That sucks, according to what I looked up that is accurate and the fine is to be no less than $50 but no more than $115
Passenger cars and station wagons... 22".
§ 4318 Bumper, frame rail, and body heights.
(a) No passenger vehicle or station wagon that is required to be registered under Chapter 21 of this title shall be registered or operated upon any highway of the State if the bumper height of such vehicle exceeds 22 inches from the ground to the bottom of the bumper, or if the vehicle frame rail is higher than the attached bumper, or if the maximum distance between the vehicle body and vehicle frame rail exceeds 3 inches.
(b) Vehicles not included in subsection (a) of this section that are required to be registered under Chapter 21 of this title shall not be registered or operated upon any highway of the State if the bumper height of such vehicle exceeds 30 inches from the ground to the bottom of the bumper, or if the vehicle frame rail is higher than the attached bumper, or if the maximum distance between the vehicle body and vehicle frame rail exceeds 3 inches.
(c) The following vehicles are exempt from this section: antique motor vehicles registered under § 2196 of this title; authorized emergency vehicles; motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or greater; and vehicles registered with farm truck plates (FT tags), as defined in § 2113(1) of this title.
(d) Any person found guilty of operating a motor vehicle in violation of this section shall, for the first offense, be fined not less than $50 nor more than $115 For each subsequent like offense within one year, such person shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $230. Measurements made with an over-the-counter measuring device shall be prima facie evidence of a violation.
How far off were you? Can you throw some stock tires back on to go measure?
Also, does anyone know if that is a primary offense? Did he pull you over for that, or for something else? And did he actually measure?
I'm curious, when was this law added? Adams in Aberdeen does not do Delaware title work so I had to take mine through inspection and they passed it with no problem. That was 3 years ago. I just measured mine at 24".
I was always under the impression that 30" was the law. I was even measured once at the DMV and I came in at 29.5" and passed with no problems. Hell I am pretty sure that the rear bumper of my stock pickup truck is higher than 22". I think I would argue......
Oh I should have mentioned....I would definitely argue...
here's the rest....not sure how a jeep is titled in DE< but in MD it's a truck
Maybe they consider the grand cherokee a station wagon or passenger vehicle instead of a truck like the wrangler.
It's worth arguing this one --- it's not clear in the delaware code what they consider a "passenger vehicle including station wagon". See page 25 and 49 of the 2014 Delaware Inspection manual, which states:
(pg. 25)
Vehicle Height
To high, 54” max headlight, or 30” max bumper on trucks and 22” on cars..
(pg. 49)
Reject If bumper exceeds 22 inches from ground to bottom of bumper for all passenger cars and station wagons.
Effective June 23, 1996, reject vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less if bumper height exceeds 30 inches from the ground to the bottom of the bumper….
http://www.dmv.de.gov/forms/ve…nspection_Manual_2014.pdf
Common sense would say the 22" is for cars that the 30" is intended for trucks/SUVs……but this is a government agency we are talking about and they don't like admitting they are wrong, so good luck.
just to let you know, when I got my first wrangler registered in PA, I asked about a 'truck' tag. They told me that in PA, a wrangler (and all SUV's) are considered station wagons.
Legally speaking all pickup trucks are considered
passenger vehicles. "Trucks" are consider commercial
class vehicles.
I think hzryr61 is correct, wagons, jeeps, ect... are all
considered utility vehicles.
Of course i would still argue it...
just to let you know, when I got my first wrangler registered in PA, I asked about a 'truck' tag. They told me that in PA, a wrangler (and all SUV's) are considered station wagons.
Both of my YJ's are registered in PA as convertibles my XJ was registed as a station wagon.
I'm curious, when was this law added? Adams in Aberdeen does not do Delaware title work so I had to take mine through inspection and they passed it with no problem. That was 3 years ago. I just measured mine at 24".
I got mine at Adams also. Measures 24" at the bottom of the bumper, and I just passed at DMV.
I'm curious, when was this law added?
1979.
Im willing to bet 99.9% of the population would
allow the jeep to fall under the 30" provision.
Still I would ask the DMV for clarification before
seeing the judge in court. The way I read that it does
say all passenger vehicles 22" and non-commercial
trucks 30".
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