Pulled over by the cops

[LuckyTaxi]

Notes:

- 02 Lexus IS300 (tinted windows but NOT dark. I've seen minivans and SUVs with darker tint)
- lives in a high class area (i rent an apt out here to get away from Philly)
- 8:30am driving from amtrak train station to pick up train tickets

So I merged onto a 3 lane highway and noticed a white car on the far left lane (i'm coming from an onramp and merged into the lane next to me - far right). He's prob hundreds of feet behind me, I couldn't first tell it was a cop since all I saw was a white car driving next to a bunch of other cars. I'm going maybe 50 in a 55mph zone and he creeps up on me. ANyways to make the long story short he finally pulls me over and asks me if I knew why he stopped me. First I'm thinking maybe I went a little too fast or I had signal but I quickly turned it off. So once I merged into the right lane he didn't see my signal but I did signal. Like I said he was pretty far back and was blocked by other cars to see whether I use my signal or not.

So he then asks me where I was coming from and where I was going. I told him and he finally tells me he stopped me for my tint and my license plate cover (blue clear tint - matches my car). Finally he comes back after checking my docs and he was pretty cool. Gave me a warning cuz he said he too has tint on his car! I'm now thinking to myself that he wanted to nab me for other things. ANyways, he let me go and we exchanged goodbyes.

WHat a way to start my sunday morning.

 

[nageov3t]

I think tinted windows are technically illegal in some states (one of those things that's almost never enforced like low riders)

 

[LuckyTaxi]

They are but don't stop me and say its the tint when many cars come with tint. One time I got stop by cops from a different township and I asked the dude if it's illegal then why the hell do manufacturers install them. I proceeded to ask why stop me for tint when SUVs and minivans have them. His answer? "They come install by default." WTF ... ok so when i buoght my used car, the previous owner installed them, wtf is the different? It's still tint!

 

[Whisper]

I think with SUVs and vans, some states might have provisions that the rear windows can be darker than would normally be allowed. That, and license plate covers are often illegal as well (at least in my experience).

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi
They are but don't stop me and say its the tint when many cars come with tint. One time I got stop by cops from a different township and I asked the dude if it's illegal then why the hell do manufacturers install them. I proceeded to ask why stop me for tint when SUVs and minivans have them. His answer? "They come install by default." WTF ... ok so when i buoght my used car, the previous owner installed them, wtf is the different? It's still tint!

True, but it's your responsibility (not necessarily the responsibility of the tint shop or the previous owner) to know what's legal and what isn't on any vehicle you're purchasing.

It'd be like buying a used car that had its catalytic converter removed, and then attempting to pass emissions by saying you weren't the one who removed it.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

probably your license cover....those are illegal in most states

 

[LuckyTaxi]

I think he wanted to nab me thinking i have outstanding warrants or something. I even joked with him telling that philly cops stopped me for no reason. Asking me if the car belonged to me and what not. He was too far back to even tell if I have tint or not. I noticed him and he noticed me. As soon as I knew it was a cop, he sped up. I figure in his mind he's thinking "oh look what we have here. a potential low rider in an up scale area. What is he doing here?"

He was pretty cool after he checked my docs so I can't say anything bad about him. He even joked saying I should use the cruise control and go 70mph! Anyways, weird that you would stop me for my tint and then say you give me a warning cuz you also have tint on your personal vehicle.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi
They are but don't stop me and say its the tint when many cars come with tint. One time I got stop by cops from a different township and I asked the dude if it's illegal then why the hell do manufacturers install them. I proceeded to ask why stop me for tint when SUVs and minivans have them. His answer? "They come install by default." WTF ... ok so when i buoght my used car, the previous owner installed them, wtf is the different? It's still tint!

True, but it's your responsibility (not necessarily the responsibility of the tint shop or the previous owner) to know what's legal and what isn't on any vehicle you're purchasing.

It'd be like buying a used car that had its catalytic converter removed, and then attempting to pass emissions by saying you weren't the one who removed it.

I completely understand but don't tell me there's a difference between a SUV with tint and my used car that has existing tint. Apparently to the one cop there is.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
probably your license cover....those are illegal in most states

Yea, he told me it was illegal cuz the red light cameras can't catch you. That's BS, cuz I got stuck and got caught by the red light camera once and they sent me a warning. Of course I didn't tell the cop this.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi
They are but don't stop me and say its the tint when many cars come with tint. One time I got stop by cops from a different township and I asked the dude if it's illegal then why the hell do manufacturers install them. I proceeded to ask why stop me for tint when SUVs and minivans have them. His answer? "They come install by default." WTF ... ok so when i buoght my used car, the previous owner installed them, wtf is the different? It's still tint!

SUVs and minivans don't come with dark tint in the front windows, do they?

Tint in back windows is legal here. Not up front. Plate covers are illegal here, and yes, I have stopped for that.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
probably your license cover....those are illegal in most states

Yea, he told me it was illegal cuz the red light cameras can't catch you. That's BS, cuz I got stuck and got caught by the red light camera once and they sent me a warning. Of course I didn't tell the cop this.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/RSA/html/XXI/261/261-176.htm
261:176 Misuse or Failure to Display Plates. ?
I. Any person who knowingly attaches or permits to be attached to a vehicle a number plate assigned by the department, or authority of any other jurisdiction, to another vehicle or who knowingly obscures or permits to be obscured the figures or letters on any number plate attached to any vehicle or who knowingly and deliberately fails to display on a vehicle the number plates and the registration number duly issued therefor shall be guilty of a violation.
II. The fine for a violation of this section shall be $150.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/Rules/saf-c3200.html
(6) The numbers, characters or identification of the plates as New Hampshire plates shall not be covered up or obscured;

That's here. YMMV.

