Who lives in California and tints their windows (Car of course)

NaOH

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Mar 2, 2006
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I have a black car and just tinted the rear, side rear, and sun roof 5%. It is BLACK. I'm planning to tint the front sides and was wondering how it would look, and how easy it is to see. Discuss your experiences, thanks. The legal limit in cali for the front sides is 70% i think. I'm planning on getting 50%-60%. :evil:
 

Dragnov

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Apr 24, 2001
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It is illegal to tint your front side windows in California. Period.

Now whether they enforce it or not... usually no, but it still happens. Primarily when they pull you over for something else, it's just one more citation to add.
 

imported_goku

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Mar 28, 2004
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Yup, happened to my mom, she got a citation from some a-hole motorcycle cop about her tinted front windows.
 

NaOH

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Mar 2, 2006
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Originally posted by: Dragnov
It is illegal to tint your front side windows in California. Period.

Now whether they enforce it or not... usually no, but it still happens. Primarily when they pull you over for something else, it's just one more citation to add.

It is 70% sir.
 

I Saw OJ

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Dec 13, 2004
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I had 5% on my camaro and on my BMW, all the way around, it looked awesome. Never had any problems from the cops either. I want to do 5% on my Cobra but havnet had the time or money to do it.
 

NaOH

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Mar 2, 2006
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Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
I had 5% on my camaro and on my BMW, all the way around, it looked awesome. Never had any problems from the cops either. I want to do 5% on my Cobra but havnet had the time or money to do it.

Where do you live my friend?
 

pray4mojo

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Mar 8, 2003
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i did. i drive a black car as well and have the front sides tinted too but not too dark. i have my rears at 25% and my fronts at 35%. slightly mismatched but its not incredibly dark so its not obvious.
 

NaOH

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Mar 2, 2006
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Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
I had 5% on my camaro and on my BMW, all the way around, it looked awesome. Never had any problems from the cops either. I want to do 5% on my Cobra but havnet had the time or money to do it.

Where do you live my friend?


Nm. Damn, I'm suprised. My friends have been pulled over for their tint before too.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Originally posted by: Dragnov
It is illegal to tint your front side windows in California. Period.

Now whether they enforce it or not... usually no, but it still happens. Primarily when they pull you over for something else, it's just one more citation to add.

It is 70% sir.

Actually, no it's not. It must be clear (NO tint) and transmit 88% of the ambient light.
Here's the Kahleeforneeya Vehicle code (VC 26708) with the appropriate phrases in bold:

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.


If the cop wants to be a prick, you WILL get a ticket with 70%

 

I Saw OJ

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Dec 13, 2004
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Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
I had 5% on my camaro and on my BMW, all the way around, it looked awesome. Never had any problems from the cops either. I want to do 5% on my Cobra but havnet had the time or money to do it.

Where do you live my friend?


I live in California. I'm sure some cops are more lenient than others in different areas. It looks great on the car and also helps keep the inside a lot cooler.
 

NaOH

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Mar 2, 2006
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Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
I had 5% on my camaro and on my BMW, all the way around, it looked awesome. Never had any problems from the cops either. I want to do 5% on my Cobra but havnet had the time or money to do it.

Where do you live my friend?


I live in California. I'm sure some cops are more lenient than others in different areas. It looks great on the car and also helps keep the inside a lot cooler.

I really would want the sides to be 5% too. But I'm afraid of getting pulled over and wasting $80 to do the fronts. Plus the money to take them off and redone.
 

cleanerupper

Senior member
Mar 13, 2006
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I have 20% all around and it I live in Southern California. It is perfect darkness in my opinion, not too dark and not too light. Like from far away it hardly looks tinted but when you get closer it gets nice and dark looking. Cops don't seem to care about it.
 

I Saw OJ

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Dec 13, 2004
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Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
I had 5% on my camaro and on my BMW, all the way around, it looked awesome. Never had any problems from the cops either. I want to do 5% on my Cobra but havnet had the time or money to do it.

Where do you live my friend?


I live in California. I'm sure some cops are more lenient than others in different areas. It looks great on the car and also helps keep the inside a lot cooler.

I really would want the sides to be 5% too. But I'm afraid of getting pulled over and wasting $80 to do the fronts. Plus the money to take them off and redone.

Well there are ways to get a doctors note saying you are really sensitive to sunlight and you need the tint, that would make it legal.
 

NaOH

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Mar 2, 2006
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You sure, I heard that doesn't go over too well either.

Do you have pictures of your cars? Can you see anything when you look into the side front windows?
 

I Saw OJ

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
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I dont have any of my BMW, but I might be able to round up a couple of my Camaro.

With the 5% I had, if you were standing 2 feet away from the car looking right at the window you would not be able to see anything in the car. I loved it, I used to make faces at people sitting in traffic :D
 

pray4mojo

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Mar 8, 2003
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you can still see into my side front windows. it still blocks out the heat of the sun when driving though.
 

NaOH

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Mar 2, 2006
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Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
I dont have any of my BMW, but I might be able to round up a couple of my Camaro.

With the 5% I had, if you were standing 2 feet away from the car looking right at the window you would not be able to see anything in the car. I loved it, I used to make faces at people sitting in traffic :D

lol..nice. I think if anything I'll go with 20-30%. I don't have a luxury car (those usually seem to come from the factory really dark, i have civic), so tints on my car might catch more attention.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
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The legal limit for front windows in Cali is zero. Rear windows you can go as dark as you like but driver/passenger door you cannot tint at all.

Edit-I think illegal tint is now a moving violation in Cali.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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Some local cops and (IIRC) ALL CHP carry meters that they can measure the tint level with. It's no longer just a subjective "It looks too dark" thing.