EndofEternity

Which windows and what % tint is legal in California?

wmah523

front windows and front winshield are illegal....the rest, as dark as u want!

EndofEternity

awesome thanks.

Rpappi

that sucks balls

Topher707

umm.... i live in cali, and know for a fact that you cant tint your front 2 windows at all, in some cities anyway. I have a few friends who have gotten tickets from front windows tinted... not the front one, but the front side 2...

crazym0nkey

Yup, like everyone else has said, front windows and wind sheild are illegal. The rest, you can go as dark as you want. But what I've noticed is that it seems that SoCal is more lenient to tint than NorCal. SoCal seems more sunny most the time so tint is understandable. Usually you're okay if you do tint all around, but watch out for highway patrol. If you get pulled over for speeding, they most likely will stack on tint to your ticket. Other than that, most cops don't care about tint on the front windows unless their really anal that day.

t0ast

You should really check with people who have tints in the area that you live in about cops and whatnot. Although its illegal, it depends on how anal the cops are rather than the legality of the tint.

Where do you live in Cali?

wmah523

eventhough front windows r illegal, all of my friends got them tinted 20% still. 1 out of 13 of them got a ticket (i think it was $125 or so, not sure, and you have to bring prove to court to show that you got the front tints removed)....we normally hang out at the San Gabriel Area in SoCal...., and we got all of our tints from California Tints at off Rosemead...if anyone cares!

SGVxGHOSTx08

Yea, some cops don't even give a fucc about tintz...but its a target for them to pull you over if youz got illegal stuff in the car. Who cares ey, just lower your front windows to about half way when you see a pig roll by, act like you're just cruisin

otterley

Even if you're cited for illegal tint in CA, you actually aren't required to show proof of correction to CHP. I was cited twice with my last car (over a 10-year period of owning it!), and to my surprise, when the official notices arrived in the mail, each time I was offered the option to pay a relatively small fine ($100 or so) instead. Needless to say, I chose that route...

cofidis2

Not true, you can put some tint on, not much, but read the California Vehicle Code...

Section 26708 CVC reads:

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), clear, colorless, and transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the front seat if the following conditions are met:

(1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent.

(2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49 C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as specified in that federal standard.

(3) The material is designed and manufactured to enhance the ability of the existing window glass to block the sun's harmful ultraviolet A rays.

(4) The driver has in his or her possession, or within the vehicle, a certificate signed by the installing company certifying that the windows with the material installed meet the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the installing company and the material's manufacturer by full name and street address, or, if the material was installed by the vehicle owner, a certificate signed by the material's manufacturer certifying that the windows with the material installed according to manufacturer's instructions meets the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the material's manufacturer by full name and street address.

(5) If the material described in this subdivision tears or bubbles, or is otherwise worn to prohibit clear vision, it shall be removed or replaced.
Amended Sec. 77, Ch. 1154, Stats. 1996. Effective September 30, 1996.
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 476, Stats. 1998. Effective January 1, 1999.

It pays to read up on vehicle codes...most cops don't know this.

LacViet

at last, someone did some homework!

importvizion

clear tint kinda eliminates the point of tint, the whole point is to keep ppl from see wutcha got in ur car and breakin ur window to get it and besides from making the make look pimp ....just kinda depends on your luck some cops will be a dick and ticket ya, some won't I got pulled over serveral times and the cops would say you have to take off the tint but I won't give you a ticket...I always tell them I bought the car like that so I didn't realize it was illegal

ttefabian

Actually,
you can tint them as dark as you want. My uncle is a police cop and they said that they made a new rule that they are lighten up on the windows being tinted. If you do get pulled over its just cause of a stupid cop. They use to restrict the front 2 windows but now they dont give a shit anymore.

moahdriven

not what it says in vehicle code tho, as cofidis 2 pointed out...heres the entire code, and this is 2006, so a dick cop could still give u a legit ticket for front tints

Material Obstructing or Reducing Driver's View

26708. (a) (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows.

(2) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle which obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view through the windshield or side windows.

(3) This subdivision applies to a person driving a motor vehicle with the driver's clear vision through the windshield, or side or rear windows, obstructed by snow or ice.

(b) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Rearview mirrors.

(2) Adjustable nontransparent sunvisors which are mounted forward of the side windows and are not attached to the glass.

