April 4, 2001 |
2001-R-0344 | |
STATES REQUIRING MUD FLAPS ON CARS | ||
By: Michele L. Melley, Legislative Fellow | ||
You want to know if any states require cars to have mud flaps. The information in this report is based on an OLR telephone survey to the Department of Transportation, Public Safety, or the highway patrol of all the states.
Of the 47 states that responded to our survey, 11 have laws governing mud flaps on cars. Three of these states—California, Louisiana, and Nebraska—require cars to have mud flaps; eight, including Connecticut, require mud flaps or other spray suppression devices if there is no rear fender. Table 1 shows the 11 states that have laws on mud flaps.
Table 1: States That Have Laws Addressing Mud Flaps
State |
Requirements |
Citation |
Alaska |
Fenders or flaps |
Alaska Stat. § 28.35.253 |
California |
Fenders and flaps |
Cal. Vehicle Code § 276.00 |
Connecticut |
Fenders |
CGS §. 14-103d. |
Idaho |
Fenders, which may include flaps |
Idaho Code § 49-949 |
Louisiana |
Fenders and flaps |
La. Rev. Stat. Ann § 32:364 |
Montana |
Fenders or flaps |
Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-407 |
Nebraska |
Fenders and flaps |
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,283 |
Oklahoma |
Fenders or flaps |
Okla. Stat. tit. 47. § 12-405 |
Rhode Island |
Fenders, but if tires extend beyond them, then flaps too. |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23-26 |
Utah |
Fenders, but flaps if car frame altered. |
Utah Code Ann. § 41-6-50.10 |
Washington |
Fenders or flaps Exception: A car more than 40 years old or a street rod that is a collector's item. |
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 46.37.500 |
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