You landed in this page because you want to know if in PA, the police can pull you over for window tint. Maybe you got a break and they issued you a warning. Maybe the police are requiring you to remove the window tint within 5 days to avoid a ticket.
Most likely, you are here because the police either searched your car, towed your car to search it or arrested you for DUI or what they found in the car after the window tint violation. If that is so, then you really have two concerns?
Was it legal to pull you over just for window tint?
Did the police use the window tint as a “pre-text” to search your car and then charge you?
Window tint laws in PA
It depends on:
what state the car is registered,
what windows were tinted, and
how much of a tint there was.
The initial answer is yes. If a car is registered in PA, then the police can pull you over for having non-factory installed tint on windows. But as usual with the law, it is much more complicated than that.
Under § 4524 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, it is illegal to drive with sunscreen of any kind that does not allow a person outside the car to see inside the front windshield or either of the front side windows.
It is an older law that survives to today. Lawmakers justify this law because police fear heavily tinted windows for “officer safety” as it conceals what is going on inside during a traffic stop. Also, police say that the window tint hides drug dealing or other illegal activities inside the car.
Exceptions to the PA window tint law
The statute includes two exceptions. First, driving with tinted windows that have been installed by the manufacturer according to specifications for hearses, ambulances, or government vehicles is not a window tint violation. Second, for medical reasons a motorist can apply for and get a “certificate of exemption” per the federal regulations. It must stay with the car at all times. If you have either of these, the police may still pull you over for tint. However, if you show the police officer your exemption, you should not be given a citation. The police should immediately stop the traffic stop.
But I bought the car like that…
Just because a used car dealership sells you a car with illegal window tinting is not an excuse under the law. Even though lots of shops install illegal window tint in PA, it is also not an excuse. Those stores do not have a duty to tell you what you want is illegal.
Lots of times police sit and wait at “high crime” or “high drug” or “high DUI” areas. They can racial profile or age profile or economically profile folks. They say that they pulled you over for window tint, but they are actually looking for drugs, firearms or a DUI. According to a 2016Case Western Reserve Law Reviewarticle “Thin Blue Lies,” these type of pre-text stops are rather frequent.
For example, the police will issue you a warning. Then, they ask for consent to search after they tell you that “you are free to go”. However, you are not really free. The police car lights are still on. Alternatively, the police car or cars have you completely boxed in so you cannot leave.
In another case, they tell you that you can’t drive the car off. They will have it towed for you. But they need to do an “inventory search” to look for valuables. Meanwhile, in reality, they are looking for drugs, weapons or illegal things.
Setting up a pre-text stop defense requires a lot of work by the attorney including:
investigating the officer’s background and training,
searching records for past tint warnings or citations and looking for searches,
pulling body camera recordings or dash camera records,
looking for rewards or incentives that the officer may have received for “getting drugs off the street” or “getting guns off the street,” and
pulling old police reports looking for patterns in defendants as well as time, dates and locations.
Additional recommended reading:
Free Guide to Drug Laws in PA (including max penalties)
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The short answer is yes. Law enforcement officers in Florida are authorized to pull you over if they believe your window tints violate the state's regulations. If an officer suspects that your tint is too dark or doesn't comply with the law, they may pull you over to conduct an inspection.
Yes.A police office can pull anyone over if they believe that the vehicle's windows are below the legal limit. As a resident of the state, you are expected to follow the laws of the state you are registered in. That said, the chances of getting pulled over purely for your window tint are slim.
Florida considers illegal window tint a primary offense, which means a law enforcement officer can pull you over solely for having tinted windows. This is a non-moving violation and may result in fines, penalties, and potential legal consequences.
It is important to note that there are medical exemptions for window tinting in Pennsylvania and reflective shades are prohibited. Non-compliance penalties include a fine and potential police stops. It is recommended to check specific regulations and limits based on vehicle type.
North Carolina law enforcement officers are tough on window tint in their state. If you're pulled over for an illegal level of darkness, it can result in a $50 fine plus court costs which total up to about $238 according to local DMV officials.
Window Tint Laws in Maryland state that you are legally allowed to have 35% VLT (visible light transmission) on your sides and rear windows of any 2-door coupe or 4 door sedan. Trucks and SUV's can darken their rear windows as much as they'd like as there isn't any laws set for the rear windows for trucks and SUV's.
On the vehicle's front side windows, tint must allow for 70% light transmission, so 30% tint is the maximum. For the vehicle's side rear windows, any level of tint is allowed, and this applies to the rear windshield as well.
Make copies of documents you want to present as evidence so you can pass copies to the judge and prosecutor and also keep one for yourself. If you provide sufficient evidence that your tint does indeed comply with state law, and the officer was mistaken in pulling you over, your ticket will be dismissed.
In Florida, the legal limits for auto window tinting are as follows: Front Side Windows: The tint must allow at least 28% visible light transmission (VLT). Back Side Windows and Rear Window: The tint must allow more than 15% VLT.
What does 70% windshield tint look like? 70% tint for the most part is unnoticeable once installed. If compared side by side to a non-tinted window, you can then tell the difference, but on it's own it appears clear. 70% tint often a have a bluish hue to them.
Windshield: Must allow more than 70% of light in, any darkness on top 3 inches. Front Side windows: Must allow more than 70% of light in. Back Side windows: Any darkness can be used. Rear window: Any darkness can be used.
To apply for a medical exemption or for questions regarding the medical exemption process, contact PennDOT's Medical Unit at (717) 787-9662. Questions regarding window tint materials may be directed to PennDOT's Vehicle Inspection Division at (717) 787-2895.
Tinted windows cannot measure darker than 32 percent with a North Carolina-approved window tint meter. The tint on a windshield cannot extend more than 5 inches below the top of the windshield or below the AS1 line of the windshield, whichever is longer.
In North Carolina, passenger vehicles must have a VLT of 35% on all windows. Windshields may only have tint on the top 5 inches (AS1 line) and must not be reflective. Truck, SUV, and Vans must have a VLT of 35% on front windows and can have any darkness on the back and rear windows.
Medical exemptions for window tint in North Carolina require documentation from a licensed physician or optometrist. The application process involves submitting a form, physician statement, and associated fees to the DMV.
Maryland's legal tint permitted for sedans: Windshield: 35% VLT that is non-reflective is allowed on the AS-1 mark or the top 5 inches. Front side windows: Must let more than 35% light in. Backside windows: Must let more than 35% light in.
For cars, station wagons, and convertibles, all windows must allow at least 35% light transmittance (VLT). On the other hand, for vans, class E Trucks, and multipurpose vehicles, windows on the front two doors must have at least 35% light transmittance, while all other windows can be tinted to any degree.
Tinting on all standard sedan vehicles must allow at least 35% of light to pass through the tinted windows. Amber, yellow, and red tinted windows are not allowed by law. Only the top 5 inches of a windshield are permitted to be tinted.
During your Maryland state inspection, they will check your window tint to make sure that it follows Maryland tinting regulations. The basic guideline is that windows can have window tint added to allow up to 35% light in.
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