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At one time car windows were perfectly clear. Later car windows had "soft ray tint" which was barely noticeable. Looking at new cars today I see many that look like they have a slight window tint, some darker than others, straight from the factory.
If you have such a car and you go to a window tint shop and ask for the darkest legal tint, would they factor in your factory tint in which tint to use for darkest state legal tint or would they just use the grade they've marked as the darkest legal? If they use the grade labeled as darkest legal, would your existing tint be enough to make your tint illegal?
Depends entirely on the shop and what films they have available. Back in Ohio there was a big clampdown on the tint laws(50% for driver/passenger window). There was a news story covering one guy's predicament where he asked for legal tint at 50%, got a ticket as it was below that when combined with factory tint. Took it to tint shop to be redone to legal levels repeatedly but kept failing the test. Seems the tint shop themselves did not have a way to test and were just relying on what the film manufacturers stated and could not test the combined tint level.
Which is just silly, it's like an $80 tool. Why would a shop not have that?
If you have such a car and you go to a window tint shop and ask for the darkest legal tint, would they factor in your factory tint in which tint to use for darkest state legal tint or would they just use the grade they've marked as the darkest legal? If they use the grade labeled as darkest legal, would your existing tint be enough to make your tint illegal?
Short answer, yes. If you have factory tint, and you install additional tint film that is at the legal limit, you will then not be legal.
Not exactly. Every state has different laws. Some states allow any darkness on certain windows. Tint Laws
Yes exactly. I think it's safe to assume that if the OP is concerned about his tint level he has a law to deal with. I'm not answering for the entire country, I'm answering for the OP.
There are several web pages that show the current tint laws for each state.
For my NC, the annual emissions inspection automatically does an extra $10 tint-check so it was important for me to confirm with my tinting shop that the end result was legal. (Turned out they are the shop that adds tint to the county police cars, so they know how to do it right <grin>)
If your factory tint is at the legal limit (32% in AL) and you add on a layer of 35% tint, the tint is now around 11-14%.
There is a basic formula for tint without using the tool that will get you in the ballpark of what your tint will be. It isn't exact because as you layer light tint over darker tint, it darkens a bit less. For example if you add a piece of 70% tint over 50% factory glass, you will be somewhere around 40-43%, but the formula will give you a 35% result. However it will get you in the ballpark.
I just had my windows tinted two weeks ago. My rear windows have 35% privacy glass. I added 20% tint over that. The formula is: 20*.35 = 7%. Given a margin of error my rear tint would likely read 10-11% on a machine. In AL, rear windows can be as dark as you want, given the front windows are not less than 32% and the windshield cannot be fully tinted at all. The windshield strip cannot be below the arrow on the windshield (6") and can be any darkness.
Most glass has a natural tint in it. Impurities in the sand used to make it cause glass to have a tint that usually equals 75-80% on a tint meter if you measure it. A lot of times, this is refered to as "factory" tint, when it's really just a clever way of marketing the natural tinting effect of standard automotive glass.
Some automobile manufacturers take this a bit futher and add to the tint level. I know Benz does this on some vehicles as you see the bluish hue. And of course, you have SUV's with the darker tinted privacy glass in the rear.
But, if you add a sheet of tint over this particular glass, you actuallt tint it beyond what the manufacturer states the level of light transmission is for the tint.
Simple math really. Lets say state law is 35% MAX VLT. You put a meter on your glass and it reads 78% VLT with the natural impurities in the glass. Now you slap 35% tint on it.
Well, 0.78 x 0.35 = 0.273 = 27.3% VLT. So you'd be illegal.
To meet 35% VLT, you'd have to use 45% tint, on top of that 78% glass. 0.78 x 0.45 = 0.351 = 35.1% VLT.
I actually have a tint meter, and this math checks out as I've tested a few vehicles I've had tinted before and after. Tint meters are actually fairly cheap to buy. But any tint shop worth their salt will have a meter to measure beforehand, and apply the correct tint to meet the level you've requested. This should be part of the conversation when you ask for a quote
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