50% tinted front windows

irwinSR5

New member
Does anyone here have 50% tinted front windows that they could show me a picture of? I live in Virginia and 50% is the darkest you can tint the front windows, I was wondering if it was worth it to tint the front 50% or take the risk of getting it installed in another state and hope to not get a ticket.

Do you fail your state inspection because of too dark tint?
 
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50% is practically nothing. So if you wanted to save money... I wouldn't bother with it.

Let me tell you my story.... bylaw says ZERO tint on the front windows.. but everyone has front tinted windows... I have my windows tinted to 25% in the front and haven't had a problem. I'm not saying to break your local area laws... i'm just telling you my story. :D
 
I agree that 50% tint wouldn't really be worth it...

I'd go with 35% minimum, which is a fairly decent tint, but still a bit lighter than the factory tinted rear windows.

I had 20% put on mine, which is pretty much a perfect match to the factory tinted rears.

attachment.php
 
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also, fyi, if you wanted to tint darker than legal, most of your local shops will do it, but will require cash payment, no receipt.
 
15%

Here in TX the legal limit for the front windows is 25% but i had 15 put all the way around, so the back are almost limo and the front blend in nicely with the back. 50% seems kinda stupid that hardly would be anything. I wouldnt do it. Maybe go with like 30 or 35 all the way around so that it is darker all over but the front will have a decent tint on them. Here is what mine looks like with 15 all over

http://get.yourfile.net/?wc20411
 
my buddy got pulled in NJ with limo tint.... cops made him scrape the tint off in front of them.
 
lee said:
my buddy got pulled in NJ with limo tint.... cops made him scrape the tint off in front of them.

I guess that's one way to avoid a ticket...

But I'd rather take the ticket than peel my tint off.

I've never once had a problem with the cops for tint on any of my vehicles, and they have always been illegally tinted.
 
alright maybe I will look around at some of the shops and get 35% done, I will just tell police I got it done in another state and they told me it was legal if I have too :)

Thanks for all the help
 
Actually----in VA it is 35% up front (tinted) and 50% is in the rear. And yes I am POSITIVE that are the values, I am a cop in NOVA
 
are you sure you aren't mistaken, it doesn't make much sense that the front is aloud to be darker then the back, and i bought my car stock from toyota and there is more then 50% in the back...

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or do you mean 35% tint up front, 75% of light in, and 50% of light in in the back, or 35% tint

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as seen on VA state police website:

"Except as provided in § 46.2-1053, but notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, no sun-shading or tinting film may be applied or affixed to any window of a motor vehicle unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side of such motor vehicle, so located as to reflect to the driver of the vehicle a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle, and the sun-shading or tinting film is applied or affixed in accordance with the following:

No sun-shading or tinting films may be applied or affixed to the rear side windows or rear window or windows of any motor vehicle operated on the highways of this Commonwealth that reduce the total light transmittance of such window to less than thirty-five percent;

No sun-shading or tinting films may be applied or affixed to the front side windows of any motor vehicle operated on the highways of this Commonwealth that reduce total light transmittance of such window to less than fifty percent;

No sun-shading or tinting films shall be applied or affixed to any window of a motor vehicle that (i) have a reflectance of light exceeding twenty percent or (ii) produce a holographic or prism effect."
 
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That is what is meant---the 35% means that is the amount of light that the tint CAN BLOCK---not the amount it can let in. Hence, the front needs to be lighter than the rear windows. There was already a debate about this on another thread.

There is an exception in the VA Motor Vehicle Code that states it doesnt apply to factory applied tint--that is why the mirrored tint on a Lexus Rx330's doesnt violate the "mirrored effect" standard.
 
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oh ok, does that mean you can get the dealer to apply tint before you technically buy it?

(meaning if i get toyota to install more tint i can pretend like it's always been there :))
 
Border411 said:

There is an exception in the VA Motor Vehicle Code that states it doesnt apply to factory applied tint--that is why the mirrored tint on a Lexus Rx330's doesnt violate the "mirrored effect" standard.

You bring up an interesting thought-- As far as I know, there aren't any modern vehicles that come from the factory with totally clear glass. In other words, even the front windows (driver's side and passenger side) of our 4Runners have a slight tint to them. So if 35% is the legal limit in your state, then you would have to go a bit lighter than 35% tint film because it will be applied to glass with a slight tint already.... which would put you over the amount allowed by the laws of your state (35%)
 
It seems as though your question has been answered several times, but I'll throw my experience out there anyway.

I had the dealer tint my windows for fear of the window tinting company going out of business and not being able to utilize my 'lifetime' warranty for the tint. Anyway, 35% is the limit in az for the front windows (I think), They would not put on 35% due to the factory tint. I think they did something like 50%, I'm not sure.

I don't like the look of the front window being so much lighter than the backs, so I do plan on getting a tint shop to limo tint the front windows...
 
FYI---in the state code for VA it also states that police have to allow 7% extra tint on windows (for a margin or error). Which technically means that you can have tint that measures 42% filtration (or allowing 58% of light thru) when measured with a tint meter.
 
irwinSR5 said:
what is a tint meter? now you've sparked my interest lol

Some cops carry them... they "slide" over the edge of your glass and a light shines through the tint to determine how much light is blocked by the tint.
 
If you have a dark colored interior it will make even 50% tint appear darker than if you have a light colored interior.

For pics/details on diff types of tint meters:

http://www.radiotronics.com/tintmeter/tintmeter.htm

http://www.laser-labs.com/products.php?PHPSESSID=3c7723cba4facbcd9e2cb0843671fd9b

http://www.autoequipmentonline.com/autoequipmentonline/ADS/adstint.html

They typically come in one or two piece units..

One piece unit for windows that roll down.... (clips over edge)
Two piece unit for stationary rear/side windows

Both will measure light transmittance.. cops also carry tint reference samples they can use for comparison...
 
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