---
title: O.C.G.A. § 40-8-6. Vehicles with altered suspension systems.
collection: code
id: 40-8-6
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 40-8-6 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-8-6
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-8-6.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-8-6/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t40-ch6-16-(v29)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f322c22b_0#page=76
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC / EQUIPMENT AND INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES / EQUIPMENT GENERALLY / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 40-8-6. Vehicles with altered suspension systems.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) “Frame” means the main longitudinal structural members of the chassis of a motor vehicle.

(2) “Frame height” means the vertical distance between a level surface and the lowest point on the frame of a motor vehicle, measured when the vehicle is upon such level surface without a load.

(3) “Gross vehicle weight rating” means the manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating whether or not the vehicle is modified by use of parts not originally installed by the manufacturer.

(b) It shall be unlawful to alter the suspension system of any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,500 pounds or less, which may be operated on any highway, so as to exceed 27 inches as measured from the surface of the street to the lowest point on the frame of the vehicle.

(c) It shall be unlawful to alter the suspension system of any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of not less than 4,501 pounds and not more than 7,500 pounds, which may be operated on any highway, so as to exceed 30 inches as measured from the surface of the street to the lowest point on the frame of the vehicle.

(d) It shall be unlawful to alter the suspension system of any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of not less than 7,501 pounds and not more than 14,000 pounds, which may be operated on any highway, so as to exceed 31 inches as measured from the surface of the street to the lowest point on the frame of the vehicle.

(e) It shall be unlawful to alter the suspension of any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle rating of not less than 4,000 pounds and not more than 7,000 pounds, which may be operated on any highway in a manner that results in the frame height of the front of such vehicle being more than four inches above or below the frame height of the rear of the vehicle. It shall be unlawful to operate any motor vehicle upon any highway if the springs relative to the suspension system are broken or the suspension system has been altered in excess of the limitations provided for in this Code section.

(f) This Code section shall not apply to any motor vehicle with an electronic stability control system which complies with standard number 126 of 49 C.F.R. 571.126 in effect on January 1, 2024.

(g) Any person violating this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

## History

Code 1981, § 40-8-6.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p. 1210, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 40; Code 1981, § 40-8-6, Ga. L. 2024, p. 937, § 1/SB 352, effective July 1, 2024.

## Editor's Notes

Former Code Section 40-8-6 pertained to alteration of suspension system and operation of vehicle with broken springs. The former Code section was based on Ga. L. 1973, p. 458, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1975, p. 763, § 1; Code 1933, § 68E-106, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 165, § 4; Code 1981, § 40-8-6, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 165, § 10, and was repealed by Ga. L. 2024, p. 937, § 1/SB 352.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, redesignated former Code Section 40-8-6.1 as present Code Section 40-8-6, substituted “a motor vehicle” for “a truck” in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2); in subsections (b), (c), and (d), substituted “any motor vehicle” for “any truck” and deleted “public street or” preceding “highway”; substituted “the vehicle” for “the truck” in paragraph (a)(2) and subsection (b); in subsection (e), added the first sentence and substituted the current provisions of the second sentence for the former provisions, which read: “It shall be unlawful to operate any truck upon any highway, roadway, or street if the suspension system has been altered in excess of the limitations provided for in this Code section”; added subsection (f); and redesignated former subsection (f) as subsection (g).