(a) No person shall operate any motor vehicle with a frame height or body floor height greater than specified in subdivisions (b) and (c).

(b) The maximum frame height is as follows:

Terms Used In California Vehicle Code 24008.5

  • axle: is a structure or portion of a structure consisting of one or more shafts, spindles, or bearings in the same vertical transverse plane by means of which, in conjunction with wheels mounted on said shafts, spindles, or bearings, a portion of the weight of a vehicle and its load, if any, is continuously transmitted to the roadway when the vehicle is in motion. See California Vehicle Code 230
  • motor vehicle: includes a recreational vehicle as that term is defined in subdivision (a) of §. See California Vehicle Code 415
  • Person: includes a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Vehicle Code 470
  • vehicle: is a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See California Vehicle Code 670

Vehicle Type

Frame Height

(1) Passenger vehicles, except housecars  ……………………

23 inches

(2) All other motor vehicles, including housecars,

as follows:

Up to 4,500 pounds GVWR  ……………………

27 inches

4,501 to 7,500 pounds GVWR  ……………………

30 inches

7,501 to 10,000 pounds GVWR  ……………………

31 inches

(c) The lowest portion of the body floor shall not be more than five inches above the top of the frame.

(d) The following definitions govern the construction of this section:

(1) “Frame” means the main longitudinal structural members of the chassis of the vehicle or, for vehicles with unitized body construction, the lowest main longitudinal structural members of the body of the vehicle.

(2) “Frame height” means the vertical distance between the ground and the lowest point on the frame, measured when the vehicle is unladen on a level surface at the lowest point on the frame midway between the front axle and the second axle on the vehicle.

(3) “GVWR” means the manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating, as defined in Section 390, whether or not the vehicle is modified by use of parts not originally installed by the manufacturer.

(Amended by Stats. 1987, Ch. 718, Sec. 1.)