I live in NY and need to know if there is any law requiring a minimum headlight height. I'm fairly sure commiefornia has a law on the books that lists a car cannot have its headlights below "x" inches from the ground because of street racing and blah blah blah. I cannot find anything for NY though. Please help! I know the high beams go on the inside (or bottom) and regular driving lights on the outside corners (or top). Thanks for any input!

A few states have their own headlight regulations, but most just incorporate the DOT (Federal) standards, either explicitly or by reference. If New York doesn't have their own separate requirements, then DOT regulations will apply. The DOT headlight height spec requires that the central axis of the lamp be 22 to 54 inches above the road surface.

Some states still have laws on the books that specify a higher minimum height than DOT (e.g. 24 inches), but still allow cars manufactured in compliance with the lower DOT requirement. However, if you are modifying your car or retrofitting it with aftermarket headlights (i.e. equipment or installation different than OEM), the state requirement will almost certainly apply.

[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 06-30-2007).]