# 20% tint predicament



## dwaku (Jun 10, 2004)

Hey gang, two weeks ago I got my windows tinted. All windows have a 20% tint, it's pretty dark and it looks awesome, but on my way to work this morning I got pulled over by a village cop and he gave me an "equipment violation" stating that the front windows need 70% visibility. He gave me a form to fill out where I can get the violation dismissed if I have the tints on the front two windows removed or redone to a more visibly grade. 
I called the place that tinted my windows and they said that it would cost 110 bucks to redo the tint to a lower grade, which I really dont want to cough that up after spending 220 on the original tint...
On the dismissal form you can sign it yourself stating that you personally removed or repaired the violation. What my question is, has anyone been in this situation and signed the dismissal themselves and sent it in? I want to know if they're picky about this and want more proof, or if they easily dismiss the equipment violation? Village cops seem to have a hard-on for pulling people over for any reason they can think of  
If you have any suggestions, anecdotes, etc, please PM me, thanks alot!


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## xt_out (Jun 23, 2003)

you've got 20% tint...so you're saying only 20 % of light goes through your windows right?


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## huskya83 (Apr 20, 2004)

that's pretty bad.. I'm sure they'll hassle you again. Either way, you should've checked what the laws are or somthing.. The people who did your tinting, must of known what the law/ or whatever , they got you pretty good. 

and having to shell out an extra 110, maybe there's something you could do, like blame them. they did the tinting, so they should have known that 20% was bad.


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## Neil (Aug 13, 2002)

All places I've been to that do tinting have a notice posted clearly that its in your own discretion to get tint lower than legal and most have a sample of the legal tint in their place. Here its 50% but I decided to get 35% which isn't too dark.

20% is pretty dark but sometimes its a matter of luck. I had a friend with 5% tint on his truck and never got stopped.

I thought when you sign those papers they have to inspect the vehicle to make sure its removed but maybe thats just here. I also know if you have any vision impairments etc you can get an order to have dark tint legalized but I dont know if your vision is messed up 

70% is kinda light IMO, i'd check the laws to make sure. I don't know how to get past the ticket though.


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## go4broke44 (Jan 14, 2003)

i just tinted all over with 35% mirror, 2 layers on the back windows. it doesnt look tinted from the outside, but then you can't see in either. its kinda like a stealth tint or something i guess. pretty sweet though, and looks good too


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## TheNose247 (Jun 19, 2004)

i got 5% on mine and they try to hassle me for it....just pay the fine cause if u send it in u have to get an officer to physically inspect it themselfs...or atleast here in fl it's like that


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

5%?! I guess you roll your windows down at night?!


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## wickedsr20 (Aug 8, 2002)

dwaku said:


> Village cops seem to have a hard-on for pulling people over for any reason they can think of


Knowing the above, and still pressing your luck going 20%, you had to know something like this was going to happen sooner or later. I know 70% isn't exactly the best "look" out there, but if you're going to press your luck, try not to go too far outside the box. 50% maybe, but 20%? 

I've been pressing my luck with 20% myself (pretty deep and the legal limit here is 35%) and have been lucky enough so far. Got pulled over once also. IF darker than legal limit and you get pulled, try your best to pull over under or close to a street light (huge one), roll down both side windows, slide back your sunroof cover or open it, and if it's at night, turn on your domelight immediately also. As long as the officer can see in the car how many people and that no one is hiding or reaching for anything, they'll feel more at ease and will be in a much better mood than being on guard with his hand on his pistol not knowing what he's walking up on because he can't see in the illegal tint he's definitely gonna write you up for. I'm not sure how the laws work up there, but here, you have to have an officer sign off that the tint was removed. And if I were you, I'd lighten the fronts to 50%, but if you leave them the way they are, be prepared for more of those "special" tickets.

