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any one know about window tinting

1K views 37 replies 24 participants last post by  JRSMAIL 
#1 ·
on a car of course.. does anyone have their front side windows tinted? i know its illegal in illinois, have you or anyone you know ever gotten in trouble for it?
 
#2 ·
I used to get in trouble. Then decided to simply get Wisconsin plates where it's legal and that was that. Last time I was pulled over he mentioned that I had tints but said he couldn't do anything since my plates were outta state.

Nice things about registering to Wisconsin.
- Tinting windows is ok.
- Only the county that the vehicle is kept in is asked so you can actually give your Illinois address (which I did) and all the renewal papers are sent to me here in IL
- Taxes on the car were 2% less.
- Plate renewal fee is cheaper.
 
#28 ·
Nice things about registering to Wisconsin.
- Tinting windows is ok.
- Only the county that the vehicle is kept in is asked so you can actually give your Illinois address (which I did) and all the renewal papers are sent to me here in IL
- Taxes on the car were 2% less.
- Plate renewal fee is cheaper.

Actually there is a tint law in WI. Cant tint the fronts unless its factory tint.

BTW the tint laws in WI change every 2 years. So whats legal one year may not be the next. After dealing with that crap I quit tinting mine.
 
#9 ·
I didn't even give them a WI address. For the address I filled in my IL address, but they have a specific question "County in which vehicle is kept in?" And for that I put my WI address county. But technically you don't need an address anywhere on the application. Just in case, what I did was attach a little note with the paperwork saying "Here's my WI address and where I keep the car majority of the year, but would like my paperwork to go to my IL address." They are ok with doing this, in fact I even verified it a couple times by calling in and asking. They accept this because a lot of IL folks have homes, boats, cars, and motorcycles up there...but reside primarily in IL while the boat or whatever is stored up there.
 
#5 ·
You can always get a doctors note. Lasik gone bad, over sensitive to sun what not. Then the note gets filed at the Secretary of state and is linked to your plate. Should you get pulled over for something else, the cop will know that the tinted glass is ok.
 
#10 ·
Doctors note no longer works. I looked into doing it that way and you must have received the note before '97 (approx) and then renew it each year. So if you got a docs note in 96, you're ok...but then if you forgot to renew it with the state (you must send it to the state), then you can no longer renew it and you're SOL. This was about a year or two ago when I checked it.
 
#6 ·
I have sun shades (rear is auto, the ones on the doors are manual) and the cops never say anything, but then again, my fronts have no tint, so its legal.
 
#8 ·
My dad got pulled over for it on his truck. It came on the truck when he bought it, so he never thought anything of it. Got pulled over one day, cop said he had to take it off, so he did and brought it in to court with before/after pics and the ticket was dropped.
 
#11 ·
I had tinted windows on my old 1993 Eclipse GSX. I didn't get a glance from the LEOs for almost two years. Then, in a span of like three months I got three tickets and one warning. Off came the front side tint but I kept the quarter windows and hatch tinted.

My 89 TTA has very dark tint but I hardly drive it. I'd like to get tinted windows on my black 95 Eclipse GSX, but as soon as it became my daily driver I lost that urge.
 
#12 ·
I have very dark tinted windows on a white car. I only get pulled over in shitty neighborhoods for my tint. I have a note on prescription pad from my eye surgen. I just show them, and they let me go. Hmmm, new job, now you want your windows tinted. I give her three months before we see a new bike.
 
#18 ·
actually, i want a new car (honda prelude 01) and then i want to tint the windows
 
#14 ·
It is kinds like telling someone with no legs to park in a regular parking spot, and tough it out. After I was hurt, I needed sunglasses AND tinted windows just to survive in a car. My wife had to lead me to the car because it was bright out. Some people need it, and others just abuse the system. Wanna fight over it Jim? I think you are about twice the size of me. And if you beat me up, my faveorite niece will no longer think you are hot. :jester
 
#17 ·
A while back a cop explained to me (I never verified this) was because a police officer approached a vehicle with tints back in the 70's or 80's. He was shot through the tinted windows and that got the ball rolling.
 
#21 ·
Tinting your windows give the Police a valid reason to stop you anywhere
at anytime and write you a ticket for window tinting.... and whatever
else you may be doing wrong at the time.

Been there, done that...... Bad Idea.

Tom
 
#25 ·
The cops will sometimes turn around and follow me or pull out when they see me pass them...but usually the second that they spot the WI plates, they simply turn off. I've had plenty of times when it's clear that they either pulled out to follow me specifically and they usually stop pretty quickly as well :)
 
#23 ·
yep, sounds like a bad plan, it just kind of sucks, cuz the preludes back windows are so small the tinting wont look as good, right now i have a ford probe and the rear side windows are huge, which has spoiled me with virtually no blind spot...
 
#26 ·
Or you can go really light (50's all around) and it should be fine (depending where you live). My buddy just had his front tint removed on his S4 since he got busted TWICE the same day (didn't help that he was speeding and crossed a double line, fucking numbnuts.). I say get em, but you have been warned...
 
#27 ·
Personally IF you do it, go the lightest tint and usaully you never get messed with. I have only been messed with when I had dark all the way around. Now I got dark on back windows and very light on front 2.

Oh your also only allowed a 6" strip on the front windshield, but I have always had 12" on mine.
 
#29 ·
My jetta windows are tinted fairly dark. I have been pulled over twice because of the windows - both times at night where it looks really dark (i.e. can't see in the car). Both times resulted in warnings.

Really it comes down to the officer's discretion.
 
#31 ·
Couple of clarifications:

Law was changed in 1982 after two officers were killed and one injured because of the tinted windows on a vehicle. Thus, the law is not applicable to vehicles older than 1982. However, if you purchased a 1982 or later vehicle after 1993, you can not tint the windows.

Amendatory Act of 1997 allows for treated individuals to have tinted windows based on physicians precription. However, proof can not be a "script" issued by a physician at the time of a traffic stop or court appearance. The same form used by the State of Illinois to honor a handicapped (not being able to walk unassisted for more than 500ft) driver is the same form that must be used to claim eye site or lack there of where they must be shielded by the sun's rays. This is not transferable from state to state either and all certificates will expire in January 2008.

Hope that clears up a few things.
 
#36 ·
I see you live in the burbs. Don't even think about doing it. Certain cities (i.e. Schaumburg) love to ticket for that stuff, others don't even bother.

I had about the lightest grade tint you could possible get on one of my trucks in college and I still caught grief from cops about it. A friend of mine received 2 tickets in the same day in Schaumburg for near-black tint on his car a few years back to.

I'd personally only tint the rear windows as you'll just be sending money to tint the fronts, then more money to pay the fines, and then more money/time to remove them later on.
 
#38 ·
I have tint on two of my vehicles and have never had a problem.

Drive though Schaumburg all the time, so I think it depends wheather the cop has something better to do or not.
 
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