Is Renegade light bar legal in Ohio?

boogvalk · **Joined:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:46 am **Posts:** 2

Greetings. I'm a newbie and plan on purchasing an older Liberty Renegade when i find a good one. A friend told me those light bars are illegal in Ohio - even when the lights are off. I know they are for off-road use only but are Liberty Renegades illegal to operate on roads in Ohio even when those lights are off? Maybe they're legal if the covers are on? Any help would be greatly appreciated...I'd be really depressed if i bought a renegade and some trooper told me i had to remove the light bar. Thanks!

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 3:02 am

boogvalk wrote:

Greetings. I'm a newbie and plan on purchasing an older Liberty Renegade when i find a good one. A friend told me those light bars are illegal in Ohio - even when the lights are off. I know they are for off-road use only but are Liberty Renegades illegal to operate on roads in Ohio even when those lights are off? Maybe they're legal if the covers are on? Any help would be greatly appreciated...I'd be really depressed if i bought a renegade and some trooper told me i had to remove the light bar. Thanks!

PPPPPFFFFFFTTT!

There are no laws in Ohio... :twisted:

Since the jeep is made in ohio and comes from the factory like that.... I'd say PPPPPFFFFFTT! to any cop who pulled you over for it... :rockon:

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:51 am

There are laws that state any light up higher like that are to be covered on the road ways.
That said no one pays much attention to it and have seen many run with the covers off.
NOW it was illegal to sell them in West Virginia due to the lights , funny right?
But no your friend is wrong, if you can find one buy one. Renegade package is an appearance package only have seen some with no lights or skids or any of what most think of as a Renegade package. Check it over close

By the way Welcome to LOST JEEPS and esp. the Ohio section
Make yourself at home! :wink:

Megalos · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:15 am

Welcome to LOST. I have an 05 Renegade with the light bar on top. I run it with the lights uncovered (almost lost one a couple of times before I just decided to take them off). I've never even had a cop look at me for that.

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:27 am

I would bet you would get more hassle from Ohio trooper over tinted windows or no front license plate -vs- a factory light bar that's not on. If you have them on while on higway,then you would be in some trouble, but I wouldn't sweat it.
Where u be @ in Ohio? We have quite a large group and regular get togethers/offroad adventures.

05renny · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:41 pm

I would give almost anything to get a hold of a *reasonably* priced light bar. darn.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:58 pm

05renny wrote:

I would give almost anything to get a hold of a *reasonably* priced light bar. darn.

There's a few out there. Just have to keep looking. I bought one a couple of years ago that was on Craigslist for 120 shipped from Fla. , was in the original OEM box etc had everything needed to install it

Of course it didn't stay here long, maybe I should of kept it! :banghead:

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:44 pm

I know this doesn't necessarily pertain to you, but if you ever come through KY you don't have to worry about being pulled over for it. The cops here really do not care about mods like that. Mostly likely you would get a speeding ticket if you were caught speeding through my neck of the woods vs. a light bar on your jeep. Oh and no lift laws! :BANANA:

boogvalk · **Joined:** Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:46 am **Posts:** 2

Wow...thanks for all the responses. I guess i won't worry about the light bar.
Believe it or not, we live in Liberty Center :lol:

. It's about 1/2 an hour southwest of Toledo.
I love the look of the Renegade but i'm wondering if a Limited with Selec-Trac and other goodies might be more practical. I honestly don't expect to do a lot of off-road driving even tho we live out in the middle of no-where.
Thanks for the info and the welcome!

TAHOE · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:26 am

boogvalk wrote:

...... It's about 1/2 an hour southwest of Toledo.

Oh, sorry..... :ROTFL:

There's a few good members in Toledo, you've got plenty of info and help up there is ya need it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 1:50 pm

More help in the Toledo area than .....down south :mrgreen:

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:27 pm

Who cares???????

rokee1998 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:00 pm

blackwidowkj06 wrote:

Who cares???????

rokee1998 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:13 pm

tommudd wrote:

More help in the Toledo area than .....down south :mrgreen:

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:15 pm

in the south, we don't give a rats arse.
atleast i don't. twp.

VoodooMann · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:18 pm

TAHOE wrote:

I would bet you would get more hassle from Ohio trooper over tinted windows or no front license plate -vs- a factory light bar that's not on.

I have never had a front license plate in Ohio...

Although I do keep it in the jeep just in case a cop decides to be a PITA about it.

I also drive with my light bar on.......

When no one is around to see it :jester:

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:26 pm

VoodooMann wrote:

I also drive with my light bar on.......When no one is around to see it :jester:

I'm guessing it's illegal to drive with your light bar on in Ohio?

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 7:14 pm

lol

pretty much illegal to drive anywhere with the light bar on that is considered a public road

technically any light used on a public roadway needs to be "DOT approved" , but offroad lights in the bumper area is really a different story, not legally but just in practice

if used similar to "high-beams" then they'll be turned on and off when needed as traffic changes and with all of the new fangled lights people use that already hurt your eyes on low, noone is really going to say anything about using "offroad" lights on the bumper as long as you don't fail to dim / turn them off when necessary

they can ticket you for failing to turn off your high beams, and that's probably the ticket they'ed give you for not dimming, unless ya really got them on a bad day then there's another ticket for using offroad lights on a public road in some wording or so.

lights above the hood being used "when someone else is around" is a good way to get a quick ticket that you won't get out of, just don't let the sleeper see ya doing it, or they'll ticket ya regardless of other traffic

but.. ya already knew that

states like VA will ticket you if your lightbar covers are off, but not so much if you don't have VA plates, but.. they've been known to anyway

blackwidowkj06 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 7:36 pm

That is a bunch of crock honestly! I drive with my off-road lights on when need at times going down a highway. I use my lights, factory foglights and Hella foglights all at the same time. Because I live in a small town that's not well lit, until you get into town :banghead:

Thank goodness I live in KY, where no one cares (or atleast a town that doesn't care). :ROTFL:

Can't wait to get my custom light bar finished and drive with 6 off-road lights and 4 factory lights on :mrgreen:

VoodooMann · **Posted:** Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:38 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

states like VA will ticket you if your lightbar covers are off, but not so much if you don't have VA plates, but.. they've been known to anyway

They can't, and if you pay it, they fooled you once.

Your vehicle's equipment, regardless of what it is at any time, ONLY needs to be legal in the state it is REGISTERED in.

if it is illegal to have a giant pair of boobs on the windshield in virginia, but not in ohio. it is perfectly legal to drive around like that in virginia, as long as the vehicle is registered in Ohio.

Is Renegade light bar legal in Ohio?

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