Attn DC area T Brickers with tinted windows

[nos245na]

I just got a ticket this morning.
There is a new initiative in DC combating the "scourge" of tinted windows in the District. This was not in my Volvo but I thought you guys should know that might drive into DC occasionally because they can pull you over too.:grrr:

Although my side window tint was technically legal before it went on , the cumulative affect of the factory tint plus the aftermarket tint rewarded me with a $50 ticket and a summons to reinspect within 5 days or a $1000 fine. If I get nabbed again its a $5000 fine and vehicle forfeiture.

I explained to the officers that my wagon has been broken into 5 times and in order to have ANY radio at all I need to hide the interior from sight. (the car used to have a tv and a play station). One of the officers suggested that I perhaps get a pull out stereo. "Gee, I never f***ing thought of that !!"

I thanked the officers for making my daughter 20 minutes late for school.

Have a great day. :-P

George in DC

[242GTMD]

Wow, I guess the days of $50 fix-it tickets are gone. In MD you'd get the $50 ticket and that was it. A second infraction was met with the officer requesting you to remove the tint on scene. $1000 fine is absurd. $5000 fine + forfiture is unbelievable.

Glad I don't like tint on my volvos!

[nos245na]

I dont particularly like tint either. It was about my 3rd Alpine xm radio deck.
They steal it without the face !! :-P
What can you do with that?
I have seen them on ebay with no removable face. Nobody seems to bid on them.
Oh well.
George

[blkaplan]

Its only a big issue if you have DC plates right?

just like you cant get a ticket if you dont have a front plate if you are from florida?

[nos245na]

with all of the nonsense going on in PG county right now , do you think they wont pull you over with MD plates?

I admit that my tint is dark but I also havent been broken into since I got it done and ALSO I havent been pulled over in that year its been done.My DD is kinda "hoopty-ish" though.

oh well . I will pull it off and go to half street and wait in line. damn.
George

[blkaplan]

with all of the nonsense going on in PG county right now , do you think they wont pull you over with MD plates?

I admit that my tint is dark but I also havent been broken into since I got it done and ALSO I havent been pulled over in that year its been done.My DD is kinda "hoopty-ish" though.

oh well . I will pull it off and go to half street and wait in line. damn.
George

I only have my small legal windshield tint band left, I had to remove the other stuff to get passed MD inspection. :grrr:

I really liked my tint.

[tjts1]

All tinted windows or front side windows?

[fivealive]

i bet they don't pull over GW Bush and his crew for driving with tinted windows.... :grrr:

[stylngle2003]

my 740 has 50% front and 35% rear....i didn't wanna mess with stupid cops giving me fix it tickets. but that still sucks hardcore

[nos245na]

i bet they don't pull over GW Bush and his crew for driving with tinted windows.... :grrr:

:-P

Maybe they should !!


The front full tint is always illegal (my guy offered to do it) but its really about the front two windows. They want to be able to see the driver. The 1k and 5k with taking your car is a little tough to swallow. Mine registered a 32% on his little roadside guage. Thats not what I put there. Its the combination of the two tints I am sure.
George in DC

[blkaplan]

:-P

Maybe they should !!


The front full tint is always illegal (my guy offered to do it) but its really about the front two windows. They want to be able to see the driver. The 1k and 5k with taking your car is a little tough to swallow. Mine registered a 32% on his little roadside guage. Thats not what I put there. Its the combination of the two tints I am sure.
George in DC

yep, factory windows are not clear... there is a slight tint built in.

[ZyreX]

The reason the front windows aren't supposed to be tinted (at least with a film), is mostly because it's both an "escape route" in case of an accident, and that if there ahs been an accident, the rescueppl might have to break the window. If it has tint-film on it, they might not be successful in breaking it enough.

[fivealive]

huh, that makes sense. I always thought it was so that they could see the colour of your skin for racial profiling. ;-)

[boostdemon]

did they use one of those window tint gauges that slip over the edge of the glass?

fwiw, normal tint allows more light to transfer over time

[smith_t240]

The reason the front windows aren't supposed to be tinted (at least with a film), is mostly because it's both an "escape route" in case of an accident, and that if there ahs been an accident, the rescueppl might have to break the window. If it has tint-film on it, they might not be successful in breaking it enough.

I see their argument but I disagree. If anything its going to be a little stronger, but not much. Plus, less shards of glass to fly into your face, as you think the tint would kind of hold it against it.

[Aoder1]

here in nc they are not gonna pull ya just for tinting, i was thinking of 25% all around, no one i know has been in trouble with 20%

that sucks tho up there in DC

[HonestJhon]

windshields are laminated glass.
there is a sheet of plastic in there so when it gets hit, it doesnt shatter in your face.
so its not cause of the escape route thing. if so, they're trying to make an excuse for more revenue due to more tickets.

[nos245na]

did they use one of those window tint gauges that slip over the edge of the glass?

fwiw, normal tint allows more light to transfer over time

Yeah , that what they used.

