Window Tint... got busted

In Florida, I hear about people having to peel their tint off or get ticketed quite often. I haven't heard about peeling or getting towed, though. I've driven various cars with illegal tint for years, but haven't had any issues. I generally try not to draw any attention to myself, though.

 

I got swept up in a mass pull over for speeding. I was waved over so I sat and waited for my turn. After all the other cars were given tickets, a cop caeme over and asked if he could help me. Guess I was like an old person wanting to be ID'ed at a club.

 

Hybrid Dave,

If you were stopped, I wouldn't tell the cop, "I've driven various cars with illegal tint for years, but haven't had any issues."

It would likely get you ticketed, especially if you are in the FAT category.

FAT means, You " failed the attitude test."

 

I just got the car tinted yesterday. Clearest available for that brand on the fronts, 35 behind. (CA is now 90 windshield, 70 on front sides, any darkness behind.) For the particular tint I have, even the 35s are rather easy to see through. Consequently, the front part of the cabin doesn't reject heat as effectively as the rear, but even the senior with vision problems in my family sat in the back and said it doesn't look any more tinted compared to before (I can obviously tell).

To me, tint is like the speed limit. Everyone who tints, at least in CA, is almost certainly technically breaking the law due to ambiguities in interpretation and unwillingness of owners to just tint partially the way around. I'm as close as I can get while still actually tinting. Going to turn on the cabin lights as well if I'm ever pulled over, which I'm told is also always helpful to them, especially at night time.

 

I was pulled over solely for 35% front tints last year. I wish he had given me the option to peel it off. The fix it ticket was $25 plus a stamp. I had to pay $10 at the police station to look at my car for 2 seconds and then sign his name. $35 plus time wasted time driving to and waiting for a police officer. I would've gladly taken 5 minutes on the side of the road to peel it off.


iPhone ?

 

Maybe next time you get pulled over for tint you can ask if that's an option.

SCH-I535

 

Hah! Plus installation of the tint. That's a $100 lesson learned. Not catching me again.


iPhone ?

 

Was the pullover in an area where you could have legally parked it?

I have seen a local police blotter item for a car pulled over at night without legal lights. Because the lights were not functional, the driver was not allowed to continue driving it at night. The driver was given a ride home, minus the car, which he could come back for (at his own expense) in daylight.

For cars pulled over in no-parking zones, e.g. Interstate Highways, the logical equivalent would be to have it involuntarily towed if the driver is unable to fix the equipment violation on the spot.

 

Just a reminder. I traffic summons is in lieu of arrest. A police office in a bad mood can place you in cuffs, drive you to the police station, write the ticket, and let you go. And, if he/she was pissed off enough to do that, don't expect a ride back to your vehicle!

 

I don't understand the obsession with black out tint. I just got the best tint you can't see, LLumar Air Blue 80. Its so invisible they can fully tint the windshield and I had to check to make sure they actually installed the tint. I paid $229 for all windows except windshield and another $119 for the full windshield.

 

Limo dark and blackout tints are more for purposes of privacy and/or perception of aesthetics (which obviously not everyone shares).

 

It is because it is COOL, the excuse is the dark tint make the car COOL.

 

You got that right about being a cop magnet. I have a few police friends. I was having coffee with 2 at a little place in Auburn. AL and the subject came up. Seems it got really popular in the 80's when all the rappers were doing it. The protocol was to call for backup (small town) and approach with your hand on your weapon. Not worth getting blind sighted by a shotgun blast you can't see coming.

Also, anything you do to make a car standout is gonna do just that, make you stand out and get noticed. Because of my cop friends insight is the reason every car I have owned in the last 30 years is a neutral color, no white letter tires or funky looking huge rims with an inch of rubber, tinted windows or trunk rattling sound system (booming sub woofers will get you pulled over in a second where I live). And I now live in a suburb of Atlanta.

In Alabama if the background of the photo of your license can't be seen through the tint, it's illegal.

I ordered the windshield sunshade from the priuschat shop this morning instead of going for the tint.

 

Same reason people deal drugs and grow pot in million dollar neighborhoods. No one would expect that so I can definitely see it as being suspicious. Then again, dark tint on a Prius is going to illicit the same response as a Harely Davidson badge on a Sears and Roebuck catalog mini bike to me.

 

There’s a form you can fill out for your state to have your windows tinted darker, just get a Dermatologist to sign it. It will state on your registration that your allowed to have darker tinted windows. Problem solved!

 

NSFW.

 

Here in Texas, if the officer can not see you and what you are doing; because of your very dark tent; the officer comes up to the side of your car and orders you out of the vehicle,with your hands up. And the officer has his or her weapon out pointed at the vehicle and/or at you !! Back-up may have been called, with your plate number recorded. This is NOT COOL !!

It is for the officer's own protection.

 

While we are on the subject, if you routinely drive out of Ohio, make sure your tint is legal in the states you frequently travel though.

 

Lol...statistically/generally speaking. I am from SoCal where there are too many Priuses. I've only seen 1 cop pull over a Prius in 10years.

 

Now, I've heard of a movie where this happened, Weeds. Lol.