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Last weekend I took one of my cars (that I've owned since 2003) for a state inspection at the Jiffy Lube near my house. I've always taken it there and it's always passed without a problem. It does have window tint that is apparently slightly darker than legal, but the meters used before read it as acceptable and I went on my way after paying my $10 fee.
This time was different. It failed. He showed me the meter reading and that he tested it twice and in two different locations. He explained that the state's new inspection meters are much more accurate and that they are only allowing up to 3% below legal limit to be read on the meter before you will be failed.
The legal limit for autos is 35% on all windows and for other vehicles such as SUV/truck/commercial is 35% for front windows and I believe anything goes in the rear side windows and on the rear glass. Seems a little unfair, but I'm not in the position to fight it.
The manager at the Jiffy Lube told me a story of a guy who failed inspection at their shop, took it to a different shop, paid the guy a bribe, and got it passed. Next thing you know, a rep. from DMV shows up at the car owner's house, tests the windows, sees that they fail, and apparently prosecutes the owner and fines the shop and, according to Jiffy Lube manager, the guy serves jail time. Not sure I believe this (bad or no lawyer?) but even so, DMV is serious about tint. Good thing they're attacking the real serious problems out there and watching out for our best interest.
Then, I called the tint shop where I got the job done (Formula One - they have done all my cars since 1997 and my entire house). He confirms I chose a slightly darker tint, so it's fully my fault, and as a result I'll be taking it in Saturday to get removed and re-done with lighter tint. I don't want anything to do with bribes, fines, or jail time over something ridiculous like tint. But he also tells me a similar story to the Jiffy Lube story, where a guy fails for tint, knowing full well his tint isn't legal, then 2 hours later takes it to another shop who passes it (no bribe involved here, apparently) and then a few hours later, DMV shows up at his house asking questions and testing it again, showing it failed. They made him remove it and fined the shop pretty heavily.
Bottom line: be careful with what you decide to do if your car is questionable. I was not aiming to drive around with limo tint - mine is only a few % lower than the limit but keeps the sun out much better (I'm from FL - this is considered light for FL!). Lots of people out there have illegal tint and someone will get busted for it, fined, or maybe worse.
Thanks for the heads up. I have tinted car windows as well. Bought the car that way a few years ago and haven't had an issue as YET. Also I appreciate the way you man up to adversity. No whining about how they are picking on you or how stupid the law is. I am so tired of hearing people whine every time something doesn't go just as they want.
There's nothing I dislike more than dishonesty or lack of taking responsibility for yourself. I thought I had chosen legal tint, but after finding out from the shop I did not, it becomes my fault and I have to pay the consequences, plain and simple.
Life is too short to deal with lying, fraud, shadiness, and things like that. And for goodness sakes, people (not people reading this, I mean the general population) - admit when you make a mistake and take responsibility. People these days are always claiming "it's not my fault, I'm the victim, blah blah blah." I see it daily and it makes me sad for humanity.
It's interesting that the shop would offer illegal tint in the first place. I wonder if the rules had changed between when you had the tinting done and today.
It's interesting that the shop would offer illegal tint in the first place. I wonder if the rules had changed between when you had the tinting done and today.
I will find out on Saturday, but the general offering was - you can do whatever you want but if it's lower than legal limit we will not warranty it.
There are legitimate reasons to offer darker-than-legal tint, for example as I said, rear windows on trucks and SUVs can do almost whatever they want and there are other things like race cars or offroad vehicles not licensed for street use that might want it applied.
I've tinted my cars since I bought my first truck when I was 16. That was also, the only vehicle that had legal tint. My next car had 20% all the way around, and I was never hassled once, but then again I moved to FL for college. I bought my 3rd car while in college, and it was black paint, on black leather, so I tinted my windows to about 15%. Had no problems with it either when I moved back to NC. I bought my truck in my march, and tinted it to 20% all around as well. Haven't had a single problem yet.
