Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Ive had windows darker than 35% and have never been bothered. If you are obeying the law the police really don't care. I have heard Wake Forest can be a little strict about it but I haven't had any issues. We have yearly inspections and they are supposed to check your tint level. I normally just ask if they can put no tint down and it's fine (not sharing the places that have done this). My new car is now legal but thinking about adding some tint over the factory rear windows to darken it up a bit. Local tint shop said most inspection places only check the front windows so maybe 35% on those and darken the rest.
Imo NC is missing out on some cash. They could sell a tint permit. $50-$100 and you can tint what you want. All the police I have ever spoken to said tint doesn't bother them, just have your windows down when they approach the vehicle.
Law/advice:
35% is legal on all windows except windshield. It's not dark enough to give privacy but helps with light entering in and heat control.
Yearly inspections could flag your windows which means you would need to remove anything darker than 35%.
Police in the Triangle generally don't care about tint. You can be cited for it though.
I see tons of cars driving around with dark tint so a lot of people do it. It's not that big of a deal.
Before tinted windows, I liked that you could look through the car in front of you to the car ahead of that one. It helped with mentally estimating braking rates as everyone slowed to a stop.
Ive had windows darker than 35% and have never been bothered. If you are obeying the law the police really don't care. I have heard Wake Forest can be a little strict about it but I haven't had any issues. We have yearly inspections and they are supposed to check your tint level. I normally just ask if they can put no tint down and it's fine (not sharing the places that have done this). My new car is now legal but thinking about adding some tint over the factory rear windows to darken it up a bit. Local tint shop said most inspection places only check the front windows so maybe 35% on those and darken the rest.
Imo NC is missing out on some cash. They could sell a tint permit. $50-$100 and you can tint what you want. All the police I have ever spoken to said tint doesn't bother them, just have your windows down when they approach the vehicle.
Law/advice:
35% is legal on all windows except windshield. It's not dark enough to give privacy but helps with light entering in and heat control.
Yearly inspections could flag your windows which means you would need to remove anything darker than 35%.
Police in the Triangle generally don't care about tint. You can be cited for it though.
I see tons of cars driving around with dark tint so a lot of people do it. It's not that big of a deal.
Huh, that tint permit is a good idea, easy money for the state
I once had a car with 25% all around and a very tiny sliver of very minimal tint (forget the percentage) at the top of my windshield, basically where your flaps would be if you had them down, only all the way across. I loved that and no inspector ever questioned it.
That tiny little bit of tint kept glare down in a major way and didn't impede my view of anything. I wish all cars had it.
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Tint laws very a LOT from state to state, so make sure you verify what's legal here.
I hadn't heard that police in NC are big on checking the tint levels, but a suspicion could be uses as an excuse to stop you.
I've had my car's front and side/rear tinted for years. Every year the tint level is tested during the annual inspection, for an additional $10. So getting a darker tint would just lead to you having to pull it off.
NOTE: that while it's illegal to have the front windshield "tinted", it's ok for a "window film". Actually, it just gets back to the overall tint level as measured during the inspection.
It also depends on if you're looking for the windows to be darker, for security and appearance, or (like me) are solely concerned about blocking out the sun's heat. The nano-ceramic films block about 82% of the heat, while letting in the visible amount that it's rated.
FYI: My ...
front has a heat-blocking near-clear film, "3M Crystalline 70"
rear has a cheaper, but still heat-blocking "Johnson InsulatIR 40 ceramic".
Ive had windows darker than 35% and have never been bothered. If you are obeying the law the police really don't care. I have heard Wake Forest can be a little strict about it but I haven't had any issues. We have yearly inspections and they are supposed to check your tint level. I normally just ask if they can put no tint down and it's fine (not sharing the places that have done this). My new car is now legal but thinking about adding some tint over the factory rear windows to darken it up a bit. Local tint shop said most inspection places only check the front windows so maybe 35% on those and darken the rest.
Imo NC is missing out on some cash. They could sell a tint permit. $50-$100 and you can tint what you want. All the police I have ever spoken to said tint doesn't bother them, just have your windows down when they approach the vehicle.
Law/advice:
35% is legal on all windows except windshield. It's not dark enough to give privacy but helps with light entering in and heat control.
Yearly inspections could flag your windows which means you would need to remove anything darker than 35%.
Police in the Triangle generally don't care about tint. You can be cited for it though.
I see tons of cars driving around with dark tint so a lot of people do it. It's not that big of a deal.
That's actually very good to know. We are looking at purchasing a house in Wake Forest so we'll probably remove the tint before we move just to play it safe.
I would check the percentage before you waste your money getting it removed. It gets hot here in the summers and you would probably wish you had it if it was the legal level.
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Imo NC is missing out on some cash. They could sell a tint permit. $50-$100 and you can tint what you want. All the police I have ever spoken to said tint doesn't bother them, just have your windows down when they approach the vehicle.
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This tint permit would be great. Can you let the NCDOT or wherever know your idea? Quick cash for them.
There are certain tint brands and technology that appear darker but still allow the 35% light transmitted when tested with the sensor. The good owner at Triangle Window Tinting in Apex showed me the differences. They all allowed 35% light to pass inspection, but the "best" choice appeared much darker if that's what you like. It was the most expensive option however. This place does have great reviews and I've used them -definitely recommend them.
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