D.O.T./Factory Tinted Front Windows
- Thread starter westwind77
- Start date
I don't know..that's a good question. You probably do have to obey the tint laws in whatever state you're driving at the time. But then again, I know that Florida allows much darker tint than NY, and I see Florida cars with dark tint all the time in NY. I doubt a cop would mess with you when you're driving out of state.
Joaco10SR5
New member
westwind77 AFAIK your rear windows can be completetly dark or blocked off for that matter as long as you have a rear view mirrors on both doors you are ok, look at the panel vans, conversion vans with curtains etc.. The problem is on the front driver and passenger windows, for example in TX and many other states only allowed 35% tint on those windows. Also remmember that thewindow itself from factory has a tint already, something like 5% to 8% so to have your windows at 35% max you need like a 27% to 30% film. Any respectable tint shop will show you the state reg. and will let you decide from there. Have a friend that was a state trooper in TX explain that to me few years back. Just my .02
westwind77
New member
Ok....so I just got off the phone with the county supervisor for inspections. We both had an interesting conversation. He agreed, the way the law is currently on the books it seems like there is 'possibly' a loop hole here. However, he has never run into a situation like this, and figures the inspections stations and police would have issues when they tested it and it failed (if darker than the legal limit). It would then become an argument between you and the inspection station or you and the police (which I would not want to get into). You could take it to court and possibly win your case because of the way the law is on the books, however, to me it is NOT worth the potential hassle of it all. Especially after finding out that the fine is $250 PER window for illegal tint here, owch! I would not want to deal with having to fight that in court.
As far as window tint goes traveling from state to state...you only need to follow YOUR states rule, as in the state your car/suv is registered in. Think about it this way, MA requires ALL car be inspected yearly and run inspection stickers, well someone from FL does not have to have their car inspected just to be here on vacation.
I appreciate everyones input on this!
As far as window tint goes traveling from state to state...you only need to follow YOUR states rule, as in the state your car/suv is registered in. Think about it this way, MA requires ALL car be inspected yearly and run inspection stickers, well someone from FL does not have to have their car inspected just to be here on vacation.
I appreciate everyones input on this!
True about the inspection part, but the question still remains---if the tint on your car is legal in your home state and you drive across the border into a neighboring state where the same tint would be considered illegal, are you breaking the law?
I have a feeling the local cops could ticket you if they wanted to, but most cops would probably not bother an out-of-state driver with illegal tint, especially if it is legal tint in the state the vehicle is registered in.
westwind77
New member
I thought I answered that before, the answer is: it is LEGAL. I had a suv which spent a couple months in another state every year. My windows would have been very illegal there. I was approached by a police office at a grocery store from the side in that state questioning the tint. He was very nice, I told him the car had FL tags and was only here for a month, and legal in that state. He said, that is fine and with those tags he could not do anything and I was fine.
Items such as radar dectetors which are 'removable' have to be put up & down as soon as your cross state borders without a question, depending on the law in that state. Just as cell phones! Be careful when you cross bordres, you can be pulled over as your cross if you are on it (non hands free), it has happened to a few friends of mine.
A lot of it comes down to common sense, if you can easily remove it or turn it off and it is illegal in the state you are going, well you probably should follow the new states rule. However, they are not going to make you spend hundreds of dollars to remove something that is more permanent then spend more money to have it put back on.
I see people running around those (IMO) stupid neon lights under their cars, if I remember right a few years ago some states they are legal, others they are not. That is a perfect example of you should keep them OFF in the state which they are illegal. That is something that is well within your control and costs no money out of pocket.
Well, at $250 PER window, I have a feeling MA cops would sit at the borders and just write window tint tickets for all out of state cars if it was illegal. Would be easier and make the state more money than speeding tickets
chaz
New member
i bought mine from an out of my state dealer with factory tinted fronts,.knowing it is illegal in my state but i drove around for 2 years & thought nothing of it since alot of vecs in my area have it, well i finally got pulled over for it & luckily was just given a warning & told to remove it. so i guess its up to the officers mood at the time wether or not to tap you for it, but it isnt worth the worry to me so i removed it. laws change all the time, but as far as ive been told, in my state at least, even if the glass itself is tinted, its still illegal, besides, even if there is a loop hole, after waiting in line for inspection so long, who wants to argue with them, or even get pulled over by the cops when out of state, & maybe have em try & find something else wrong ,even with out of state tags,a cop can still ticket you, & then you'll have to possibly argue it out in court. its just not worth the hassel to me. but to each his own. just my 2c.
