“I was calling about the tinted windows in cars. Why aren’t those cars being ticketed?”
Red Phone: Dear In The Dark, Tinted windows make it hard for a driver to see at night. Police officers dislike them because they can’t see who is in the car when they make a stop. But not all tinted windows are illegal.
The windshield and front passenger windows cannot receive any aftermarket tinting. But the back side windows can be tinted, and the back window can be as well if there are two rearview mirrors.
The California Tint Law, which was enacted in 1999, allows a non-reflective tint on the top 4 inches of the windshield. The darkness of the tint is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage. In California, the front side windows must allow more than 70 percent of the light in, but any darkness can be used on rear and back side windows.
Neither the front nor back windows can be any more reflective than a standard window. The state prohibits the color of red amber blue from being used.
Some “clear, colorless and transparent” materials may be applied to windows if they are designed to protect against ultraviolet light and meet the standards established in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49 C.F.R. 571.205). A driver needs to carry a letter from the installer verifying that all the procedures have been followed and they have been certified.
Some people claim it’s rare for police to pull over a vehicle just for tinted windows. But they still could. They often will bundle tinted window violation together with another offense.
Unless it is obvious right away, an officer might not be able to tell by glancing at the window if the tint is illegal until after he has pulled the vehicle over and may need to check it using a tint meter. The state treats it as just a fix-it, so the fine is relatively minor. You have to remove it and pay a $25 fine.
