Need help with getting window tints

I was quoted $185 ... that included all the windows except the lower part of the hatch. Then there was an upcharge of $20 b/c I went darker (15%), so $205 total.

 

welcome, there are many topics on tinting, the search feature is your friend

i paid 180 ish for mine though

 

In Cali expect to pay 250+ for the 9 windows (4 each side and the rear hatch), also in Cali its illegal to add anything to the windows in the 2 front door, but that doesn't seem to stop anyone.

 

If you were in the Los Angeles area, I have the perfect tinting place for you. How I found it however was by yelping it. Maybe you can yelp for a tinting place in Davis.

The one I found in Los Angeles is California Tint in the city of Rosemead, which is surprisingly only a 5 minute walk from my workplace! The yelp comments were very helpful, and they convinced me to check things out. They did a ton of cars a day, and the price was very reasonable. The tinting was about $130, and it got done in September 2007. All windows, even the little triangular ones and the darkened one in the rear hatch to match the rear window, were done.

Good luck yelping in Davis. Maybe there's a good one there too.

 

I highly (and I mean highly) recommend Formula One - Pinnacle ceramic tint. It's a bit more expensive, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Also, it didn't make sense to me to skimp on something that's so highly visible and plays such an important function as well. You can see the tint on my silver Prius if you click on my profile and look at my photos.

Here are 3 dealers from their website that are near Davis, CA:

20 miles
View Map Rocky Mountain Window Tint
2001 El Camino Ave
Sacramento, CA 95821
Phone: 916-922-3960

35 miles
View Map Formula One of Napa
1538 3rd Street
Napa, CA 94559
Phone: 707-252-8366
Email: [email protected]

38 miles
View Map Rocky Mountain Window Tint
1808 Verne Roberts Circle
Antioch, CA 94509

 

Bullshit, check your state laws, they have changed recently, but most cops don't know it yet. Most people say you can;t but haven't read the CA vehicle code.

Tints are allowed on the front doors, but it's a very light, 5% tint. I got mine done legally, 8 windows tinted for $180: 20% on all windows behind the B pillar and 5% on the driver and passenger windows, plus a 4" long, 5% strip on the front windshield.

 

Pegasusat, hi I'm looking for a Tint place too for my Prius. I live in Sacramento and if you find somebody let me know too...thanks

 

Not quite correct. You can't have any tint on the two front side windows that has "any" color. It must be clear. That eliminates many tints. (See section in Bold)

Here is California's window tint laws:

26708. (a) (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows. (2) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle which obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view through the windshield or side windows. (3) This subdivision applies to a person driving a motor vehicle with the driver's clear vision through the windshield, or side or rear windows, obstructed by snow or ice. (b) This section does not apply to any of the following: (1) Rearview mirrors. (2) Adjustable nontransparent sunvisors which are mounted forward of the side windows and are not attached to the glass. (3) Signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver, signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the rear window farthest removed from the driver, or signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a 5-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest the driver. (4) Side windows which are to the rear of the driver. (5) Direction, destination, or termini signs upon a passenger common carrier motor vehicle or a schoolbus, if those signs do not interfere with the driver's clear view of approaching traffic. (6) Rear window wiper motor. (7) Rear trunk lid handle or hinges. (8) The rear window or windows, when the motor vehicle is equipped with outside mirrors on both the left- and right-hand sides of the vehicle that are so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway through each mirror for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle. (9) A clear, transparent lens affixed to the side window opposite the driver on a vehicle greater than 80 inches in width and which occupies an area not exceeding 50 square inches of the lowest corner toward the rear of that window and which provides the driver with a wide-angle view through the lens. (10) Sun screening devices meeting the requirements of Section 26708.2 installed on the side windows on either side of the vehicle's front seat, if the driver or a passenger in the front seat has in his or her possession a letter or other document signed by a licensed physician and surgeon certifying that the person must be shaded from the sun due to a medical condition, or has in his or her possession a letter or other document signed by a licensed optometrist certifying that the person must be shaded from the sun due to a visual condition. The devices authorized by this paragraph shall not be used during darkness. (11) An electronic communication device affixed to the center uppermost portion of the interior of a windshield within an area that is not greater than 5 inches square, if the device provides either of the following: (A) The capability for enforcement facilities of the Department of the California Highway Patrol to communicate with a vehicle equipped with the device. (B) The capability for electronic toll and traffic management on public or private roads or facilities. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the topmost portion of the windshield if the following conditions apply: (1) The bottom edge of the material is at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver's seat when measured from a point 5 inches in front of the bottom of the backrest with the driver's seat in its rearmost and lowermost position with the vehicle on a level surface. (2) The material is not red or amber in color. (3) There is no opaque lettering on the material and any other lettering does not affect primary colors or distort vision through the windshield. (4) The material does not reflect sunlight or headlight glare into the eyes of occupants of oncoming or following vehicles to any greater extent than the windshield without the material. (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), clear, colorless, and transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the front seat if the following conditions are met: (1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent. (2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49 C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as specified in that federal standard. (3) The material is designed and manufactured to enhance the ability of the existing window glass to block the sun's harmful ultraviolet A rays. (4) The driver has in his or her possession, or within the vehicle, a certificate signed by the installing company certifying that the windows with the material installed meet the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the installing company and the material's manufacturer by full name and street address, or, if the material was installed by the vehicle owner, a certificate signed by the material's manufacturer certifying that the windows with the material installed according to manufacturer's instructions meets the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the material's manufacturer by full name and street address. (5) If the material described in this subdivision tears or bubbles, or is otherwise worn to prohibit clear vision, it shall be removed or replaced. 26708.2. Sun screening devices permitted by paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 26708 shall meet the following requirements: (a) The devices shall be held in place by means allowing ready removal from the window area, such as a frame, a rigid material with temporary fasteners, or a flexible roller shade. (b) Devices utilizing transparent material shall be green, gray, or a neutral smoke in color and shall have a luminous transmittance of not less than 35 percent. (c) Devices utilizing nontransparent louvers or other alternating patterns of opaque and open sections shall have an essentially uniform pattern over the entire surface, except for framing and supports. At least 35 percent of the device area shall be open and no individual louver or opaque section shall have a projected vertical dimension exceeding 3/16 inch. (d) The devices shall not have a reflective quality exceeding 35 percent on either the inner or outer surface. 26708.5. (a) No person shall place, install, affix, or apply any transparent material upon the windshield, or side or rear windows, of any motor vehicle if the material alters the color or reduces the light transmittance of the windshield or side or rear windows, except as provided in subdivision (b), (c), or (d) of Section 26708. (b) Tinted safety glass may be installed in a vehicle if (1) the glass complies with motor vehicle safety standards of the United States Department of Transportation for safety glazing materials, and (2) the glass is installed in a location permitted by those standards for the particular type of glass used.