My daughter ( she's 7) said " Is that the real police or the glass police !"

Smart kid.
George in DC

[badvlvo]

In Louisiana the darkest you can go on the front driver and passenger windows is 40% light transmission and they do carry tint meters. If they stop you for illegal tint, it's usually 20% or less.

My truck has 20% on the rear doors and rear window and 30% on the fronts, but I am a licensed state inspector, so I can inspect my own vehicle. The reason for the restrictions on light transmission is because people were shooting cops. The cops couldn't see the people in the car and tell if they were armed or disarmed and getting shot.

Here if they have you stopped and the tint fails by the meter, they can pull your inspection sticker, give you a razor blade and have you peel it off, or impound the car. It's the cops choice.

[str8krewzn]

Yea in DC its very strict, i have 20% on my 940 and my older 740 never had a problem
i live in mc MD

[ZyreX]

windshields are laminated glass.
there is a sheet of plastic in there so when it gets hit, it doesnt shatter in your face.
so its not cause of the escape route thing. if so, they're trying to make an excuse for more revenue due to more tickets.

Yeah, I agree too.

AND the new V70/XC70 comes with an option to have ALL windows laminated.

[Jeh]

Here in NM I think you can spray paint the D*mn things with black paint and its not an issue buts its supposed to be 35%. max....

BTW did you ever notice that EVERY car in EVERY comercial has super dark tint on ALL windows even through its illegal in most states? Nice.

[badvlvo]

Here in NM I think you can spray paint the D*mn things with black paint and its not an issue buts its supposed to be 35%. max....

BTW did you ever notice that EVERY car in EVERY comercial has super dark tint on ALL windows even through its illegal in most states? Nice.

The guy who does my tint does commercial and movie cars. He tint's alot of windshields. He says that they are scary to drive at night, but it is only done in an controled environment.

[Freq]

According to TintCenter.com, WA state requires a 35% all around, but AZ only requires the front windows to be 35%. That's awesome~

[SteveMD]

My wagon came with tint and when I had it MD inspected, they sent me to MVA to have the state trooper do his little test and affix "35%" stickers on every pane of glass except the mirrors :-P

I rarely go into DC as I want to keep my wheels straight and round.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/1000580_cq4v0/wagon%20tint.JPG

[nos245na]

so wait a minute. I am getting confused on how they give you the numbers.
DC law is at least 70% light transmittance in the front passanger windows and 50% in the rear.

So mine at 32 on his guage was 38 in the wrong direction, right?
The guy said mine would be legal in MD. Is DC law that far away from MD?
WTF?
George

[SteveMD]

so wait a minute. I am getting confused on how they give you the numbers.
DC law is at least 70% light transmittance in the front passanger windows and 50% in the rear.

So mine at 32 on his guage was 38 in the wrong direction, right?
The guy said mine would be legal in MD. Is DC law that far away from MD?
WTF?
George

I'm not sure how they give me the numbers but will check. The front driver and passenger side windows are a lighter tint than those further back but all got the 35% sticker. Maybe it means they are under the 35% limit?

[nos245na]

So this weekend , I cleaned up my daily driver a bit and took it into DC inspection so I could be ok'ed on this ticket. I took off the tint on all of the passanger windows but left the rear side windows and rear window tint intact ( its a station wagon).According to the rules the NON PASSENGER portion of the vehicle can be as dark as limo tint.
Didnt have to wait in the huge line which was good.
Inspector tells me that ALL aftermarket tint is illegal in the District.
I know this is wrong so I object.

"Yup . I can see yours is too dark anyway from here," he says (from across the street)
Look, I know what the rule is and its 70% and 50%," I say

Thats from the factory," he says

"Would you like me to read from your rulebook? Where does it say no aftermarket tint.
Is there some reason that I know the rules better than you sir?" I say ( yes, I am a prick )

"All I know is if you dont take the remaining tint out of your vehicle I am not going to pass it," he says

"Is'nt this kind of a DWB ticket?" I ask.

"Yup, it sure is. If you dont want to get it again you should probably take it off " he said.

I proceeded to take the rest of my window tint off in the street and go a pass stamp.

This still does not stop my tag from being flagged and if it is caught with tint that is judged too dark again I get a 5000 dollar fine.

Welcome to Washington


George in DC

[volvo940tuner]

i have 35% all the way around my 944, and have had no problems thus far..and ive had them tinted since july 2006. good thing i didnt go with 20% like i had wanted to. a friend of mine drives a black grand prix GT with 15% on the rear window, and 20% on the sides, and he got pulled over for having "a suspicious vehicle". of course the first thing the statie did was throw the tint meter on his windows, and although it registered 27%, he got a $100 ticket i believe

[MrDoug]

Vehicle forfeiture? For Window tint??? DC can suck my ass. I once had a cop threaten to write me a ticket for 26 in a 25 because I was cruising half a car lengh ahead of him on Rhode Island Ave.I wouldn't live there if you paid me. Here in VA, they leave tint enforcement up to the State Troopers