I'm looking to put on a new front bumper and thought I should do some research first to make sure I don't end up having to pay a ticket after I forked over money for a new bumper

I live in Illinois and looked up the code/laws. It appears to me that it has to be a full size bumper (no stubby )

I know there are many Jeep owners out there smarter than myself If anyone is bored and wants to read this, let me know your interpretation.


(625 ILCS 5/12‑608) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12‑608)
Sec. 12‑608. Bumpers.
(a) It shall be unlawful to operate any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds or less or any motor vehicle registered as a recreational vehicle under this Code on any highway of this State unless such motor vehicle is equipped with both a front and rear bumper.
Except as indicated below, maximum bumper heights of such motor vehicles shall be determined by weight category of gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) measured from a level surface to the highest point of the bottom of the bumper when the vehicle is unloaded and the tires are inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure.
Maximum bumper heights are as follows:
Maximum Front Maximum Rear
Bumper height Bumper Height
All motor vehicles of the first
division except multipurpose
passenger vehicles: 22 inches 22 inches
Multipurpose passenger vehicles
and all other motor vehicles:
4,500 lbs. and under GVWR 24 inches 26 inches
4,501 lbs. through 7,500
lbs. GVWR 27 inches 29 inches
7,501 lbs. through 9,000
lbs. GVWR 28 inches 30 inches
It is unlawful to operate upon any highway of this State any vehicle with a front bumper height that exceeds 28 inches or a rear bumper height that exceeds 30 inches, regardless of the GVWR of the vehicle, except those vehicles covered by Chapter 18b of this Code.
For any vehicle with bumpers or attaching components which have been modified or altered from the original manufacturer's design in order to conform with the maximum bumper requirements of this section, the bumper height shall be measured from a level surface to the bottom of the vehicle frame rail at the most forward and rearward points of the frame rail. The bumper on any vehicle so modified or altered shall be at least 4.5 inches in vertical height and extend no less than the width of the respective wheel tracks outermost distance.
However, nothing in this Section shall prevent the installation of bumper guards.

 

"extend no less than the width of the respective wheel tracks outermost distance"

Sounds like no stubby bumper but I tend to doubt they (the police) are aware of this or care about this law. They tend to have more important things to due. If it was me I would just got for it!!!

 

Doesn't seem to be open to interpretation. You'd clearly lose if you got a ticket. But like said above, would an officer really hassle you over it?
My tires stick out well past the fenders which is not allowed in CA. I was complimented on my JK by a cop and I told him I was worried about a ticket. His words were, "why would someone give you a ticket? That's a cool jeep. Maybe a bored CHP would, but nobody around town cares." He also used to have a JK and be on this forum.

 

I know you guys are right. It was just wishful thinking

 

Clearly illegal as was said. Couple of factors I considered and you might want to as well as I'm guessing it''s a daily driver ; What if I'm in an accident. Is insurance going to cover it or say I've modified my vehile? Easy enough to check. Can I get it inspected? Again, easy enough to check. Will the police ticket me? In this case I'd have to agree with what was said. Don't give anyone a reason to pull you over in the first place but it still not a guarentee. If you ask you've made yourself a target especially if you Jeep is unique enough to be easilt recoginized. If it's for looks is it worth it and if it is for function there are modular bumpers out there. Something like the xhd allows you to add a stinger and encaps. A hassle and a pain perhaps but doable.

 

get a rugged ridge xhd front bumper. Run in stubby form and throw on end caps to get your "fix it" ticket signed off

 

XHD is a good option. I was also looking at the Bestop HighRock 4x4 High Access Front Bumper.

Thanks for the replies

 

Besides the width, what else concerns me is the max bumper height from the TOP of the bumper. 24/26"! I think they are higher than that OEM.

 

I dount you'd ever get a ticket, but you'd be less likely to be noticed with a mid-width than a stubby. And as far as height? How many lifted vehicles do you see on the roads around you? Most of them are legal, as it states to the bottom of the frame rail I believe. Last I seen our pa laws, it's 30 to the horizontal surface of the bumper, but I see trucks running around all day a foot or more higher and nobody busts their chops.

Long story short, buy what you want, keep your old one just for ticket fixing just in case you get caught on a cops bad day.

 

Does the code go on to say what the punishment is? Just interested...