noychris

I just got a ticket last saturday for having tint on my front windows. I noticed the CHP officer mark my ticket as non correctable! Is this suppose to be correctable just like not having front plates???

I need some input since I have to appear to court this coming May!

Thanks.

flydog

The front side windows? You can go down to 30% in CA in the driver and pass windows and any darkness in back.

streese

Um, no. California allows a maximum of 5% from the driver forward, and rear tint only if you have a driver and passenger side mirror.

What was your tint % on your doors?

Steve

chfields

Normally you just remove the tint and then have it checked by any sheriff. But if it states it's non-correctable, just pay the fine and go on your way. I had the same prob, but I had to remove the tint, so I just took it off, got the ticket signed and put it back on.....2 years later I got another tint ticket, but instead just sent them the fine. I thought everything was fine until I moved to Florida and went to change my license and they said I had an outstanding ticket. It took 3 months of haggling with the state of CA, proving I paid(they said they sent it back, but to wrong address), told them I am now living in Florida and they say I still need to show my car to CA sheriff to show tint is gone...after explaining for the 3rd time I am a resident of Florida, they finally cleared my record.

I suggest you put on legal tint and don't take any chances. Remember, they are CRAZY in California!

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

HOW DARK CAN WINDOW TINT BE IN CALIFORNIA?
Darkness of tint is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%). In California, this percentage refers to percentage of visible light allowed in through the combination of film and the window.
• Windshield Non-reflective tint is allowed on the top 4 inches of the windshield.
• Front Side Windows Must allow more than 70% of light in.
• Back Side Windows Any darkness can be used.
• Rear Window Any darkness can be used.

LacViet

Go here and click on the link for information regarding window tints in your state. In CA, yes you could tint the front driver/passenger window up to 30%. http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=60313

If you have time, prepare all the supported document and go to court to fight if you only tint your front window around 30% or 70% of the light can pass throu. If you tint much darker than the limit, I would suggest to pay for the ticket.

streese

You guys can believe who you want, but according to the CHP website and the vehicle code book, NO aftermarket tint allowed on windshield or side windows.

If you don't believe me, check here .

Sorry to piss on your Cheerios, but its the law.

Steve

larat34

damn, that CHP website just killed it for me. I thought you were allowed some tint on the front windows in Cali, but I guess not. Does anyone know wwhat the fine is if they ticket you for front window tint. If it isnt much, I might do it anyways.

streese

So I have mine tinted, and don't get bothered. I have 25% rear and 35% front. If you don't get too crazy, you mostly won't get bothered.

I don't know what the fees are. Haven't gotten a tinted windows ticket in 10+ years. (knocking on wood)

datmrman

Tinted my car this weekend, 35% fronts/25% rears. Tint place said if I get pulled over for the tint, it will be a $10 fix it ticket and the tint place will remove the tint for free!

I agree with streese, if you don't attract attention, you wont be bothered.

LacViet

This is taken out directly on the dmv of california regarding about windows tint. Pay close attention to subdivision (d) number (1) and (2). I don't care what CHP website said, what the law based on is dmv regulation and what dmv regulation said below can be use to help or not help you to fight the ticket. If the CHP and the cop is so correct, then how come they still issue out the ticket for loud exhaust while the dmv regulation specific said aftermarket exhaust can be installed as long as it is under 95dbs. I have been there, done that and I won for both front window tint and loud exhaust ticket. The point is cop has the burden of proving it's illegal to tint in the court of law, not YOU. (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26708.htm)


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.
.................................................. .................................................. .........................
(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.

streese

So I stand corrected from my earlier post, the maximum amount of light the FILM may reduce is 12%, not the 5% I originally stated, and the total maximum, including the window, is 30%. This does NOT mean you can apply 30% film to a clear window. It means you can apply a MAXIMUM of 12% film to a window with 18% light filtering from the factory.

Again, if you do not go crazy, you typically won't be bothered. You either need to have a combination of annoying things in the officer's eyes, or you fly a bird in the cop's path.

