I didn't have any trouble with inspections in Michigan but the stock 7" sealed beams that came in the SPF left a lot to be desired.
Replaced them with 7" H4 Hellas for a dramatic improvement. About $85.
Bought the H6024D. I didn't try the higher wattage bulbs due to the standard SPF headlight wiring. These are plenty bright and well controlled.
Hella has DOT approved replacements, the ones I selected are Euro spec. not DOT. There is a discussion of the differences on the web page. Unless the lights are inspected no one will ever notice the change.
http://www.rallylights.com/hella/7in.asp
As a note, I've never had any legal trouble with my lighting. I keep the alignments set properly and do not try to attact attention with the auxillary lighting.
Hope this helps
Merry Christmas.
Jim