 

[Spineshank]

You cant be pulled over for tint in PA. That law changed a couple years ago. I have 20% on my car and havent had an issue.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi
They are but don't stop me and say its the tint when many cars come with tint. One time I got stop by cops from a different township and I asked the dude if it's illegal then why the hell do manufacturers install them. I proceeded to ask why stop me for tint when SUVs and minivans have them. His answer? "They come install by default." WTF ... ok so when i buoght my used car, the previous owner installed them, wtf is the different? It's still tint!

SUVs and minivans don't come with dark tint in the front windows, do they?

Tint in back windows is legal here. Not up front. Plate covers are illegal here, and yes, I have stopped for that.

Tint was not that dark, I have a buddy who has an SUV with tint and his are darker than mine. You can look inside my car and see my dashboard if you stood a few feet away from the car. But whatever, he was cool.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi
They are but don't stop me and say its the tint when many cars come with tint. One time I got stop by cops from a different township and I asked the dude if it's illegal then why the hell do manufacturers install them. I proceeded to ask why stop me for tint when SUVs and minivans have them. His answer? "They come install by default." WTF ... ok so when i buoght my used car, the previous owner installed them, wtf is the different? It's still tint!

SUVs and minivans don't come with dark tint in the front windows, do they?

Tint in back windows is legal here. Not up front. Plate covers are illegal here, and yes, I have stopped for that.

Tint was not that dark, I have a buddy who has an SUV with tint and his are darker than mine. You can look inside my car and see my dashboard if you stood a few feet away from the car. But whatever, he was cool.

PA law is 70% front and rear, no metallic/mirrored appearance.

Tinting in the rear windows will have more enforcement leeway but front has much less. From what it sounds like you have 25% or 35% on the front, which would be illegal in almost all states (even 35% law states measure net so your 35% film will measure more like 30%).

It's one of those risks you have to take for appearance. People like how it looks, cops hate it for security issues (dark tint can mask someone drawing a gun on a officer walking up)

If you take off the plate cover (illegal in most states) and the tint on the front side windows, you should never be harassed again for those issues.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: LuckyTaxi
They are but don't stop me and say its the tint when many cars come with tint. One time I got stop by cops from a different township and I asked the dude if it's illegal then why the hell do manufacturers install them. I proceeded to ask why stop me for tint when SUVs and minivans have them. His answer? "They come install by default." WTF ... ok so when i buoght my used car, the previous owner installed them, wtf is the different? It's still tint!

SUVs and minivans don't come with dark tint in the front windows, do they?

Tint in back windows is legal here. Not up front. Plate covers are illegal here, and yes, I have stopped for that.

Tint was not that dark, I have a buddy who has an SUV with tint and his are darker than mine. You can look inside my car and see my dashboard if you stood a few feet away from the car. But whatever, he was cool.

Front window tint is illegal in New Hampshire. If you're registered in NH and don't have a doctor's note for the tint, it's illegal. No "but you can see through it from xyz feet away" business. I can't speak for your state - but if your laws are similar to ours, it's no surprise that you were stopped for it.

 

[thereds]

Where's this 'high class area'? Bala?

 

[se7en]

EFFING gangsta's and their EFFING tint!!!

Got to watch them bro or they will tase you.

 

[dbk]

license covers are suspicious

 

[isekii]

Having tints all around is asking to get pulled over if you're not suppose to have tints in the front.

 

[HannibalX]

In Central FL lots of people have extremely dark (and illegal) tint on their cars but for the most part LE ignores it because it's really freaking hot here and the sun apparently sits about 30 feet off the ground. It does give police an opportunity to pull you over for something though if they suspect you of other things which pretty much makes them have a legitimate reason for stopping a huge portion of drivers. Like I said, from my experience they mostly ignore it because they understand people have the tint to keep their interiors from melting. A car's interior might reach 150F after sitting all day in the sun with the windows up. I used to leave a little oven thermometer in my car just to see what the temps would reach. Most days it was easily 130F with the windows cracked and would reach 150F all buttoned up.

I stick with the legal tint for my state which is 15% for the rear window and the rear side windows and 28% for the front side windows. I run 28% all around to keep a uniform look. Different levels of tint on different windows looks silly to me and 28% is plenty (for me). Whoever installs your tint (if you opt to have it installed) should provide you with a little sheet stating who installed it and what level is on what window so if you get stopped by the popo and he gives you shit about what he thinks your tint level is (without actually measuring it) you can yank that little sheet out and show him the facts.

Learn the individual tint laws for your state here.

 

[Fenixgoon]

in many states, front window tint is illegal, while side and rear range anywhere from unlimited to highly restricted tint levels. check up to make sure you're ok

also, don't admit to doing anything wrong to the cops

 

[amdhunter]

You're lucky he didn't put you in a coma.

Oink Oink.

 

[Boo Boo]

http://www.berksweb.com/users/dmv/tint/

 

[summit]

i doubt you got a red light camera ticket and were issued a warning.

 

[mugs]

WTF, why are you arguing with everyone in this thread?

Yes your license plate cover is probably illegal
Yes your tint could be illegal
No it doesn't matter if the tint was on the car when you bought it