack of white rear license plate light (24601 VC). It must illuminate the license plate, not project light behind the vehicle.
Missing front and/or rear bumpers (28071 VC).
Illegal engine modifications. Most are illegal due to smog (27156 VC). See Air Resources Board web site for more info and list of parts that are legal.
Blue and yellow headlights. Headlights must be white - blue and yellow are illegal (24011 VC). Look for the DOT symbol on the bulb and package.
Headlights brighter or higher wattage than those from the factory. You may be able to see better, but the lights are illegal (24011 VC).
Tail lights other than red (24600 VC).
Illegal brake lights. Brake lights on vehicles newer than 1979 must be red (24603 VC). (Vehicles older than 1979 may be red or yellow.)
Lack of rear reflectors. Two red reflectors are required on the rear of cars and trucks (24607 VC).
Incorrect color of turn signal. It must be white or yellow to the front, red or yellow to the rear (24953 VC).
Red lights to the front. They are illegal except on emergency vehicles (24003 VC).
Tail lights that incorporate a bulb with a red tint or coating. In general, custom tail lights that incorporate a clear outer shell and red inner lens are legal (24011 VC). If they don't incorporate reflectors, they must be added to the vehicle (24607 VC).
Tail lights that are too dim, washed out or show yellow, white or other colors (24600 VC).
Illegal color of side marker lights. If present, must be yellow in the front and red in the rear (25106, 24003 VC).
Driving with just parking lights on (24800 VC). Vehicles that have factory-installed automatic daytime running lights must meet federal requirements and are legal.
Illegal decorative lights (24003 VC). All flashing decorative lights are illegal (25250 VC).
Illegal windshield washer nozzle lights. Only white or yellow are allowed. (25106 VC, 24003 VC).
Lights attached to tire valves (24003, 25250 VC).
Lighted license plate frames (unless red) (24003 VC).
Illegal lights, whether or not they are operating. It is illegal just to have them on the vehicle (24003 VC).
Excessively noisy exhaust systems and mufflers (27150, 27151 VC). Many aftermarket exhaust systems and parts are illegal. Look for parts that meet California law. If it doesn't say it meets the law, it probably doesn't.
Exhaust systems which meet smog requirements but are still too loud. Exhaust equipment that states it is, "Legal in all 50 states," refers to smog, not noise.
Note: New law (27150.2 VC) does not require law enforcement to use sound level meters to test for excessive noise. Citation is based on officer's judgment. Cited violators may have testing done at smog referee stations or may be directed by the court to have testing done. Vehicles in violation must be brought into compliance. A fine may also be imposed.
California Highway Patrol
Office of Public Affairs
This info is intended as a guide only. Contact your nearest CHP office for any questions or interpretations.
More detailed information is also available in CHP publications CHP 885 (Passenger Car Equipment), CHP 888 (Motorcycle Equipment) and CHP 892 (Special Construction Vehicles).
They may be obtained from your local CHP office.
08-05-2005, 07:44 PM
#2
Note: New law (27150.2 VC) does not require law enforcement to use sound level meters to test for excessive noise. Citation is based on officer's judgment. Cited violators may have testing done at smog referee stations or may be directed by the court to have testing done. Vehicles in violation must be brought into compliance. A fine may also be imposed.
That's just dumb. Any dick cop can now pull anyone over and say their exhaust is too loud.
08-05-2005, 08:22 PM
#3
Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kansas - BAIC 4 LIFE!
Posts: 12,775
Car Info: 04 Forester XT/96 Brighton Project
the price we pay to give their asses a paycheck every few weeks....i cant stand this state, makes me wish the state's lunatics would just crawl over and die overnight
08-05-2005, 08:28 PM
#4
Warm Fuzzy Admin
iTrader: (45)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 13,799
Car Info: 97 LOB, 05 FXT, 03 Tundra
Originally Posted by maddhatteroo7
the price we pay to give their asses a paycheck every few weeks....i cant stand this state, makes me wish the state's lunatics would just crawl over and die overnight
Careful, ***. While none of us are happy about this, there are some cool cops out there too.
I've just got to roll low-key around home.............that should be an interesting effort
Everyone watch yourselves, especially arriving and leaving from the meet; the woman killed was on Del Paso, and I know I'm guilty of cranking along way too fast on that road..........and I'm not the only one.
08-05-2005, 08:30 PM
#5
Originally Posted by Aaron@S-Squared
Careful, ***. While none of us are happy about this, there are some cool cops out there too.
I've just got to roll low-key around home.............that should be an interesting effort
Everyone watch yourselves, especially arriving and leaving from the meet; the woman killed was on Del Paso, and I know I'm guilty of cranking along way too fast on that road..........and I'm not the only one.