(3) Signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver, signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the rear window farthest removed from the driver, or signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a 5-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest the driver.

(4) Side windows which are to the rear of the driver.

(5) Direction, destination, or termini signs upon a passenger common carrier motor vehicle or a schoolbus, if those signs do not interfere with the driver's clear view of approaching traffic.

(6) Rear window wiper motor.

(7) Rear trunk lid handle or hinges.

(8) The rear window or windows, when the motor vehicle is equipped with outside mirrors on both the left- and right-hand sides of the vehicle that are so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway through each mirror for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle.

(9) A clear, transparent lens affixed to the side window opposite the driver on a vehicle greater than 80 inches in width and which occupies an area not exceeding 50 square inches of the lowest corner toward the rear of that window and which provides the driver with a wide-angle view through the lens.

(10) Sun screening devices meeting the requirements of Section 26708.2 installed on the side windows on either side of the vehicle's front seat, if the driver or a passenger in the front seat has in his or her possession a letter or other document signed by a licensed physician and surgeon certifying that the person must be shaded from the sun due to a medical condition, or has in his or her possession a letter or other document signed by a licensed optometrist certifying that the person must be shaded from the sun due to a visual condition. The devices authorized by this paragraph shall not be used during darkness.

(11) An electronic communication device affixed to the center uppermost portion of the interior of a windshield within an area that is not greater than 5 inches square, if the device provides either of the following:

(A) The capability for enforcement facilities of the Department of the California Highway Patrol to communicate with a vehicle equipped with the device.

(B) The capability for electronic toll and traffic management on public or private roads or facilities.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the topmost portion of the windshield if the following conditions apply:

(1) The bottom edge of the material is at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver's seat when measured from a point 5 inches in front of the bottom of the backrest with the driver's seat in its rearmost and lowermost position with the vehicle on a level surface.

(2) The material is not red or amber in color.

(3) There is no opaque lettering on the material and any other lettering does not affect primary colors or distort vision through the windshield.

(4) The material does not reflect sunlight or headlight glare into the eyes of occupants of oncoming or following vehicles to any greater extent than the windshield without the material.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), clear, colorless, and transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the front seat if the following conditions are met:

(1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent.

(2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49 C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as specified in that federal standard.

(3) The material is designed and manufactured to enhance the ability of the existing window glass to block the sun's harmful ultraviolet A rays.

(4) The driver has in his or her possession, or within the vehicle, a certificate signed by the installing company certifying that the windows with the material installed meet the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the installing company and the material's manufacturer by full name and street address, or, if the material was installed by the vehicle owner, a certificate signed by the material's manufacturer certifying that the windows with the material installed according to manufacturer's instructions meets the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the material's manufacturer by full name and street address.

(5) If the material described in this subdivision tears or bubbles, or is otherwise worn to prohibit clear vision, it shall be removed or replaced.

cofidis2

Moahdriven:
Not to disagree with you, but as long as the tint does not exceed the allowable "minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent" you are OK. Like I said it is not much in the way of tint but the law DOES allow you to apply some "tint" to the front side windows.

ttefabian:
THis is not a state law change in California, it may be one police departments "Rule-of-thumb", so be careful. Any cop can, despite what you might think, can ticket you if its a state law.


Now if you got the money, you could have glass made where the tint is inside the layers of glass. A bit of a loop-hole, but then you are not applying anything to the windows...which is not covered under the law. I have seen one guy who did this with an old pickup truck

ttefabian

I say do the tint. 35% Spectrum <<<<-- Its a good tint. I like it better than black tint, or gray tint, or any other color. Don't be scared about the tint man. Honestly in my experience they rarely pull you over for tint.
Where exactly in Cali you live at?
I live in San Diego and many people here has tints.

FoCKtheNaYSaYERs

That's what I like to hear. I'm moving to La Jolla in August, so I was a little worried about tint. I'm thinking 35% driver and passenger, and 5-10% back three. Anyone else from SD or La Jolla wanna weigh in about the cops there?

