[San Antonio]: State Inspection connection?!??!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,204
Likes: 32
From: San Antonio/I miss DFW, TX
So, any one in SA have the connection with someone that can do car state inspection.
My issue is the tint darkness....
I'm not pealing off my tint just to get a $14.50 inspection..
Texas limit is 25% Im told and my Z and Titan both read 22% with their lil ghey meter too...
-J
I found this online:
How dark can window tint be in Texas:
Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed along the top of the windshield above the manufacturer's AS-1 line.
Front Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in.
Back Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in.
Rear Window: Any darkness can be used.
Sticker Requirements: The sticker to identify legal tinting is required between the film & glass on the driver’s side window.

My issue is the tint darkness....
I'm not pealing off my tint just to get a $14.50 inspection..

Texas limit is 25% Im told and my Z and Titan both read 22% with their lil ghey meter too...
-J
I found this online:
How dark can window tint be in Texas:
Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed along the top of the windshield above the manufacturer's AS-1 line.
Front Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in.
Back Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in.
Rear Window: Any darkness can be used.
Sticker Requirements: The sticker to identify legal tinting is required between the film & glass on the driver’s side window.
I'm up in Dallas and I went to some ghetto Mexican shop to get my inspection done.
But damn... you only pay $14.50 for inspection? It costs like ~$30-40 up in Dallas.
I just pulled up with my windows rolled down. My front windshield is tinted 70%, but I just told the shop I have UV blocking film and to be careful when removing my old sticker. They were just like no problem we take care of you
But damn... you only pay $14.50 for inspection? It costs like ~$30-40 up in Dallas.
I just pulled up with my windows rolled down. My front windshield is tinted 70%, but I just told the shop I have UV blocking film and to be careful when removing my old sticker. They were just like no problem we take care of you
15$ is pretty cheap for state inspection. Most places if you leave your windows rolled down they wouldn't even bother pulling up. That's really ghey. If you come to Dallas I know a guy. It's like 70$ though.
Travis took me to a place in Irving and I only paid regular price. 
There's no reason for Jason to come to Dallas and pay more for an inspection though.
Roll your windows down, unplug the switches on the driver door. IF they ask tell them your windows don't roll up because it's a track car.

There's no reason for Jason to come to Dallas and pay more for an inspection though.

Roll your windows down, unplug the switches on the driver door. IF they ask tell them your windows don't roll up because it's a track car.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,204
Likes: 32
From: San Antonio/I miss DFW, TX
ya, when i used to live in dallas they do the smog check or whatever and standard inspection cost in tarrant county, etc is 40 bucks...but the places i went too were cool with tint...i would go to a few places near my work and tell them before anything, "hey, is tint an issue, if not i gotta go somewhere else"..and they would say its no problem..
- Im not sure what the issue is, but here in San Antonio they are really cracking down on tint and they will not pass you if you dont have it above 25%.....luckily its "no pass no pay" but either way before i even begin i ask them "hey, my tint is dark, can you do it or i have to go somewhere else", and so far every single place will not do it..... which is surprising.
They all tell me "NO".......something must have happened legally wise, cause this was never a problem before....
They are all adamant about tint being in spec or they wont inspect.....
maybe its me, they no likey...
-J
- Im not sure what the issue is, but here in San Antonio they are really cracking down on tint and they will not pass you if you dont have it above 25%.....luckily its "no pass no pay" but either way before i even begin i ask them "hey, my tint is dark, can you do it or i have to go somewhere else", and so far every single place will not do it..... which is surprising.
They all tell me "NO".......something must have happened legally wise, cause this was never a problem before....
They are all adamant about tint being in spec or they wont inspect.....
maybe its me, they no likey...
-J
Last edited by JasonZ-YA; Jul 2, 2013 at 06:25 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,204
Likes: 32
From: San Antonio/I miss DFW, TX
This is what it looks like....
Front windows of an (05+) XTERRA:

see how the factory Xterra tint is 73% already, so if you go get 35% tint, it "can" drop it down to under 25% easily...
Its smoke from the factory...
The rear windows of an (05+) Xterra:

so, when you get 35% tint on the front, paired with the smoke glass from the factory, the after effect is both are very very close, front may be 20% - 24% and the rear you dont need to tint since its already 22%....so you get the 35% "legal" sticker on the front window, but when you actually go to get an inspection the inspector doesnt want to pass you because his meter reads under 25% due to the factory smoke glass + 35% tint...
the vehicle looks good, because both front and back are so close in %percentage% that front and rear windows darn near match....
its kinda a pickle..its the same for my Titan..smoke glass + tint is less than 25% reading...FML!
-J
Front windows of an (05+) XTERRA:

see how the factory Xterra tint is 73% already, so if you go get 35% tint, it "can" drop it down to under 25% easily...
Its smoke from the factory...
The rear windows of an (05+) Xterra:

so, when you get 35% tint on the front, paired with the smoke glass from the factory, the after effect is both are very very close, front may be 20% - 24% and the rear you dont need to tint since its already 22%....so you get the 35% "legal" sticker on the front window, but when you actually go to get an inspection the inspector doesnt want to pass you because his meter reads under 25% due to the factory smoke glass + 35% tint...
the vehicle looks good, because both front and back are so close in %percentage% that front and rear windows darn near match....
its kinda a pickle..its the same for my Titan..smoke glass + tint is less than 25% reading...FML!
-J
Last edited by JasonZ-YA; Jul 2, 2013 at 06:48 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,204
Likes: 32
From: San Antonio/I miss DFW, TX
There "use to be" nothing illegal with the Nissan BACK windows being 22%...that reading means only 22 percent of light is getting through per that VLT% meter.....
See most states didn't care about the BACK windows..except i have seen that Texas and others now have the rear back roll up windows as 25%, when it used to be like Utah and say "any darkness can be used"......
That being said - it is a concern now because i myself am having issues getting a plain jane state inspection.....i have been to a few places and they dont want to inspect my Nissan because they say my tint is too dark -
-im like, in the rears - "look dude, there is no tint at all" its factory smoke glass"...
-either way they tell me NO and one guy at one place said, you may wanna look into having that glass replaced with clear" i was like "WTF"....
---AND, given that the front is 73% from the factory, you have to find a tint guy that will install tint onto the already 73% smoke factory glass that wont fall under the 25% mark, so, essentially you have to find a tint guy with a very light 48% or higher tint instock to install on your car, and nearly all tint shops only carry 35% tint....(meaning 35% legal compliant not light vlt%, so who knows its actual vlt unless i get some tint and put it on clear glass and use a vlt% meter to test it)......
So for example, my 35% tint Xterra and Nissan Titan on my factory 73% front windows still somehow yields under 25% VLT% on their dammn meters for my fronts too......its silly because i have the legal decal saying its 35% compliant..
TEXAS:
How dark can window tint be in Texas?
Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed along the top of the windshield above the manufacturer's AS-1 line.
Front Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in.
Back Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in. - FACTORY is 22% so now what???!??!?
Rear Window: Any darkness can be used.
Sticker Requirements: The sticker to identify legal tinting is required between the film & glass on the driver’s side window. - i have the damn sticker!!
UTAH:
How dark can window tint be in Utah?
Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed along the top of the windshield above the manufacturer's AS-1 line.
Front Side Windows: Must allow more than 43% of light in.
Back Side Windows: Any darkness can be used.
Rear Window: Any darkness can be used.
See most states didn't care about the BACK windows..except i have seen that Texas and others now have the rear back roll up windows as 25%, when it used to be like Utah and say "any darkness can be used"......
That being said - it is a concern now because i myself am having issues getting a plain jane state inspection.....i have been to a few places and they dont want to inspect my Nissan because they say my tint is too dark -
-im like, in the rears - "look dude, there is no tint at all" its factory smoke glass"...
-either way they tell me NO and one guy at one place said, you may wanna look into having that glass replaced with clear" i was like "WTF"....
---AND, given that the front is 73% from the factory, you have to find a tint guy that will install tint onto the already 73% smoke factory glass that wont fall under the 25% mark, so, essentially you have to find a tint guy with a very light 48% or higher tint instock to install on your car, and nearly all tint shops only carry 35% tint....(meaning 35% legal compliant not light vlt%, so who knows its actual vlt unless i get some tint and put it on clear glass and use a vlt% meter to test it)......
So for example, my 35% tint Xterra and Nissan Titan on my factory 73% front windows still somehow yields under 25% VLT% on their dammn meters for my fronts too......its silly because i have the legal decal saying its 35% compliant..
TEXAS:
How dark can window tint be in Texas?
Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed along the top of the windshield above the manufacturer's AS-1 line.
Front Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in.
Back Side Windows: Must allow more than 25% of light in. - FACTORY is 22% so now what???!??!?
Rear Window: Any darkness can be used.
Sticker Requirements: The sticker to identify legal tinting is required between the film & glass on the driver’s side window. - i have the damn sticker!!
UTAH:
How dark can window tint be in Utah?
Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed along the top of the windshield above the manufacturer's AS-1 line.
Front Side Windows: Must allow more than 43% of light in.
Back Side Windows: Any darkness can be used.
Rear Window: Any darkness can be used.
Last edited by JasonZ-YA; Jul 2, 2013 at 07:21 AM.
I thought back windows can be any darkness. J I think that's a sign that it's time to move back here. Hope you get it all figured out. I hate when they nitpick little stuff like tint at inspections.
i got a ticket in SA when i had my truck, state trooper pulled me over saw her walking up with tht meter and i told her it would read 5%... had limo all the way around, and it actually read 4%
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Colombo
Forced Induction
35
Nov 9, 2020 10:27 AM











