If you perform a quick search on the internet about suicide knobs, you will find many people claiming that you don’t see them as much because they are illegal. However, this claim is likely one of those “car myths” that has spread because of the name. The term “suicide” has a dangerous connotation to it which probably made people assume they were illegal.
Steering Wheel Knobs on Amazon
The Illegal Myth
Suicide knobs have bad reputation on the internet. Most people wondering if they are illegal will search the internet and find a post asking this question with people answering that they are illegal. Then this answer is used as a reference to answer other people posting the same question. For example a post on Car Talk referenced a post on Yahoo Answers claiming they are illegal. The poster finally checked with their police and found they were not.
State Laws
Searching through each state’s statutes, there were no laws in the 50 states banning the use of steering wheel knobs on regular cars. In fact, some states require the use of a steering aid if you are a handicapped person. Michigan has put in writing that they are not outlawed. However, there is a law against using them for construction vehicles that haul and handle materials. OSHA Law
City Laws
Although there were no state statutes found regarding suicide knobs. Cities can have their own local laws and ordinances. You can go to http://www.municode.com to search your local city codes.
Below are links to each state’s vehicle laws if you want to verify state laws. You can also call your local police to double check any city traffic codes.
Alabama
No rules against knobs in the motor vehicle code.
http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/22786.htm
Alaska
No rules against knobs in Alaska’s driver manual.
http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/dlmanual/dlman.pdf
Arizona
No rules against knobs in Arizona’s vehicle code.
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp?Title=28
Arkansas
No rules banning knobs in Arkansas’s vehicle code. Title 27 (Transportation) Chapter 37 (Equipment and Regulations).
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/arcode/Default.asp
California
No laws against knobs in the state motor vehicle code.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=veh&codebody=&hits=20
Colorado
No rules against steering wheel knobs. Colorado vehicle code Title 42: Article 4
http://www.michie.com/colorado/lpext.dll/cocode/1/67550/687a9/687ab
Connecticut
No rules against knobs in Connecticut’s vehicle code.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/pub/chap246.htm
Delaware
No rules against knobs in Delaware’s vehicle code.
http://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c043/index.shtml
Florida
No rules against knobs in Florida’s vehicle code.
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Index&Title_Request=XXIII#TitleXXIII
Georgia
No rules against knobs.
http://www1.legis.ga.gov/htdig/search.htm
Hawaii
No rules against knobs.
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov
Idaho
No rules against knobs in Idaho’s vehicle code.
http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title49/T49CH9.htm
Illinois
No rules against knobs in Illinois’ vehicle code.
IL Vehicle Code
Indiana
No rules against knobs in Indiana’s vehicle code.
http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title9/ar19/
Iowa
No rules against knobs in Iowa’s vehicle code.
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/1999/321/
Kansas
No rules against knobs in Kansas’ vehicle statutes.
http://kslegislature.org/li/statute/008_000_0000_chapter/
Kentucky
No rules against knobs in Kentucky’s vehicle statutes.
http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/KRS/189-00/CHAPTER.HTM
Does have law stating that the steering device not to be defective.
http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/KRS/189-00/100.PDF
Louisiana
No rules found against knobs in Louisiana’s vehicle statues.
http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?folder=106
Maine
No rules against knobs in Maine’s vehicle statutes.
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-A/title29-Ach0sec0.html
Maryland
No rules against knobs in Maryland’s statutes.
http://mlis.state.md.us/
Massachusetts
No rules against knobs in Massachusetts’ laws.
http://www.malegislature.gov/Legislation
Michigan
Suicide Knobs: There is nothing in the Michigan Vehicle Code that specifically prohibits “suicide knobs” or “spinners” on steering wheels. Such knobs could actually be required pursuant to a restricted operator’s license for a person with a disability.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/Archived_Field_Updates_Table_203934_7.pdf
Minnesota
No rules against knobs in Minnesota’s statutes.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/
Article where state trooper and driver and vehicle services division confirms no laws on knobs.
http://www.albertleatribune.com/2011/11/25/what-about-a-knob-on-the-steering-wheel/
Mississippi
No rules against knobs in Mississippi’s vehicle statutes.
http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/63/index.htm
Missouri
No rules against knobs in Missouri’s vehicle statutes.
http://www.moga.mo.gov/STATUTES/C307.HTM
Montana
No rules against knobs in Montana’s vehicle code.
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/mca_toc/61_9.htm
Nebraska
No rules against knobs in Nebraska’s state laws.
http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/laws/browse-chapters.php?chapter=60
Nevada
No rules against knobs in Nevada’s statutes.
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-484D.html
New Hampshire
No rules against knobs in New Hampshire’s motor vehicle rules.
http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/dmv/rules.html
New Jersey
No rules against knobs in New Jersey.
NJ Vehicle Code
New Mexico
No rules against knobs in New Mexico’s statutes.
http://www.conwaygreene.com/nmsu/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&2.0
New York
No rules against knobs in New York’s laws.
NY Vehicle Code
New York requires an aid on the steering mechanism if handicapped.
Handicap Law
North Carolina
No rules against knobs in North Carolina’s statues.
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_20.html
North Dakota
No rules against knobs in North Dakota’s statutes.
http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t39c21.pdf
Ohio
No rules against knobs in Ohio’s vehicle codes.
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4513
Oklahoma
No rules against knobs in Oklahoma’s vehicle codes.
http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/index.asp?ftdb=STOKST47&level=1
Oregon
No rules regarding knobs in Oregon’s statutes.
http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/home.html
For Construction, steering wheels must have power steering and the knob placed on the inside of the steering wheel.
http://osha.oregon.gov/OSHARules/div3/div3O.pdf#page=13
Pennsylvania
No rules against knobs in Pennsylvania’s statutes.
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/067toc.html
Rhode Island
No rules against knobs in Rhode Island statutes.
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE31/31-23/INDEX.HTM
South Carolina
No rules against knobs in South Carolina’s laws.
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/titl56.htm
South Dakota
No rules against knobs in South Dakota’s statues.
http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=32-15&Type=Statute
Tennessee
No rules against knobs in Tennessee code.
http://michie.lexisnexis.com/tennessee/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp
Texas
No rules against knobs in Texas’ statutes.
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/
Utah
No rules against knobs in Utah’s vehicle code.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE41/TITLE41.htm
Vermont
No rules against knobs in Vermont’s statutes.
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/sections.cfm?Title=23&Chapter=013
Virginia
No rules against knobs in Virginia’s vehicle code.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+TOC4602000
Washington
Does not say anything about steering wheel knobs but mentions no steering attachments should catch clothing. Possible violation.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.37
West Virginia
No rules against knobs in West Virginia’s code.
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/code.cfm?chap=17&art=1
Wisconsin
No rules against knobs in Wisconsin’s statutes.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/347.pdf
Wyoming
No rules against knobs in Wyoming statutes.
http://legisweb.state.wy.us/statutes/statutes.aspx?file=titles/Title31/Title31.htm