(a) No person shall operate upon a public street or highway any motor vehicle registered or required to be registered in this state if it has been modified by alteration of its height from the ground to the extent that its bumpers, measured to any point on the lower edge of the main horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, do not fall within the limits specified herein for its gross vehicle weight rating category. The front and rear bumper height of motor vehicles whose gross vehicle weight rating is 10,000 pounds or less shall be no less than six inches and no more than 31 inches. In the absence of bumpers, and in cases where bumper heights have been altered or modified, height measurements shall be made to the bottom of the frame rail. If a motor vehicle has a bumper, the bumper must be at least three inches in vertical width, centered on the center line of the motor vehicle and not less than the width of the wheel track distance. The provisions of this division do not apply to motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 10,000 pounds. For the purpose of this division, the term
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATINGS means the manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight ratings established for that vehicle.
(b) The maximum distance between the vehicle body to the vehicle frame shall not exceed three inches. The distance from the vehicle body to the vehicle frame shall be measured from the vehicle body mount seat to the vehicle frame mount seat; provided, that the maximum distance limitation shall not prohibit a body lift kit up to three inches to be added to the manufacturer’s original spacer between the body and the frame. No vehicle shall be modified to cause the vehicle body or chassis to come in contact with the ground, expose the fuel tank to damage from collision, or cause the wheels to come in contact with the body under normal operation. No part of the original suspension system may be disconnected to defeat the safe operation of the suspension system. Modification of the front end suspension by the use of lift blocks is expressly prohibited.
(c) Nothing contained in this section prevents the installation of heavy duty equipment, including shock absorbers and overload springs.
(d) Nothing contained in this section prohibits the operation on a public street or highway of a motor vehicle with normal wear to the suspension system if such normal wear does not adversely affect the control of the vehicle.
(e) This section does not apply to specially designed or modified motor vehicles when operated off the public streets and highways in races and similar events. Such motor vehicles may be lawfully towed on the streets and highways of this municipality.
(f) Modifications to motor vehicles, not prohibited herein, shall be made subject to inspection as provided in division (h) hereof.
(g) Nothing contained in this section shall subject a vehicle modified solely by the installation of tires not larger than two sizes beyond the maximum specified by the manufacturer to inspection as provided in division (h) hereof.
(h) Any motor vehicle which has been altered from the manufacturer’s specification with respect to bumper height for that vehicle make and model but within the allowable limits of division (a) hereof or any motor vehicle which has been altered from the manufacturer’s specification for that vehicle make and model with respect to the distance from the vehicle body to vehicle frame but within the allowable limits of division (b) hereof may be operated upon a public street or highway in this municipality, subject to inspection under W. Va. Code 17C-15-48; provided, that any motor vehicle which has been altered from the manufacturer’s specification by lowering the bumper height for that vehicle make and model within the allowable limits of division (a) hereof shall be exempt from the inspection requirements hereunder and may be operated upon a public street or highway in this municipality subject to provisions of W. Va. Code Ch. 17C-16. Each municipal law enforcement agency must record on crash report forms whether a modified vehicle was involved in the crash.
(W. Va. Code 17C-15-48)