Front Tint Illegal In MI? What!?!?

[Jennifer6525]

I went today to get some info on tint and stripes and the guy tells me that it is illegal in Michigan to have your front windows tinted.I can understand rules about having them too dark but not at all? What's up with that? I'm still going to get them done though,the guy said that he would do 50% on the front and slightly darker on the back windows.I'm not too crazy about really dark tint on the back and lighter on the front,I like it pretty much the same all the way around.He quoted me at $160 for the tint and between $350 and $400 for the stripes-- 10 " ,going from the hood to the end of the trunk,not sure about the space in between though.So anyways,I'm going to drop it off next week for the tint and then hopefully get the stripes within a month--gotta save some money first.

I guess I have rambled enough.Questions,comments,nasty remarks?

 

[stanmckinney]

Sounds a bit expensive to me. States have laws about tints. Kentucky, where I live, permits a tint but there is a maximum. Any dealer who knowingly violates the law faces a fine. If you are caught with an illegal tint you face a fine and removal of your tint. The guy who does stuff like this for me has a decal that goes on the door stating the tint is legal.
The reasons for the limits are simple. Police need to be able to see in the car. If they can't there could be real danger. A good friend of mine, a state trooper, was shot and killed by a motorist.
Thus, there are good reasons for a limit on a tint.
By the way, may car is just like yours but has a spoiler.

 

[05PhillyStang]

this may sound really stupid, but maybe he meant no tint ont the windsheild???

Make sure that by "front windows" he is referring to driver's side and passenger side windows

 

[sacha]

this may sound really stupid, but maybe he meant no tint ont the windsheild???

Make sure that by "front windows" he is referring to driver's side and passenger side windows

Good call - when I read the post, I thought you were referring to the windshield as "the front". I doubt that it would be illegal to tint the side windows (no matter where you live).

 

[BradC]

California also has a law against the front driver and passenger windows being tinted at all. It used to be a fix-it ticket (where you pay $50 or whatever and have to provide paperwork proving that you got the tint removed) but the I've heard that the law recently changed and now it's a moving violation.

 

[stanmckinney]

Kentucky limits the tint on the windows and virtually no tint is allowed on the windshield except at the very top.

 

[Bighunter4x4]

Jennifer,

I also live in Michigan and have a buddy that runs a tint shop and another buddy thats a deputy. The front side windows can onlt have 4 inches of tint at the top. Of course some people stretch it a bit but the cops usually leave you alone as long as they can see inside your vehicle. Probably to see if you wearing your safety belt HAHA. The only way to get around that is to have an eye doctor give you a script saying your sensitive to light but you will still have to put up with getting pulled over, especially where I live. I hope this helps.

 

[fordraceing_man]

yeah i also live in michigan and bighunter is right your only aloud to have 4inches of the top pass and driver windows tinted.

they say its unnessary because michigan isn't considered a sunshine state.

 

[Jennifer6525]

Jennifer,

I also live in Michigan and have a buddy that runs a tint shop and another buddy thats a deputy. The front side windows can onlt have 4 inches of tint at the top. Of course some people stretch it a bit but the cops usually leave you alone as long as they can see inside your vehicle. Probably to see if you wearing your safety belt HAHA. The only way to get around that is to have an eye doctor give you a script saying your sensitive to light but you will still have to put up with getting pulled over, especially where I live. I hope this helps.

I guess I'll talk to the tint guy more next week and make a final decision then.If I decide against it then I guess I am $160 closer to getting my stripes done.

 

[SLOW 97]

I just tinted my windows myself. I bought some ghetto limo tint film from PepBoys. Tinting your windows is a huge pain in the @$$!!! Through frustation and expletives, I'm fairly good at it now. Nobody here in IL would do my front windows either so I figured I better do it myself. I know im going to get pulled over a lot now, but I usually drive with my windows down anyway. It looks awesome now. IMO it looks stupid when people obey the law and dont tint the front windows. My buddy gets pulled over at least once a week in his Camaro for tints but he refuses to give in. The cops claim its so they can see in and make sure you aren pulling out a weapon. Im with BigHunter, they just want to be able to enforce their "Click it or Stick it... i mean uh Ticket" campaign we have here so cities can rake in some more revenue.

 

[4511.21]

FACT: Reason for tint laws in Ohio is for officer safety. You have no idea what it's like walking up to vehicles...not knowing if a barrel of a gun is inches away from your midsection...but you can't see it because of the tint.

I understand the practicality of tint as well...for heat reduction. But there are more important things to worry about than being hot...like officers lives.

And about the seatbelt thing...Seatbelt law in Ohio is a secondary violation...officers can't pull people over just because they're not wearing the seat belt.

 

[FIRE GT]

How many people do you know actually leave the windows up after being pulled over? (Hard to see in) If you do get pulled over, roll 'em all down so the cop can see inside...at least you can make him/her feel more at ease.

Then deal with the "illegal tint" issue.

I had my '86 GT tinted and my '93 Bronco - both below the legal tint allowed and was never pulled over for it - but that's in CT... I always had the back window tinted the darkest I could - which made the side windows look 'light enough'.

 

[stanmckinney]

I had a friend, a state trooper murdered by a motorist. The tint IS a big deal for officer safety. Do you want to tell his family otherwise?

 

[gp001]

http://www.iwfa.com/iwfa/consumer_info/auto_statelaws.html

 

[Mossberg]

I understand the safety argument and all, but what about SUVs? Does it really make a difference which windows are tinted when it comes to safety? A person in the back seat of a factory tinted SUV can point a gun just as easy as someone in the front of a passenger car. What's the difference of what windows are tinted or not? It really makes no difference in safety from having the back tinted or the front. Besides, they shine that bright ass light and flashlight on the car anyway at a stop and that lights up the darkest tint! jk

 

[4511.21]

Mossberg,

My spotlight, brights, takedowns and maglight are pretty bright. However, they do NOT light up the inside of every car. And we are not always talking about nighttime...the daytime stops are even harder to see in sometimes. There are a ton of variables too (i.e. angle of the cars, elevation difference, type of vehicle, weather, etc.). Some tint it is too dark and some is reflective to varying degrees.

It does make a difference...having any of the windows tinted makes it more dangerous. Just because SUV's have it in the rear windows...doesn't mean it should be allowed for coupes/front windows to have tint. Obviously you always have someone in the front seat when you pull a vehicle over...as opposed to the rear seats. I don't know why the whole rear window factory exclusion is allowed. And anyone who questions the tint laws...walk in an officers shoes and see how you feel after you pull a few cars over.

 

[bigcat]

whats the big deal? i had 5% on my truck and when i got pulled over, i roll the windows down....then A: they can see in your vehicle and B: they cant see that you have 5% tint.....

 

[stanmckinney]

You want the address of my friend's family so you can write them and ask them about the need for police officer's to be able to see drivers? Let's use some common sense, folks.

 

[Mossberg]

Common sense is doing like others with tinted windows have mentioned. I roll down my windows (even in the rain) and I also turn on both of my dome light switches. That way it is no mystery for the cop who walks up on my cars. The tint should not be an issue if this is done at a stop.

I believe that a tint ticket should be written for not having your windows down and not just because someone has it on their vehicle. When someone doesn't roll down their tinted windows at a stop, that is pretty much the only time when the officer safety arguement works. But, I do understand your views about the safety topic of tint.

 

[Lime05owner]

Dude...is "cool" really worth someones life?
Not only that but in my area the cars that have the black limo tent on their windows are such crappy cars that I assume the dark tint is so no one will recognize them.

Jay