Nitrous Oxide Legality
01-12-2008, 12:29 PM
#1
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Nitrous oxide for the most part is legal in the USA. Many states have laws against using Nitrous Oxide as an inhalant. Some states have laws against actually using it on the roads. Most states have no problem with a Nitrous Oxide setup as long as it is properly installed and will not cause damage to other cars on the road.
Some states do not regulate the use of nitrous oxide on public roads. Some states require that you do not use it on the roads. Some states require you to close your bottle valve while on public roads.
Some of the stricter states have laws aginst Nitrous Oxide use:
Which can be interperated as breaking the nitrous line anywhere in the system to the engine.
Some states require that the nitrous oxide bottle be empty or removed from the system.
From what I've heard, California also requires you to disconnect the mainline from the bottle while driving on public roads. This effectively turns your car into a nitrous oxide transportaion device. Instead of being equipped with nitrous oxide, your car is then just transporting nitrous oxide.
Most of these states have laws regulating just about everything on a vehicle such as suspension height, headlamp color, emissions laws, tinting laws and other laws which limit our tuning ability.
It is illegal in most states to use nitrous as a inhalent without a medical license. If you use nitrous oxide as an inhalent, there is potential for you to kill yourself because you cannot regulate your use of nitrous oxide under the influence of nitrous oxide. Also, automotive nitrous oxide is required by law to have 100ppm sulfur dioxide which can cause you to become sick. The main purpose for sulfur dioxide is to provide a smellable indicator that a nitrous oxide leak exists.
The main concern is safety. If you install and operate a nitrous oxide equipped vehicle safely and within the laws, then there is no problem. Some states require that you have regular inspections conducted on your nitrous system. Others require it have a sticker placed on the vehicle durring installation to certify the installation
There are no laws in South Carolina or Montana against Nitrous Oxide. I've checked these laws thorougly because my car is registered in Montana and operated in South Carolina. The only regulation I face is to not "use" nitrous oxide while on Fort Jackson (a federal military installation). There are no city, county, state, or federal laws which affect me in Montana or South Carolina.
Always check your state laws before modifying your car. They're on the internet for all of the United States of America. Just do some searching on www."insert your state".gov
I wrote this in responce to this post
Well, Ericy321, I don't have to disconnect my bottle. Here are your 4 state laws which govern motor vehicles
Wisconsin department of transportation
Wisconsin administrative
Wisconsin Motor vehicles
Wisconsin power of state authorities
There is no mention of Nitrous, or N2O anywhere in those documents. I don't know the county or city laws, but it would appear that Nitrous Oxide is unregulated and perfectly legal in your state for recreational use on roadways. smile.gif
QUOTE ("wikipedia")
Legality
Nitrous oxide injection systems for automobiles are usually emissions legal, but in most states it is illegal to have an open bottle valve on the street. Although some localities require certified system components. There have been reported instances of police officers arresting drivers of vehicles equipped with N<sub>2</sub>O injection systems on the grounds that he or she intends to inhale it,<sup>[citation needed]</sup> although such auto-grade N<sub>2</sub>O is often mixed with about 100 ppm sulfur dioxide, making inhalation noxious or even fatal.
Sanctioning bodies in motor sports have banned nitrous oxide use in some classes; in 1976, NASCAR disqualified many drivers for doing so; in June 1998, the NHRA suspended Pro Stock driver Jerry Eckman and car owner Bill Orndorff for a year, stripped the team of all points, and imposed a fine for violations. The team closed down shortly after the suspension.
Nitrous oxide injection systems for automobiles are usually emissions legal, but in most states it is illegal to have an open bottle valve on the street. Although some localities require certified system components. There have been reported instances of police officers arresting drivers of vehicles equipped with N<sub>2</sub>O injection systems on the grounds that he or she intends to inhale it,<sup>[citation needed]</sup> although such auto-grade N<sub>2</sub>O is often mixed with about 100 ppm sulfur dioxide, making inhalation noxious or even fatal.
Sanctioning bodies in motor sports have banned nitrous oxide use in some classes; in 1976, NASCAR disqualified many drivers for doing so; in June 1998, the NHRA suspended Pro Stock driver Jerry Eckman and car owner Bill Orndorff for a year, stripped the team of all points, and imposed a fine for violations. The team closed down shortly after the suspension.