 

Look at post #6. That's a place that does Formula One tinting in Sacramento.

 

Technically, grey is considered colorless (right on the lightness or value axis, with zero saturation in an HSL or HSV color model). It doesn't matter though, as anything that passes 88% of visible light is going to be described as "clear" by most people. I think (50 state legal) factory tinted glass is in that range, or maybe even a little darker. I don't know of any manufacturer who makes window film that will pass 88% of visible light. Most start at 50%, with a few as high as 70%. So maybe those who state any tint at all is illegal are in practice actually correct, as 88% VLT tint might be impossible to find.

 

Aye, you are incorrect on this one my friend. After reading the code you'll find that the general rule of thumbs is about 70%-75% tint for the front windows and that is about it.

I had to rip off the 30% that I used to have and have my tinter do 73% in place of it and it is much lighter but better than nothing.

I do not know of any places in the Davis area but we (my stereo shop) do window tinting in Fairfield. In Sacramento I used to have AAA Window Tinting do my cars and they did great work. I drive by Davis during my commute back to Lincoln on Fridays and Saturdays if you are interesting in seeing what 5% and 70% tint looks like on a Prius. Expect to pay somewhere between $200-$300 depending on how many windows you have done. Quality tint with a proper install and warranties do not come cheap in California.

AAA Window Tint
[SIZE=-1]3233 Elkhorn Blvd # 2[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]North Highlands, CA 95660[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1](916) 332-9299‎[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][/SIZE]
Audio & Performance Systems
[SIZE=-1]1819 North Texas St. Suite B[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Fairfield, CA 94533[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1](707) 422-2771
[/SIZE]

 

search noob

 

The definition of gray is "of a color between white and black." If white is the absence of color and black is the infusion of all colors, gray cannot be without color.

 

Sorry, but I don't think you are correct. I don't see in the code where it states that. Unless your tint is clear, colorless and transparent "and" meets the four stated conditions, it's in violation. I'd love to be able to say otherwise; but then I'd be lying to all of you. Further, in the California Statutes, there are seldom "general rules of thumb". I'll post that section of the Vehicle Code for you again:

Notwithstanding subdivision (a), clear, colorless, and transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the front seat if the following conditions are met: (1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent. (2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49 C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as specified in that federal standard. (3) The material is designed and manufactured to enhance the ability of the existing window glass to block the sun's harmful ultraviolet A rays. (4) The driver has in his or her possession, or within the vehicle, a certificate signed by the installing company certifying that the windows with the material installed meet the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the installing company and the material's manufacturer by full name and street address, or, if the material was installed by the vehicle owner, a certificate signed by the material's manufacturer certifying that the windows with the material installed according to manufacturer's instructions meets the requirements of this subdivision and identifies the material's manufacturer by full name and street address.

California's front side window tint laws are in effect for two reasons: 1) Gangs are running rampant here. The law allows officers to be able to look inside a vehicle to see if someone is holding a weapon. and 2) If an officer sees a typical gang-banger type car (or any other car for that matter) with tint on the front windows, it allows them to pull the car over and then to potentially search the whole vehicles.

 

Do you want tinting for privacy? Writing from Dallas I'd say it's not necessary for cooling.

 

I've read the code but I think you misunderstood me. When I said "rule of thumb" I meant that the industry generally goes by this "rule of thumb" not that law makers or those who uphold the law go by this.

In a nutshell anothing above 70% tint is very unlikely to attract unwanted attention. If you were to look at my car you wouldn't think the front windows are tinted. Many vehicle comes with factory tint that appears darker than mine.

 

Consider driving it for a week to see how well the A/C works. You might save some money. It was 102'F here today and the A/C can make my hands cold.