Steve

jdb8805

BTW, just below the statement about no aftermarket tint on the above website, is the following paragraph:

"However, legislation signed into law effective January 1, 1999, exempts from the above prohibition specified clear, colorless, and transparent material that is installed, affixed, or applied to the front driver and passenger side windows for the specific purpose of reducing ultraviolet rays. If, as, or when this material becomes torn, bubbled or otherwise worn, it must be removed or replaced."

davenlei

From what I have seen, I think you are lucky your car did not get impounded. I have a buddy that had his front windshield tinted (very light) and the cop said this is illegal and a driving hazard. He then gave my friend a ticked and towed his car to the impound until the tint on the windshield was removed.

datmrman

Can someone clarify? Are we discussing front side windows or front windshield?

I thought we were talking about the front side windows.

nasalcedo03

Please refer to tint properly everyone, otherwise people might get confused. The percent that the tint is designated refers to the visible light transmission as stated above. 5% tint is darker than 25% tint.

LacViet

Here are some of clarification about the myth of tint law; at least in CA: If we are talking strictly by the law: we can tint the window on the driver and passenger side (not the front windshield) with the combination of max. 70% tint (which block 30% light and allow 70% of the light pass throu).
Now, most of us have 40-30% tint which block 60-70% light and only allow 40-30% of the light went throu. This is ILLEGAL according to the law; however, when an officer stop you and write you a ticket, that officer has the burden of proof in the court of law to prove that your tint is less than 70% tint by a calibrated measuring device, not you! This is the point when you go to court and fight for a ticket; any ticket not just for tint only.
Here is few examples if you go to fight your ticket:

For speeding: the officer will prove in the court of law either the following: I use calibrated radar gun to measure the speed of the violated car, or I follow this car for few blocks and my speedometer shows his drive at ## mph while the speed sign for the street is ##. No counter attack beside asking the officer to prove that the device is calibrated recently.

For exhaust noise: The office will usually tell the court that he is doing normal routine run, hear loud exhaust noise from this car even with his radio on which he normally did not turn on. Counter attack: officer must have calibrated measuring device to measure to noise level. Using ear is not effective and an objective. Human ear can't distinguish between 94.5dbs and 95dbs (which is the limit). The law also describe the distance from the exhaust and at what rpm when using the device.

For tint: using the same concept as exhaust noise, unless you are tinted the car with really dark, you might loss with a judge, but again, the officer had to prove that your tint is beyond the 70% tint limit. Can human eyes distinguish between 60% tint and 70% tint without a reference point or under different time of day? We know that under the bright sun, 40% tint is still light but under a shade or in the afternoon, 40% might appear to be much darker.

streese

I agree with you wholeheartedly, however, it would cost me more money to show up at court to argue this than it would to pay it. Therein lies the issue. I can't afford to lose $800 to take a day off of work to go defend a $50 ticket. The cop wins. Right, wrong, or otherwise.


Steve

LacViet

Steve, I agree with you 100% on the cost and time to go to court and defend a $50 ticket, but think about it, it's a principle that at stake here. If someone just blindly remove the tint, replace the exhaust, and pay the fine, then we lose our freedom to express ourself within the limit of the law! How come most if not only Import Car get loud exhaust ticket, but Hotrod, American muscle car, and Harley-D motocycle have different treatment even hotrod and Harley-D are loud as hell? Did you notice that most if not all corvette has no front license plate? As individual, paying the fine is/ might be the right choice to avoid of all the trouble, but as a whole (Import car ethusiasts) paying the fine while you know you are/ might be right is not a right choice. Peace!

chfields

You are free to express yourself within the limit of the law. But when you break the law, you pay the penalty.

You can't compare changing the exhaust on a 4 cylinder car to be annoyingly loud, to the natural rumble of an american V8 or HD. Now if the american car's exhaust is modified to make it louder than legal, they get a ticket. Usually those are fix it tickets. So you make it legal, get the signature, pay the fine and put it back the way you like it til you get caught again.....

noychris

thanks to you all. i had my front side windows tinted 35%, so do you think its still justifiable to contest since the max is 30%?

nasalcedo03

This is exactly what I mean by creating confusion by referring to tint wrong. CA law says 70% VLT (30% light blocked) for front windows. Your 35% tint means you have 35% VLT (65% light blocked). You're way off.

noychris

thanks. probably I'll just pay the fine without taking off the tint. I paid a lot for that damn tint.... i don't wanna waste it.