Some states do not regulate the use of nitrous oxide on public roads. Some states require that you do not use it on the roads. Some states require you to close your bottle valve while on public roads.
Some of the stricter states have laws aginst Nitrous Oxide use:
QUOTE ('georgia state law)
40-8-10. Operation of motor vehicles with nitrous oxide; penalty for violation.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person on a public road to drive a passenger car, excluding a motor home, which supplies the motor vehicle's combustion engine with nitrous oxide unless the system supplying nitrous oxide is made inoperative by disconnecting the line feeding nitrous oxide to the engine or by removing the container or containers of nitrous oxide from the vehicle.
(b) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person on a public road to drive a passenger car, excluding a motor home, which supplies the motor vehicle's combustion engine with nitrous oxide unless the system supplying nitrous oxide is made inoperative by disconnecting the line feeding nitrous oxide to the engine or by removing the container or containers of nitrous oxide from the vehicle.
(b) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
Which can be interperated as breaking the nitrous line anywhere in the system to the engine.
Some states require that the nitrous oxide bottle be empty or removed from the system.
QUOTE ('maine state law')
§1925. Nitrous oxide system 1. Definition. For the purposes of this section, "nitrous oxide system" means a device installed in a motor vehicle that allows nitrous oxide to combine with gasoline for the purpose of increasing engine power.
2. Use prohibited. Except as provided in subsection 3, a person may not operate a motor vehicle that is equipped with a nitrous oxide system on a public way.
3. Exceptions. A person may operate a motor vehicle equipped with a nitrous oxide system on a public way if:
[/list][/list]Which can be interperated as only fill up your bottle when you're going to use it, then purge it when you're done. If there is no nitrous oxide in the nitrous oxide container, then it is simply an air container which is there for looks, not a nitrous oxidie container. 2. Use prohibited. Except as provided in subsection 3, a person may not operate a motor vehicle that is equipped with a nitrous oxide system on a public way.
3. Exceptions. A person may operate a motor vehicle equipped with a nitrous oxide system on a public way if:
- A. All canisters of nitrous oxide have been removed from the vehicle; or
B. The motor vehicle is en route to or from a track where the motor vehicle is used for racing and:
- (1) The nitrous oxide system is made inoperative by disconnecting the line feeding nitrous oxide to the engine; or
(2) All containers of nitrous oxide have been removed from the motor vehicle.
From what I've heard, California also requires you to disconnect the mainline from the bottle while driving on public roads. This effectively turns your car into a nitrous oxide transportaion device. Instead of being equipped with nitrous oxide, your car is then just transporting nitrous oxide.
Most of these states have laws regulating just about everything on a vehicle such as suspension height, headlamp color, emissions laws, tinting laws and other laws which limit our tuning ability.
QUOTE ( 'legalmatch.com")
Is Nitrous Oxide Legal?
Federal Law
Because of the many legitimate uses of nitrous oxide, it is not considered a "drug", and is not regulated at the federal level as such. The only federal regulation of nitrous oxide is done by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA does not regulate possession of nitrous oxide, but does regulate sale of nitrous oxide for human consumption.
State Law
In many states, it is illegal to sell or distribute nitrous oxide to a minor and in many states it is illegal to consume nitrous oxide for recreational purposes. It is also illegal in many states to inhale nitrous oxide for intoxication purposes. Some states also make possession of nitrous oxide with the intent to inhale the chemical a crime.
Federal Law
Because of the many legitimate uses of nitrous oxide, it is not considered a "drug", and is not regulated at the federal level as such. The only federal regulation of nitrous oxide is done by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA does not regulate possession of nitrous oxide, but does regulate sale of nitrous oxide for human consumption.
State Law
In many states, it is illegal to sell or distribute nitrous oxide to a minor and in many states it is illegal to consume nitrous oxide for recreational purposes. It is also illegal in many states to inhale nitrous oxide for intoxication purposes. Some states also make possession of nitrous oxide with the intent to inhale the chemical a crime.
It is illegal in most states to use nitrous as a inhalent without a medical license. If you use nitrous oxide as an inhalent, there is potential for you to kill yourself because you cannot regulate your use of nitrous oxide under the influence of nitrous oxide. Also, automotive nitrous oxide is required by law to have 100ppm sulfur dioxide which can cause you to become sick. The main purpose for sulfur dioxide is to provide a smellable indicator that a nitrous oxide leak exists.
