Six Vehicle Modifications That Are Illegal in New York

Car enthusiasts are known to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a variety of modifications to their vehicles to alter the way they look, sound, and even perform, but in New York state, many vehicle modifications are actually illegal.

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From dark window tint to the loudness of a vehicle’s exhaust, New York has put its foot down on many modifications, and those who decide to ignore the law face the possibility of hefty fines.

In April of 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law that increases fines doled out to both individuals and businesses that modify exhaust systems to make them noisy saying, “Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe and comfortable in their community, and that includes cracking down on excessively noisy vehicles on our streets.”

SEE ALSO: Loud Muffler or Exhaust System? NYS Is Doling Out Tickets

While we've not heard of any cases where a person locally was pulled over and issued a fine for having a loud exhaust system, why risk the chance of it happening to you, especially in this economic climate?

If you live in New York and have been thinking about adding a thumping sound system to your vehicle, or, maybe you've been considering adding a light bar to your vehicle for better nighttime visibility, a word of caution - both modifications have limitations and if you go ahead and do either, you could be violating state law and looking for a fine.

Before you make any modifications to your vehicle, you'll want to do a little research to see what is and what isn't illegal in the state of New York.