
- #TINTED WINDOW LAW IN CALIFORNIA DRIVER#
- #TINTED WINDOW LAW IN CALIFORNIA CODE#
- #TINTED WINDOW LAW IN CALIFORNIA WINDOWS#
35 window tint: A 35 window tint gives your window a dark appearance. 20 window tint: Though it is difficult, you can see through a window with a 20 tint if you are close enough. For most vehicles, this percentage is illegal, though there are some exceptions, such as for limousines. The lower the % of the tint, the darker your window will be as the VLT is referring to the amount of light being let in. 5 window tint: You cannot see through a 5 window tint. The percentage of light allowed through your film and glass in California is very specific and different for passenger car such as a sedan vs a multi-purpose passenger and recreational vehicle.
#TINTED WINDOW LAW IN CALIFORNIA WINDOWS#
The percent of visible light allowed through your car windows is called VLT: Visible Light Transmission.
#TINTED WINDOW LAW IN CALIFORNIA DRIVER#
The third time a driver is stopped for violating the state’s window tint law, they can be hit with a civil infraction and fined $197, with subsequent stops seeing higher fines and moving into criminal territory. A second window tint violation can result in a small $25 fine and more stringent orders to remove the illegal window tint. Proof the tint was removed may need to offered to avoid a fine or other punishment. This is nothing more than a warning that tells the driver that the vehicle is not in compliance with CA tint law and mandates the motorist to have the problem addressed rapidly. Many officers often issue a “fix-it-ticket” to first time window tint offenders. If a motorist is stopped for failing to comply with California window tint law, a police officer has the discretion to take a number of different actions. Penalties for Non-Compliance with Window Tint Laws in CaliforniaĪ car, truck, or SUV can be pulled over by an officer merely because the officer suspects the tint may be to dark – it is not a secondary offense, in other words, but can be primary. However, if the rear windshield of any vehicle is tinted, it must have dual side mirrors in good condition. The front windows, on both the driver and. California car window tinting laws place no restrictions on the darkness of the tint on the rear windshield and rear side windows of a vehicle. Windows behind the driver can be as dark as you desire, that includes the rear window and the rear passenger windows. The California window tint laws requirements are for a vehicle’s front windshield and front side windows to have a 70% VLT or lighter. (Note that in terms of total VLT, we refers to the amount of light passing through the auto glass as well as the tint film later applied, so be extra cautious with aftermarket window tint if your vehicle already has some tinting to the windows.)


Thus tint rated at 90% is on the lighter side and is easy to see through, while a tint with a 5% VLT appears almost entirely black. The amount of visible light that passes through the window of an automobile is referred to as Visible Light Transmission (VLT) percentage.
#TINTED WINDOW LAW IN CALIFORNIA CODE#
Take care to check all laws and consult your California window tint installer before a new tint job, and know you may only have a limited time to get a car to meet California window tint code if you have brought the vehicle from another state with different car tinting rules. How Dark Can Car Tint Be in California and Be Legal?Ĭalifornia window tint laws are quite specific when it comes to limiting the percentage of window tint darkness and the window tint reflection an automobile is allowed to legally have.