Not a flame, but just some friendly advice from someone who has been in your position. I've been as deep as 5% with my car and it gets old because you get harassed at exactly the WRONG time every time. Staying somewhat close to legal has worked well for me. Pressing your luck that far is just a ticket waiting to happen.


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

Yeah cops get worried if they can't see what is going on inside the car and they don't know how many people are in there. That's why there are legal limits. There's been shootings in the past and cops didn't even know it was going to take place because of tint


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## schebs240 (Apr 13, 2004)

It's a long shot but worth a try, find a friend with the same max with lighter tint or none and drive it there and show them that car but u have to put ur plates on it, which may be ur only catch if they check the vin or registration. Good luck


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## TheNose247 (Jun 19, 2004)

yeah they check the Vin....fukin assholes...always hasslin...(but is see y with the shootings)


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## Radioaktiv (Feb 12, 2004)

had 20% on my last b14
got about 8 tickets for it
it just isnt worth it man
go with just below the legal limit


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## mm002 (Aug 1, 2004)

I know when i got mine the place gave me a notice and told me that the tint i was putting on was illegal. I'm in NY and 75% is the legal limit but they wont bother you as long as the fronts are 35% or lighter. I put 35 on my fronts and 15 in the rears and so far no one has bothered me. I even talked to a few cops and they even said no one is gonna bother me with 35. and i dont know about you but i have an SUV and i only payed 225 for all my windows and your sayin you payed 220 for a sedan..thats kinda expensive for a car....deff just pay the fine, but the tint place should have told you that it was illegal


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## schebs240 (Apr 13, 2004)

Live in NYC and had 20% on the front and 5% on the rest of the car, I have been pulled over but never even a peep about the tint.


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## Jasper (Apr 2, 2004)

in MA, you can have any amount of tint you want on the back windows, NO tint on the windshield (except for the top 6 inches), and a max of 35%'s on teh front windows, so thats what im getting done

5%'s in teh back, 35%'s up front, 

and no, you dont have to roll the windows down at night. my moms jeep came with (stock) 5%'s on the back windows, you can see outside at night, its a bit darker, but not too bad, you DEFINATELY cant see in tho, especially if you're wearing a black shirt.

here's a link, if you let all 3 pages load, it tells you the legal amounts of tint for all 50 states. it also tells you what kind of drop you can have on the car, front/rear license plate requirements, and the lighting you're allowed to have

http://www.forperformance.com/lawpage1_l.jpg (page 1)
http://www.forperformance.com/lawpage2_l.jpg (page 2)
http://www.forperformance.com/lawpage3_l.jpg (page 3)


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## jenns240 (May 17, 2004)

im in NY state and i have 20% on my fronts and 5% on the rears, backing up at nite is a bitch but i have gotten used to it. my windows have been tinted like this for 4 yrs, i got pulled over once about 2 weeks after i got my car (w/ windows tinted) and the cop asked about the tints i said i bought the car like this from a dealer and he let me go. havent been pulled over since.

my bro and my bf both got pulled over and got tickets for theirs. they had to remove the tint from every window. my bro had 35% on all, my bf had 20% rear and 35% front.


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

I have 25 on the front 2, 15 on the back 2 and 5 on the back windshield. I live in KY and have been pulled over 3 times (speeding, whatever) all at night
I always have my windows down, domelight on and looking for regestration when they walk up so they don't suspect anything when they get to me.

Its wierd to see that some really sunny states have such high regulation on tint. 70% in cali, damn its hot and bright as fuck there.


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## Triple_T (Mar 18, 2004)

schebs240 said:


> It's a long shot but worth a try, find a friend with the same max with lighter tint or none and drive it there and show them that car but u have to put ur plates on it, which may be ur only catch if they check the vin or registration. Good luck


horrible idea, because if they soemhow find out that isnt your car, and they ask why your plates are on another car, umm yea ur screwed. Getting caught with "stolen" or wrong plates is probably one of the worst driving violations you can do. Horrible idea!


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