So I took my 08 Nismo with about 9,000 miles on it to get the yearly state inspection last week. The inspector barely spent five minutes with it. He basically started it, played with the turn signals and wipers, and that was it.

Not that I'm complaining but I've been through inspections where the guy looked under the hood, turned on the defroster, lifted the car to closely inspect the brakes and suspension, checked the tire tread, etc.

I have dark tints (35%), LED turn signals, and my ride height is probably below legal spec (even though I'm still on factory springs and shocks) and again, not a complaint, but I can't help but smile at how little attention was paid to inspecting the actual safety or legality of my car.

 

lol its a brand new car

 

yea same here if you tell them it came that way and it's not riced out 9/10 your golden

 

Md is a different story since its only a one time thing. Inspectors can lose their license if they don't tell you to take window tint off and etc.

 

35% is legal here in MD, but without measuring it, like Chen said SI's will tell you to remove it.

 

Yep but in MD when cars get inspected even if you have the legal limit on, some inspectors will still ask you to remove it. Most don't as long as its legal.

 

Legal in MD but illegal here in VA.

 

35% is illegal in va really thats crazy

 

Inspector looked at my car prior to even driving it in. He said, "Too low, won't even make it in the bay... this $hit legal?"

"Of course it's legal." (I mean... what exactly did he want me to say? No it's not legal? LOL)

"Okay you pass."

"Well that was easy." Totally neglecting my test pipes, twin turbos, illegal headlights/taillights tint, lights, suspension mods, and the whole 9 yards.

 

You could fail a brand new car for inspection if you went by the books.

 

Actually....window tint is NOT an inspection item in VA but it is illegal on the side glass if darker than 50%. The only mention of tint in the inspection guide is on the windshield and it cannot extend more than 4 inches below top of windshield.

The tint issue in VA is a Virginia State POLICE issue. They have determined that too dark side window tint is a danger to their troopers when approaching the driver in a vehicle they have pulled over. They don't care about the back window at all.

Believe me, I know all about this as I did some research after getting a few tickets when I had 20% on my Vette.

 

If you roll down your window prior to him reaching your driver's side door, does that rule still apply?

 

Well you gotta be quick with the buttons! One time I got stopped, I had passed a Trooper going to other direction on a 4 lane highway. He turned around and came after me and said.... "your windows looked mighty dark when I passed you". Then they pull out the meter and you're screwed then. Once mine measured 13% LOL!

 

yeah, my inspection was similar. they also typo'ed the damn vin number and listed my car as a four door 350z.

 

^ I had a trooper do the same thing. He pulls me over and said "your tint *looks* dark." Now that's a lot of effort to be busting a U-Turn on a 4 lane highway. He must've been real bored.

I got stopped by a trooper once and he typed in the wrong Driver's License # and actually told me, "Since you have a good record, I'll let you off."

 

ive been pulled over for having 20% tint on my front windshield in my 240..a little too dark i guess...he busted a big u-turn to get me to. It was a park police.I think he was just pressed.

 

i think they only inspect old cars

 

Well everything is illegal here in VA!!!

 

Anything on the windshield is illegal....except for the little strip, which legal is down 4in.

 

In maryland most window tint wont pass certification (which has to be done at your local DMV) unless its 40% or higher. Factory tint accounts for 3-10% on most cars, so even if you buy 35%, you'll more than likely register below 35%. I had mine metered and it came to 27%, so I have 30-35% tint on my car. I told the SI the certification slip was in my cupholder, he found $50, I passed!

MD state police do not have the right to pull you over soley for dark tint anymore, they can pull you over for "speeding" or whatever and then issue you a fix-it-ticket for the tint at which point you'll have to get it metered and removed etc.