06TLASM

Hey can i ask how much you pay for your tint at California Tints, what kind of tint you have (mine with the Navi), did they install moleskin, and how's the quality? I'm thinking about going over there for tinting, but dont' know what to expect from them. Please fill me in. Thanks a bunch.

wmah523

i believe it was around $130 all around except front wind shield. i forgot which one my buddies picked, i think it was like this one w/ the reflective glare....

when you walk into the shop, you will see 2 samples over there, i believe it was the top one! and they last pretty long....it's been like 3 and a half for one of my friend's, and they still look nice w/ no signs of fading! iono if they'll jack up the price on you, cuz when we did it, we had some kind of groupy discount.....

DrMar

Does the CA law apply only to CA cars? The AZ laws are different but could I get a tkt from an overzealous cop?

cofidis2

In terms of window tint, California law applies only if the vehicle is registered in california. Unless the cop can prove the vehicle is "California based" then Cali laws apply. This most often happens to college students that come to Cali with a car from their home state.

DrMar

Thanks for the info; my family lives in CA and I do go out there from time to time. In the late 70's a friend actually got her tint ripped off the driver window by a CA cop, but it was a different time and I think she just pissed him off somehow...

FoCKtheNaYSaYERs

For those w/ front sides tinted in CA, I'm assuming this wouldn't pass inspection. Do you just take it off before inspection and then put it back up or what?

subinf

^-what inspection?

t0ast

No inspections in Cal. Ironic, how Cali has arguably some of the strictest laws and most anal cops about stuff - CARB, tints, etc - yet we don't have inspections at all. They're changing that a bit with the smog check where the smog place must actually check off that the intake/exhaust is CARB-certified, but most don't even bother.

FoCKtheNaYSaYERs

(from: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9.htm)

Registering Your Vehicle

The following is required to register a nonresident vehicle:

* An Application for Title or Registration (REG 343) signed by all registered owners, showing the name and address of the lienholder (legal owner), if any.
* Last issued out-of-state title, unless held by the lienholder/legal owner.
* Last issued registration certificate, if the applicant is the same as the registered owner shown on the out-of-state title and the vehicle entered California with valid out-of-state registration, or if the title has been lost.
* A Bill of Sale, Vehicle/ Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262), if you purchased the vehicle from someone other than the registered owner shown on the title.
* Odometer disclosure statement on the REG 262, signed by the seller and buyer, if the vehicle is less than ten model years old.
* A vehicle verification. The vehicle must be inspected by an authorized DMV employee, law enforcement officer, or a licensed vehicle verifier employed by a registration service or dealership. These inspections require no additional fee and are most easily obtained by bringing the vehicle to the nearest DMV.
* Smog Certification, if applicable.
* Surrender the valid out-of-state license plates if they do not have to be returned to the home state.
* Weight Certificate, if a commercial vehicle. The weight certificate issued by a California certified public weighmaster is required for most trucks and pickups. You may obtain this certificate from many moving and storage companies for a nominal fee. A weight certificate is not required for:
o Commercial vehicles with empty or unladen weight of 6,000 pounds or less where the weight is marked as unladen or empty on the out-of-state title or registration.
o Trailers.

* Appropriate fees and any use tax due.


I got really excited for a minute when you guys said no inspection. This is still not that bad though. Now I just need to wait until after I register in CA to tint the front. Good call on the no regular inspections ; I just assumed they had 'em in every state.

nimhet

$130 for tint? I paid $200...I think I got ripped off.

FoCKtheNaYSaYERs

I got a quote for $225 for everything except the windshield in Central Jersey.

subinf

Its a little weird isnt it. Some shops take the emission inspections to the extreme and others dont care as long as it blows clean.

bdturbo

I guess it doesnt matter if you are rich though. The past few times I was in LA I had never seen so many blacked out windows and many celebs do it and dont even have a license plate, it usually has a custom shop license plate like Dubs or West Coast Customs! What up with that?

torez

I paid 200$ for tint in MASS.
I got pull over and cop checked my tint - I had 29% (35% is leagal in MA). I was told That next time it will cost me 250$. 250$ for what?

Damn State Caps

importvizion

its on the luck of the draw if a cop feels like being an ass he'll pull u over n slap u with a ticket and if he can't find anything to give u a ticket on it'll b for tint if u hav any....or if they're really f*cked up they'll get u for a bunch of stuff and also for tint..from what I noticed they luv pullin over hondas/acura in cali more than anything else