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harper7
Senior Member
They made you remove and change the windows or the aftermarket tint on them? You can't remove the tint from factory tinted windows as it is internal to the layers of glass. Everything else is external aftermarket and not factory even if the dealer or port puts it on. However there are factory tinted front side windows and windshields from some automakers and used in desert climates.
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chaz
New member
no it was on the front windows when i purchased it from the dealer & was told it was a factory tint job.(i live in the northeast) gotta say, i had & have seen alot of aftermarket installs guys have gottin & this was very well done job, absolutly no bubbles or peeling & matched the other windows perfectly. it had been a leased vec. so i dont think the guy installed it himself, i assume the dealer had it done for whatever reason, either way, at least i no longer have to worry bout it.
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westwind77
New member
Yep, that is the law. Now if your car was registered out of state and you were on vacation you would have NOT been told to remove it.
You might want to do research for yourself and not take anothers word. Makes me think of the new Dodge commercial about Pres. Washington that ends with..'well at least that's what it said on the internet'.
Here is verbage directly from my states web site:
"I've seen new Sport Utility Vehicles with really dark tint on the side and back windows. Why can they do it?
Those and other vehicles have factory-installed glass which carries Federal/D.O.T. approval. The Massachusetts tint law is directed toward aftermarket installation of tinting materials."
I also just found this hunting around another state web site:
"What are the specifications for aftermarket window tinting?
For most vehicles, aftermarket tinting that registers at least 35% on a tint meter on side windows immediately adjacent to the driver and front passenger seats, and side windows immediately to the rear of the operator and passenger, is acceptable. The rear window may be tinted to the 35% level, but the vehicle must be equipped with two outside rear view mirrors. The windshield may only be tinted down to the AS-1 line, which is usually located in the uppermost (6) inches of the windshield"
Interesting part about the mirrors on the sides.
My inspection lines are never long, maybe one car in front of me if that usually. I do agree with you though, with something this 'uncertain' it is not at all worth the hassle it could cause. I will just have them tinted to the legal limit and be a happy 4R owner
I thought I answered that before, the answer is: it is LEGAL. I had a suv which spent a couple months in another state every year. My windows would have been very illegal there. I was approached by a police office at a grocery store from the side in that state questioning the tint. He was very nice, I told him the car had FL tags and was only here for a month, and legal in that state. He said, that is fine and with those tags he could not do anything and I was fine.
Items such as radar dectetors which are 'removable' have to be put up & down as soon as your cross state borders without a question, depending on the law in that state. Just as cell phones! Be careful when you cross bordres, you can be pulled over as your cross if you are on it (non hands free), it has happened to a few friends of mine.
A lot of it comes down to common sense, if you can easily remove it or turn it off and it is illegal in the state you are going, well you probably should follow the new states rule. However, they are not going to make you spend hundreds of dollars to remove something that is more permanent then spend more money to have it put back on.
I see people running around those (IMO) stupid neon lights under their cars, if I remember right a few years ago some states they are legal, others they are not. That is a perfect example of you should keep them OFF in the state which they are illegal. That is something that is well within your control and costs no money out of pocket.
Well, at $250 PER window, I have a feeling MA cops would sit at the borders and just write window tint tickets for all out of state cars if it was illegal. Would be easier and make the state more money than speeding tickets
Well, that's a good story and all, but I think it depends upon the state, at least according to these sources:
RANT: Out of state window tint fine. - Ridemonkey.com
Tint Laws
It seems that some states only enforce their tint laws for vehicles registered in their own state and they leave out-of-state vehicles alone. But other states may enforce their tint laws on any vehicle driving on their roads, regardless of where the vehicle is registered.
I will just have them tinted to the legal limit and be a happy 4R owner
That's good advice, but if you come across a cop having a bad day in a neighboring state and your legally tinted vehicle doesn't pass his state's laws, you could get fined for it.
Of course it depends upon the state and its laws. But like I said, most cops don't mess with out-of-state drivers for something like dark tint. Hell, I've driven my 4Runner in at least 8 states in the northeast with totally illegal tint (20%) in every one of them and I've never even been pulled over. So as far as I'm concerned, most cops don't seem to even pay much attention to my tint.
westwind77
New member
Interesting read....but as stated on those, they may or may not be accurate. Only way to know it to go to each states web site and get their actual laws regarding out-of-state tint.
