Ok guys, here's the deal:

About a two months ago, I got pulled over for tint. My car had 20% smoke tint all around and the legal limit in Maryland is 35% all around. I ended up having to rip all of it off.

So, fast forward to today, I now have 35% (legal) in the two front windows, and 10% in the rear windows. It looks pretty slick; the darker rear windows make the fronts appear darker!

Here's what I need to know: Let's say I get pulled over, and the officer wants to check my tint. Officers have a special tool that slides onto the top edge of the window and it scans the amount of light that is allowed in.

So, basically, this tool can only scan the front two windows of my car, as back windows do not roll down and obviously our rear window doesn't. So how does that work when I'm pulled over? The officer would only be able to scan my front windows, which are legal. My rear windows obviously appear darker, but there's no way that he can legitimately prove that they are illegal, as his scanner cannot scan them. Can this cop write me a repair order for my tint even if he cannot prove that they are illegal? Can he write me up for an inspection? Can he do anything if he can't prove they are illegal?

 

If he can't prove that they're illegal, no, they can't do anything. But, if he's determined enough...

 

I would argue against that.
If your front windows are tested and come out to 35% and a 'reasonable person' can tell the rears are darker then the front then by deduction it is assumed they are illegal since your front windows are already at the limit.

Again, I don't know how strict your state is on the rear windows but if they are strict then I do not think the officer will have much trouble citing you.
Then you'd have to try and fight it in court which obviously you'd lose.

 

www.tintlaws.com
I don't know how he would check the rears, but I'm sure there is a way.

 

There is a way, at the local MVA. However, the officer that is checking the tint has absolutely no way of determining the exact tint percentage of my rear windows. He would only be able to say "Well, the rear LOOKS darker..."

Thing is, a ton of cars have rear windows that "look darker" but are still technically legal do to it being factory tint, or privacy glass, or whatever. There's got to be a yes or a no to this type of scenario; it would feel great to tell an officer that he can't assume my level of tint, and that he would have to prove it is illegal before writing me a ticket for illegal tint.

 

Well just from a quick google search about maryland tint laws, this says that any tint shops you go to must install a stick between the window and the tint on each window declaring that its legal tint. If it is darker than legal then the stick wouldnt be there or I would imagine that tint shop would be in trouble.

The cop shouldnt even need to test it really, if theres no sticker then its illegal if done by a shop. If you tinted it yourself that might be another story. As Jedi said a reasonable person could look at both windows and tell one is darker, if one is on the edge of legal then the other obviously is not legal.

 

Seriously? You're breaking the law. You even know you're breaking the law. You want to be a bad *** and have illegal tint? Be prepared for the consequences. It's really pretty simple, isn't it? If you don't want the hassle, here's the suggestion - don't break the law.

The best part of it is, you didn't learn the first time, and you got busted just two months ago.

So, let's think through this, because you obviously haven't. Say I'm a police officer. I pull you over and I check your front windows. The meter shows just at the 35% legal limit. Your back windows are clearly darker. Hmmmmmm let's see. The front windows are right at the legal limit, and the back windows are darker. Hmmmmmmm. I guess that means.... hmmmmmm.... (wait for it) I'm writing you another ticket.

There are also police approved two-piece window tint meters to measure tint on fixed windows... what the hell am I saying? The rear windows on the RX8 pop out. I bet they come out far enough to get a standard meter on it!

Again, for those who read this far... if you want to have no license plate because it makes your car look ugly, you want neon because the ground just doesn't look right unless it's pink, you want to have illegal tint because, wow, you need to make sure nobody sees what's going on in that back seat, be prepared to pay for it. If you can't make next month's rent because of a stupid ticket, you might not want to break that law.

 

HAHA, ^^^^ +1 zillion

 

Move to Nevada, your back side and rear windows could be 0% if you want.

 

Well, bro, seeing how I have no problem making next month's rent, I think I'll disregard your words of wisdom (If only I knew I was taking a risk sooner!) and continue breaking that law. Thanks for the input, though.

Also somewhat ironic coming from a guy running a 100-shot of juice on what I'm assuming would be his daily driver. Just accept that if you want to enjoy certain aspects of your car, whether it be looks, or performance, or whatever, that rules sometimes have to be bent and eventually paid for. I'm not killing off an entire race by having some darker tint in my windows, and neither are you by running nitrous. I'm not complaining about how stupid tint laws are; I would just rather not pay another fine, but am still prepared to do so if need be.



A big reason I was compelled to make this thread is because my dad's Grand Cherokee has windows just as dark as my rears, straight from the factory. So do many other trucks/SUVs/vans. Hell, some cars don't even have rear windows! I've been told by many people that if I tinted my front windows legal, then that's all that would matter; the police would look at my rear windows no differently than they look at the dark factory tint on other cars, but I really don't know.

 

It also depends on the tints. some of the newer tints have tiny bits of metal in them. This makes them register lighter than they actually are. As for your rear window, if it looks darker than the front, and the fronts at a legal limit then you can get the ticket. Plain and simple. If the judge has been in office for a while, and the officer has been on the streets for a while more than likely they have a trust bond going. Remember your in there once a year or whatever trying to beat the system.

They do this every day. The judge has heard all the excuses. Your best bet is to accept your fate and the ticket next time, or to just have legal tint.

 

+10 to everything YaXMaNGTO said. Mainly the bit about the 2-piece tint meters. How do you think they measure a fixed back window on a pickup, or SUV, or any car which has broken window cranks/motors. Also, if the tint shows legal on the front, and looks darker on the rear, most LEOs can write you a ticket based on that alone where you would have to go to an inspection station to prove (if) they are within legal limits.

 

Once again he doesn't have a sticker so the point is MUTE.

 

I don't think so. I could definitely see having a sticker installed by a tint shop "Certifying" that the tint on a given window IS legal.

HOWEVER, I don't see how NOT HAVING that sticker could make it illegal. This not only goes as mentioned above for self-tint jobs, but also for tint that was installed out-of state (i.e. if you moved from Florida to Maryland). It's either too dark, or it's not. They can't say that it's illegal (even though it IS light enough) just because it wasn't installed in MD.

 

It's not ironic. I walk the walk. I've known for years what the laws are in Texas regarding nitrous. I know that there's nothing illegal about having a nitrous system and a bottle in your car. I know that using nitrous on the street is illegal. I know that I can get a ticket if the nitrous line is connected AND PRESSURIZED. I did the research. You've even had nice folks send you links to sites that explain Maryland tint laws. How many Google searches have YOU done on this topic? Did YOU do any? I don't get lazy and start ridiculous threads asking how I might get out of a ticket after I've already gotten a ticket when all it takes is the tiniest bit of effort and research.

Why, you can actually write a coherent sentence. 99% of the other jack wagons on car forums can't even do that.

You can answer your own questions.
http://www.berwynheightspd.com/tinted%20windows.htm
Well look at that... Google with key words "maryland tint law suv factory"

Jesus.

 

I'm with YaXMaNGTO.

My car doesn't have a front license plate, and knowing that it is indeed a violation in the state of Wisconsin, I've been ready for that fix-it-ticket pullover situation.

It probably helps I'm no longer a kid (in my mind at least...), so I no longer drive with questionable people/items or under ill advised situations (such as drinking and driving).

Maybe it's because of that confidence, I don't get pulled over. Always driving in a suit because of work probably helps with perception with the police officers as well.