I have a quick question. Is it that it's illegal to have them on there at ALL or is it illegal to be seen driving with them on. I had the impression that if you had the tints, but drove with the windows down, there was no problem. Kinda like underbody lights -- can use them while parked, cannot use while driving...

 

I believe that the way the law is written in California it just says tinted. For all that they know the windows could be removed and laying under your bed but if they're tinted more than 70.0% you get a ticket.

 

As said before, a cop needs probable cause to pull you over. Now, if having rear window tints serves as probable cause is a matter for the judge to decide, so that is the issue.

Also, if the car is parked, a cop cannot ticket you for your tints, as it is not illegal to HAVE the tints, but rather to DRIVE with them. I suppose that going by this, you could also say that "I have tints but always drive with my windows down!0" defense, but I don't think the judge would believe you. lol

Only other issue is a doctors note, most states will accept doctors notes for eye/skin sensitivity to light, so if you know any doctors who will write you a note then your home free.

 

Wow blaming the police for enforcing laws that your elected officials wrote never gets old (that is what the police are expected to do after all, isn't it). Blaming the police for catching you breaking the law comes in a close second though. I love it.

 

You could try to get a perscribtion from an eye doctor for window tint. My dads friend has a prescribtion for window tint for all his windows, encluding the front windsheld. And if gets pulled over he justs shows the officer the perscribtion

I go get my windows tinted in about 10mins from now.

 

Shows us a picture of your Z, I ve only been messed with before by the cops when i had my car riced up. This may be your case, they are profiling you and there's nothing anyone can do unless you are a policeman.

 

In California it is illegal to have ANY tint on either the driver side or the passeneger side front windows there is the PROBABLE CAUSE right there. You have the windows tinted, you broke the law now deal with it. The cop has every right to ask you to roll your windows up so he can see them. He doesn't have to give you a ticket for what he originaly pulled you over for, maybe he thought he was giving you a break with a fix it ticket? I spent 5 years in San Diego with tinted windows and got pulled over all the time for them. Sometimes the cops were cool, sometimes they were dicks, but when all was said and done I was the one that broke the law and I am the one that had to own up to it be it pay the ticket or get the tint removed (and reapplied afterwards).

 

Friend in Newport had every window on his escalade tinted, including the windshield, got pulled over all the time. after two times of having to get them removed, the tint shop started hooking him up and not charging him for the removal and reinstall; he just gave 20 bucks to whoever performed the services.

 

This seems to pop up every now and then.

Inspecting equipment on a vehicle is NOT a search. It is an inspection. Don't need a warant and you cannot refuse as long as you were stopped for a valid reason. Repeat, it is NOT a search. 4th Amendment does not apply here.

Most likely, the officer observed your side rear windows. If they appeared darker than legal, he has PC to stop you. The reason they ask you to roll up the side windows is because the device to measure tint levels needs to read both sides of the glass. You can refuse to roll up the windows all day long, but that's about as far as your argument goes. The officer is within his authority to require you to roll them up. When you drive your vehicle on a public roadway, you can be asked to prove your vehicle meets safety/traffic codes.

The story about the daytime running lights is not exactly true. Depends on where you live.

If you buy a vehicle from a dealer that already has illegal tint levels, you are responsible for it. Buyer beware. If you borrow a friend's vehicle with illegal tint, guess who gets the ticket? If the cop's an ***, or if you're an ***, you will.

It suprises me whenever I read about someone who knowingly makes an illegal modification to their vehicle then gets all upset when they get a citation for it. Everyone here is a grown up... If you do something that you know isn;t legally supposed to be done, then accept that you may get caught.