District of Columbia Lift Laws and Vehicle Equipment Laws

D.C.’s street legal laws are covered in the D.C. Municipal Regulations (DCMR).

Vehicle size in D.C. is restricted to a maximum width of 96 inches, a maximum height of 13 feet 6 inches, and a maximum single vehicle length of 40 feet.

All tires on vehicles driven in D.C. must be in safe operating condition, without any bulges or exposed cords. There is no listed minimum tire tread depth. It is not clear if tire grooving is allowed.

The street legal laws of D.C. do not cover wheels.

Cars and trucks driven in D.C. are required to have brakes on all 4 wheels. The brakes must be capable of stopping the vehicle from a speed of 20 mph within 30 feet. A secondary, mechanical, parking brake is also required.

D.C. does not have any specific rules for a vehicle’s steering system.

There are currently no suspension lift limits or suspension modification restrictions listed in the laws of D.C.

At this time, there are no vehicle frame height limitations in D.C.

Front bumpers are required in D.C.

In D.C., fenders are not allowed to be extended or made wider than the original design.

In addition to headlights and tail lights, vehicles in D.C. are allowed to have additional lighting. When a vehicle is equipped with extra lighting, no more than 4 front lights can be on at one time while driving.

( Measured to the center of the light. )

It is unknown if D.C. requires vehicles to be equipped with windshields, yet, windshield wipers are mandatory.

The D.C. code does not specifically state that a muffler is required, however, removal of any part of the factory installed emissions system is prohibited.

It is unclear whether or not D.C. has any engine swap or engine performance modification rules.

D.C. does not currently require emissions testing.