I think a lot has to do with who is being pulled over too. Some punk kid giving the cop an attitude is sure to get hammered. A nice respectable man/women should not have a problem. I drove my last one for 5 years with illegal tint (was legal out of state when applied) and never got questioned, of course I was smart enought to hit both the windows down BEFORE I drove into the inspection or the 2 times I was pulled over
To be honest if the states are going to be so picky about cars from other states there needs to be a single FEDERAL rule that applies to ALL states for legal tint, hopfully not 0%!
SeattleMike
New member
After-market tint is not really relevant since you are asking for DOT approved glass.
Based on the results of my google-fu, DOT says no tint on the front row windows according to FMVSS #205 and the SAE (ANSI/SAE Z26.1–1996) recommendations adopted by the Congress in 2006 in Title 49 of the US Code.
So, it doesn't matter if a manufacturer offers a different set of windows in another country because they would not be approved by the DOT in this country, and would therefore not be legal in Westwind's state.
I went through this two years ago. There is no manufacturer that offers tinted front windows that would also get DOT approval.
Based on the results of my google-fu, DOT says no tint on the front row windows according to FMVSS #205 and the SAE (ANSI/SAE Z26.1–1996) recommendations adopted by the Congress in 2006 in Title 49 of the US Code.
So, it doesn't matter if a manufacturer offers a different set of windows in another country because they would not be approved by the DOT in this country, and would therefore not be legal in Westwind's state.
I went through this two years ago. There is no manufacturer that offers tinted front windows that would also get DOT approval.
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Interesting read....but as stated on those, they may or may not be accurate. Only way to know it to go to each states web site and get their actual laws regarding out-of-state tint.
I think a lot has to do with who is being pulled over too. Some punk kid giving the cop an attitude is sure to get hammered. A nice respectable man/women should not have a problem. I drove my last one for 5 years with illegal tint (was legal out of state when applied) and never got questioned, of course I was smart enought to hit both the windows down BEFORE I drove into the inspection or the 2 times I was pulled over
To be honest if the states are going to be so picky about cars from other states there needs to be a single FEDERAL rule that applies to ALL states for legal tint, hopfully not 0%!
Yeah, I agree. I think that's why the cops don't bother me when I'm in my 4Runner. First, the vehicle isn't flashy like some kid in a Civic with a flame paint job, 22-inch chrome wheels, and a loud and obnoxious fart can exhaust system. Also, I tend to drive the speed limit and don't draw attention to myself. So I think that goes a long way toward not having to worry much about a ticket for tint.
Luckily in NY, tint is not part of the state inspection program. I've heard that NJ will fail a car for illegal tint, and I'm pretty sure that NJ drivers cannot have any aftermarket tint on the driver's and passenger's side windows.
One thing to consider is so you find this window, you get confirmation that it is legal - do you think the cop will know when he pulls you over. OK you show him the papers and tick him off.
Two things will happen.
1) You will spend 20 mins as he checks your proof of insurance, drivers license etc
2) Hope that you weren't going 4 miles over the speed limit since he might decide to get one back from you........
Congrats on having legal windows sir here is your $150 ticket for "reckless driving" or whatever I decided to call it today.
Not saying that it would happen for sure, but I have definately lived in areas where it would.......
Two things will happen.
1) You will spend 20 mins as he checks your proof of insurance, drivers license etc
2) Hope that you weren't going 4 miles over the speed limit since he might decide to get one back from you........
Congrats on having legal windows sir here is your $150 ticket for "reckless driving" or whatever I decided to call it today.
Not saying that it would happen for sure, but I have definately lived in areas where it would.......
HB 4X4
New member
X2, especially since I am sure there would be a proud smile on your face for finding a "loophole."
Here is a thread where I have discussed the legalities of tint on out of state vehicles. It is dependent on each state, but in CA you most definitely can get a ticket regardless of what state you are from. Doesn't matter if you are on a family vacation to Disneyland :happens:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/polls/60841-tint-ticket.html
I know this is an old thread but I haven't seen anyone mention the front windows you can on the 4Runner from the factory. The one I drove didn't have it but my understanding is that its like the rear windows with the tint embedded. Its $299 but I'm going to get them when I order mine in the next few weeks.
Hope the link works.
Tuscaloosa Toyota - Dealer Web Site
Hope the link works.
Tuscaloosa Toyota - Dealer Web Site
They don't make factory embedded tinted front side windows.It would be on the Toyota factory option sheet if they did.
That $299 tint will be applied to your windows either at port or by your dealer.It is way cheaper and you will getter a better tint product to get them done yourself. I'm a Huper Optik fan down here in the south as they keep the vehicle cooler. It was $125 for Huper on the front side windows and 6 inch strip of Lumar Limo tint on the windshield.Lifetime warranty!
