Car Tuning - Legal Requirements

Legal Requirements

Many countries or municipalities have legal requirements which govern vehicle modifications. For example, all vehicles in Victoria, Australia, must conform to construction standards to ensure vehicle safety. There are also restrictions for P Plate drivers which can prevent young drivers from driving modified vehicles.

In the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands it is illegal for any car to have blue lights which are reserved for emergency vehicles.

In Scotland, Germany and Denmark, it is illegal for any car to have neon underlights on a car which may distract other drivers. In the Netherlands neon lights are allowed under the car, but only when the car is on display. The lights have to be switched off if the car is on a public road. There is some misunderstanding amongst police officers in the U.K as to the legality of under body neons.

Recently, Belgium issued a new law which requires that bodykit parts need to be approved for safety.

In the United States, many of the laws governing car modification are determined at state level. These should be reviewed before any modifications are undertaken.