It’s been almost a year since it became illegal to have a squatted vehicle in the state of Mississippi. Fast-forward to this past weekend, the annual Scrapin the Coast event was a hotspot to hand out citations in accordance with the new law.
The custom car and truck show brings thousands of vehicles to Biloxi each year, many of the vehicles having front bumpers so much higher than the rear fender that the average person takes notice. Well, law enforcement took notice, too.
The Biloxi Police Department confirmed to WLOX-TV that 406 citations were issued across the two-day event. 120 of those were for squatted vehicles.
Under the squatted vehicle law that went into effect on July 1, 2024, after getting the green light from Gov. Tate Reeves, vehicles on Mississippi roadways cannot have a front bumper raised four inches or more above the height of the rear fender. Law enforcement statewide gave drivers a six-month period until this past January to comply with the law. Tickets then began to be issued with the following punishments levied on infractors:
- First offense: $100 fine
- Second offense: $200 fine
- Third offense: $300 fine and a one-year suspension of the operator’s license
According to Republican state Rep. Fred Shanks, who authored legislation leading to the law, squatted vehicles compromise visibility for the driver and increase rollover risk with altered weight distribution. Throughout the legislative process, he and other lawmakers referenced a tragic case in Smith County, where a six-year-old girl was struck and killed by a squatted vehicle.
Mississippi joined other states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia in barring the modified vehicles. Lawmakers set up the Magnolia State’s program for fines collected from squatted vehicle violations to be used on driver’s education and training programs.
Overall, Scrapin the Coast did see a decrease in total tickets issued. Biloxi PD reported 517 tickets issued in 2024, compared to 406 at this year’s edition of the event.