The main concern is safety. If you install and operate a nitrous oxide equipped vehicle safely and within the laws, then there is no problem. Some states require that you have regular inspections conducted on your nitrous system. Others require it have a sticker placed on the vehicle durring installation to certify the installation
There are no laws in South Carolina or Montana against Nitrous Oxide. I've checked these laws thorougly because my car is registered in Montana and operated in South Carolina. The only regulation I face is to not "use" nitrous oxide while on Fort Jackson (a federal military installation). There are no city, county, state, or federal laws which affect me in Montana or South Carolina.
Always check your state laws before modifying your car. They're on the internet for all of the United States of America. Just do some searching on www."insert your state".gov
I wrote this in responce to this post
QUOTE (Ericy321 @ Jan 11 2008, 11:17 PM)
Im pretty sure street use of N2O is illegal everywhere. And how often do you disconnect your bottle?
Well, Ericy321, I don't have to disconnect my bottle. Here are your 4 state laws which govern motor vehicles
Wisconsin department of transportation
Wisconsin administrative
Wisconsin Motor vehicles
Wisconsin power of state authorities
There is no mention of Nitrous, or N2O anywhere in those documents. I don't know the county or city laws, but it would appear that Nitrous Oxide is unregulated and perfectly legal in your state for recreational use on roadways. smile.gif
01-12-2008, 01:40 PM
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I just thought it was everywhere. I have read that it cannot be used on the road but I guess I never looked into the actual laws and I dont have it anyway so I probably wont read that. Anyway, I know that here they can give you a ticket for any modification to anything if they want to. I could get ticketed for a CAI if the cop wanted to and theres nothing I could do about it. If its legal then use it, shit if I had it and it was illegal Id probably use it anyways. I wouldnt blast by a cop and spray N2O though either. Even if it was legal.
I just thought it was everywhere. I have read that it cannot be used on the road but I guess I never looked into the actual laws and I dont have it anyway so I probably wont read that. Anyway, I know that here they can give you a ticket for any modification to anything if they want to. I could get ticketed for a CAI if the cop wanted to and theres nothing I could do about it. If its legal then use it, shit if I had it and it was illegal Id probably use it anyways. I wouldnt blast by a cop and spray N2O though either. Even if it was legal.
01-12-2008, 03:17 PM
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Or you can just skip past everything DTN wrote and follow a simple rule of thumb: do not install nitrous in your car without first contacting your State Police, because they are the ones will be able to tell you clearly what is legal and what is not.
01-12-2008, 03:49 PM
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Thread Starter
^^ Your state also has no laws regarding Nitrous. Here is the area I'd expect to find it in. Mechanical violations: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0347.pdf
LOL: i was going through Michigan laws and I found this:
Dude, it looks like you've got to remove your catalytic converter. lmao.gif
Anyways, I found a good directory of official state laws here http://public.findlaw.com/traffic-ticket-v...te-traffic-law/
But yeah, it's always best to contact the people who would pull you over in the event you are in violation of the law before modifying your car.
LOL: i was going through Michigan laws and I found this:
QUOTE
347.39 Mufflers.
(2) No muffler or exhaust system on any vehicle mentioned in
sub. (1) shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass or similar device
nor shall there be installed in the exhaust system of any such
vehicle any device to ignite exhaust gases so as to produce flame
within or without the exhaust system.
(2) No muffler or exhaust system on any vehicle mentioned in
sub. (1) shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass or similar device
nor shall there be installed in the exhaust system of any such
vehicle any device to ignite exhaust gases so as to produce flame
within or without the exhaust system.
Dude, it looks like you've got to remove your catalytic converter. lmao.gif
Anyways, I found a good directory of official state laws here http://public.findlaw.com/traffic-ticket-v...te-traffic-law/
But yeah, it's always best to contact the people who would pull you over in the event you are in violation of the law before modifying your car.
01-12-2008, 07:44 PM
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awwwww. ericy got dtns panties in a bunch now to prove he isnt led'ing the crap outa mars and does have legal performance mods he went an researched lol. jk. but yea good news dtn i already removed my cat lol.
01-12-2008, 08:29 PM
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Thread Starter
^^ Actually, most people associate nitrous oxide with illegal street racing because of the fast and the furious. I'm just tired of the negative connotations and would like people to realize that there is such a thing as recreational consumption of nitrous oxide without inhaling it.