I've just got to roll low-key around home.............that should be an interesting effort
Everyone watch yourselves, especially arriving and leaving from the meet; the woman killed was on Del Paso, and I know I'm guilty of cranking along way too fast on that road..........and I'm not the only one.
08-05-2005, 08:37 PM
#6
Originally Posted by newyorkreload
Blue and yellow headlights. Headlights must be white - blue and yellow are illegal (24011 VC)
Lights attached to tire valves (24003, 25250 VC).
Lighted license plate frames (unless red) (24003 VC).
Illegal lights, whether or not they are operating. It is illegal just to have them on the vehicle (24003 VC).
Illegal decorative lights (24003 VC). All flashing decorative lights are illegal (25250 VC).
Illegal windshield washer nozzle lights. Only white or yellow are allowed. (25106 VC, 24003 VC).
Lights attached to tire valves (24003, 25250 VC).
Lighted license plate frames (unless red) (24003 VC).
Illegal lights, whether or not they are operating. It is illegal just to have them on the vehicle (24003 VC).
Illegal decorative lights (24003 VC). All flashing decorative lights are illegal (25250 VC).
Illegal windshield washer nozzle lights. Only white or yellow are allowed. (25106 VC, 24003 VC).
08-06-2005, 11:39 AM
#7
Father Time
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Join Date: Sep 2004
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Posts: 6,699
Car Info: This aint a bag. It's a shipment.
Originally Posted by jvick125
That's just dumb. Any dick cop can now pull anyone over and say their exhaust is too loud.
These things go both ways.
You are not allowed to go to the ref without first being cited but once you do go through all of that you will have some good paperwork to shove in the next cops face.
Sadly I know I won't pass though. I knew that before I bought my exhaust though.
08-06-2005, 05:15 PM
#9
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Car Info: $200,000 sports car
when i first got my wrx and had a cat-back and carb #'d intake, i would get pulled over and think to myself "please be something simple and correctable like exhaust noise" because it was simple enough to get taken care of.
when i finally got rid of my wrx, i would think to myself "please just be a speeding ticket"...
the one time i got pulled over and had the hood popped was on the way from S^2 after getting de-modded to the dealership to drop off my car for good.
when i finally got rid of my wrx, i would think to myself "please just be a speeding ticket"...
the one time i got pulled over and had the hood popped was on the way from S^2 after getting de-modded to the dealership to drop off my car for good.
08-08-2005, 07:22 AM
#11
Token Toyota Mod
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Originally Posted by maddhatteroo7
the price we pay to give their asses a paycheck every few weeks....i cant stand this state, makes me wish the state's lunatics would just crawl over and die overnight
08-08-2005, 10:42 AM
#12
Warm Fuzzy Admin
iTrader: (45)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 13,799
Car Info: 97 LOB, 05 FXT, 03 Tundra
Originally Posted by sonicsuby
I'm holding them hostage in my garage. Make with the CHP badge stickers for my DL or you'll get em back in pieces
They're nice and safe
08-08-2005, 12:19 PM
#13
Registered User
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I had a cop sound check my exhaust a few weeks ago. I just bought this nice fujitsubo exhaust, luckily the guy I bought it from had a resonator on it, otherwise I might have been receiving a hefty fine. I'm not sure what the procedure is supposed to be, but he stood about 25-30ft away and told me to rev to about 5k rpm. He also checked under my hood, and I do have some stuff that according to the law book shouldn't be on their, but he couldn't tell. I guess now they are getting that grant to learn about some of the mechanics of vehicles, which blows, but it's the price we all have to pay for people being stupid on public roads, giving everyone a bad rep.
08-08-2005, 12:34 PM
#14
Originally Posted by omygata
I guess now they are getting that grant to learn about some of the mechanics of vehicles, which blows,
I for on think providing LE personnel with mechanical know how can be a good thing. for one it will cut down STi and EVO owners that are stock from getting harassed. From the "your hood scoop is too big" to the "that tail is not legal."
I'd like to see some change. If you get after market upgrades. Get CARB approved goods. Or be ready to stock it out for the Ref. It nothing more then a big game. the law makers get to pull form the deck and we get to read the rule book and play what we are dealt. As RC51Driver pointed out "how many of you out there have written your representatives?"
some people try to make change. other stay home and b***ch about it. Victims of street racing related accidents are making change. Working with the press and LE. No reason you can't do the same.
08-08-2005, 01:21 PM
#15
Troll
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Ya i bet it wouldn't be hard to get the local news to play a segiment about kids trying to fight the law changes, im sure that will be more interesting then talking about how they saved fluffy the cat from a tree today in roseville!!