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NorCal: Do cops care about tint?

AR11

Ready to race!
Location
CA
I've never had tinted windows before but am considering it for heat control and to be discrete when I have my bike inside. I don't like the look of having darkly tinted rear and clear front windows. I'm considering getting a light-ish tint of the same percentage all the way around (no windshield). I am considering something like 50% (maybe 70%).

What is the general consensus about tints in norcal/bay area? Now that I'm paying attention to other cars I notice that many have tinted front windows. Do cops ticket for this often? My car is not otherwise a cop magnet - it is red but stock exhaust and wheels and no exterior modifications.

Thanks for your input
 

ogrisker

Ready to race!
Location
California
I've never had tinted windows before but am considering it for heat control and to be discrete when I have my bike inside. I don't like the look of having darkly tinted rear and clear front windows. I'm considering getting a light-ish tint of the same percentage all the way around (no windshield). I am considering something like 50% (maybe 70%).

What is the general consensus about tints in norcal/bay area? Now that I'm paying attention to other cars I notice that many have tinted front windows. Do cops ticket for this often? My car is not otherwise a cop magnet - it is red but stock exhaust and wheels and no exterior modifications.

Thanks for your input

Cant really say. Depends on their mood. CHP is the worst though...
 

DiscusInferno

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Kalifornia
I don't know about norcal, but SoCal, I haven't had issues with 35% front tint (which is technically illegal).

If you want better heat rejection, pay more money for ceramic-based tint.

With all of the KRON4 news "People behaving badly" segments, I don't recall much emphasis on tint by the cops.
 

flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
Cant really say. Depends on their mood. CHP is the worst though...

I'd agree with this. It's not really NorCal specific, but in SoCal EVERYONE it seems like has dark as night tint and I doubt they are getting pulled over for it.

That said CHP got me once on a morning commute, got me for everything he could while he was at it. When I went to get the ticket "fixed" and pay the fine, the Sheriffs said they knew the officer was pulling over everyone, said he even ticketed one of their moms for tint, and they zero'd out my ticket and sent me on my way.

I'm rocking 35% ceramic all the way around with 90% "air" tint on the front. It's worth it for the heat reduction alone. 50% would be even lighter, go for it. Or do 70% only on your front side windows, they are the only ones can't be tinted at all, plus the front windshield.
 

DarkArrow

Drag Racing Champion
Location
OC
Car(s)
'18 R
I've never been pulled over for tint in CA. From my understanding, don't drive like a jackass, and cops won't harass you for stupid stuff like tint (of course there are exceptions, like the officer has a bad day or what flipflp said). Also, if you do get pulled over, turn off the car, roll down both front windows, turn on your dome light if it's night time, and put your hands on the wheel so they can easily be seen by the officer as he approaches the window. Tint laws in CA are mainly for officer safety so they can see inside the car as they approach the driver. If the car is off, they know you aren't going to run and with the windows down and hands clearly in view, they know you don't have a weapon. The cop will be more at ease and the safer they feel the better chance you have of them treating you politely and being more lenient with you.
 

ayao

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
CA
I've never been pulled over for tint in CA. From my understanding, don't drive like a jackass, and cops won't harass you for stupid stuff like tint (of course there are exceptions, like the officer has a bad day or what flipflp said). Also, if you do get pulled over, turn off the car, roll down both front windows, turn on your dome light if it's night time, and put your hands on the wheel so they can easily be seen by the officer as he approaches the window. Tint laws in CA are mainly for officer safety so they can see inside the car as they approach the driver. If the car is off, they know you aren't going to run and with the windows down and hands clearly in view, they know you don't have a weapon. The cop will be more at ease and the safer they feel the better chance you have of them treating you politely and being more lenient with you.

When I was in the tint shop recently a guy was in there getting his front tint removed because of a fix-it ticket. This is NorCal.
 

TCdaosithui

Ready to race!
Location
SoCal
I've never been pulled over for tint in CA. From my understanding, don't drive like a jackass, and cops won't harass you for stupid stuff like tint (of course there are exceptions, like the officer has a bad day or what flipflp said). Also, if you do get pulled over, turn off the car, roll down both front windows, turn on your dome light if it's night time, and put your hands on the wheel so they can easily be seen by the officer as he approaches the window. Tint laws in CA are mainly for officer safety so they can see inside the car as they approach the driver. If the car is off, they know you aren't going to run and with the windows down and hands clearly in view, they know you don't have a weapon. The cop will be more at ease and the safer they feel the better chance you have of them treating you politely and being more lenient with you.


This is true everywhere. Just pray if you're next to a cop with your dark tinted windows up!

Windows down when they stop you, so they can see you, your hands, and your passenger(s)!
I am afraid it doesn't matter how dark your tint is!
 

thrillho

Ready to race!
Location
San Jose, CA
Car(s)
2018 GTI SE DSG
I've been rocking 60% ceramic tints on my 2 front windows (no windshield) and 5% on my 3 back windows for 7 months so far and no ticket yet. Even had cops right behind me at lights and next to me. Maybe San Jose cops don't care unless its 5% in the front.
 

edrex

Ready to race!
Location
NorCal
CHP is the worst though...

Driven cars for 15 years in North Bay Area with front window tint and the only time I've ever been ticketed was by a CHP while driving city streets. He pulled me over at 3am hoping for a DUI and I guess he had to settle for a tinted window ticket lol

Also, instead of pulling the tint off to get the ticket signed off I just paid the higher fine to make it go away. That was still less than paying to have tint removed and then put back on later.
 

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
I'm in the San Jose/Santa Clara area, I have 35 on front and 18 in rear (SunTek CXP) and I have not been hassled in 6 years here with tint on 3 different cars.

My wife got pulled over for speeding about 3 years ago and the cop asked her about hers, 35% all the way around (SunTek Carbon) and she smartly said, "Oh I have no idea about the tint. We bought the car this way." He didn't bat an eye and didn't say anything more about it.
 
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