It may be illegal, and I know this. I know if a police officer wants to give me a hard time, he can, and I'm not gonna give him any lip about it. I'm tinting it below the legal limit, fully aware of the consequences.
With that said... if you decide to tint below the legal limit, don't be stupid! I would NEVER put limo (ie 5%) tint on a vehicle. 1- it's just plain unsafe and you can't see out of it at night, 2- you look like a drug dealer when you can't see inside of your vehicle, and that can make an LEO feel very insecure as he approaches your car.
If I ever get pulled over, I ALWAYS roll every window down, and either put my hands outside of the window, or leave them visibly on the steering wheel. If it's at night, I turn on all my interior lights for the LEO.
I just, personally, feel that 35% tint doesn't do much at all. My mothers car had 35% on it, and compared to my vehicles... she might as well have left it off.
But, as I stated earlier, if you tint below the limit, prepare to pay the fine when you are caught. Oh, and paying the fine to keep your tint is ALWAYS cheaper than paying to get it removed, and then re-apply new tint. I believe an illegal tint ticket is around 225$. To remove/re-apply is going to be around 350$. And if you have defrost lines on your rear window, you are probably going to really damage them as you remove the rear window tint.
Back in the days when we hired and relocated people I had a guy from Florida join the group. He failed Inspection for tint and had to remove it. He wasn't a happy camper, especially when his AC broke that same summer.
I think the idea behind the law was so law enforcement could better observe what was happening in a vehicle when they approached someone they had pulled over. While that's a good intent, it doesn't help for vehicles that don't have glass sides or backs.
Tint shops will always carry varying degrees of tint... this ranges from different levels of darkness, to colors, and effects (ie that stupid mirror tint). They do a lot of commercial tinting with the really dark stuff, and there are lots of people out there with medical issues that need darker than legal tint. Fortunately for them, they have a medical exemption.
I've tinted my cars since I bought my first truck when I was 16. That was also, the only vehicle that had legal tint. My next car had 20% all the way around, and I was never hassled once, but then again I moved to FL for college. I bought my 3rd car while in college, and it was black paint, on black leather, so I tinted my windows to about 15%. Had no problems with it either when I moved back to NC. I bought my truck in my march, and tinted it to 20% all around as well. Haven't had a single problem yet.
It may be illegal, and I know this. I know if a police officer wants to give me a hard time, he can, and I'm not gonna give him any lip about it. I'm tinting it below the legal limit, fully aware of the consequences.
With that said... if you decide to tint below the legal limit, don't be stupid! I would NEVER put limo (ie 5%) tint on a vehicle. 1- it's just plane unsafe and you can't see out of it at night, 2- you look like a drug dealer when you can't see inside of your vehicle, and that can make an LEO feel very insecure as he approaches your car.
If I ever get pulled over, I ALWAYS roll every window down, and either put my hands outside of the window, or leave them visibly on the steering wheel. If it's at night, I turn on all my interior lights for the LEO.
I just, personally, feel that 35% tint doesn't do much at all. My mothers car had 35% on it, and compared to my vehicles... she might as well have left it off.
But, as I stated earlier, if you tint below the limit, prepare to pay the fine when you are caught. Oh, and paying the fine to keep your tint is ALWAYS cheaper than paying to get it removed, and then re-apply new tint. I believe an illegal tint ticket is around 225$. To remove/re-apply is going to be around 350$. And if you have defrost lines on your rear window, you are probably going to really damage them as you remove the rear window tint.
I'm with you on that, except that now you can't get your registration renewed if your tint is illegal, so the choices have been reduced significantly for those of us who like darker tint.
I think the idea behind the law was so law enforcement could better observe what was happening in a vehicle when they approached someone they had pulled over. While that's a good intent, it doesn't help for vehicles that don't have glass sides or backs.
Frank
Indeed, but that doesn't explain the unfair difference in allowances between cars and SUVs/vans/trucks. If those vehicles can have as dark as they want in the rear windows and rear glass, why can't cars? That really should be changed.
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