window tint laws in CA

[Guest OSI]

hey guys. I just got a stupid window tint ticket a few days ago. My front windows are tinted pretty dark (and they're not supposed to be). Anyways, I got the ticket in La Puente, CA. The ticket says "obstruction of view" and that the violation wasn't correctable. You guys know how much the fine is, or should I risk it and fight it hoping the cop won't show up that day in court?

[Guest 280ZForce]

im pretty sure it's gonna be around $100+, but why he put non-correctible is beyond me cuz that should be a $10 fix it ticket. so he mustve been an arse to do that

[Guest OSI]

dam... $100+

[Guest 280ZForce]

yeah , i wanna say it's prolly in the $140 range, but I think the fee differs between counties.

[ZDrifter]

Take the tint off, get proof its off the car and take it to court. Dont get an attitude in court just tell the judge the story and tell him you took it off with no problem.

[Guest 280ZForce]

Take the tint off, get proof its off the car and take it to court. Dont get an attitude in court just tell the judge the story and tell him you took it off with no problem.

Yeah, then hopefully they'll let you only pay the $10 fix it fee and then you can go get it redone.

[Guest OSI]

thing is... the ticket says it's not correctable for some reason. should I still take the tint off anyways?

[SuperPickle]

Yes, for at least two reasons. One, the judge (who is a person) will most likely work with you on it and let you off easy. Two, some other officer will give you another ticket later on.

 

On a side note, in order to be compliant with the CA tint law, the windows directly to each side or in front of the driver can't be tinted. Exceptions are VERY faint tint (can't say how much off of the top of my head), and the top four inches of the wind shield. In my opinion, you're car would look better if the windows match all around, be it faint tint or none.

[Armand]

^^^ I believe you can't have anything darker than 75% in the front windows in CA legally.

[AK-Z]

Have the same thing up here, kinda. Its 65% vis on the front door windows and 35% on the rear.

 

The way around this is to make friends with some used car salesman that deal with modified stuff. I Got a med form for something like having a medical condition. Just need to have any doctor sign it. Then if a cop pulls you over and charges you for the tint, just show him the form.

[Guest 280ZForce]

here in CA, they are just strict on the front driver and passenger windows, the back windows they dont care what you have.

[Tim240z]

Here you go:

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CODES

VEHICLE CODE

SECTION 26700-26712

 

 

 

 

26700. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (, a passenger

vehicle, other than a motorcycle, and every bus, motortruck or truck

tractor, and every firetruck, fire engine or other fire apparatus,

whether publicly or privately owned, shall be equipped with an

adequate windshield.

( Subdivision (a) does not apply to any vehicle issued

identification plates pursuant to Section 5004 which was not required

to be equipped with a windshield at the time it was first sold or

registered under the laws of this state, another state, or foreign

jurisdiction.

 

 

 

26701. (a) No person shall sell, offer for sale, or operate any

motor vehicle, except a motorcycle, manufactured after January 1,

1936, unless it is equipped with safety glazing material wherever

glazing materials are used in interior partitions, doors, windows,

windshields, auxiliary wind deflectors or openings in the roof.

( No person shall sell or offer for sale any camper manufactured

after January 1, 1968, nor shall any person operate a motor vehicle

registered in this state which is equipped with that camper, unless

the camper is equipped with safety glazing materials wherever glazing

materials are used in outside windows and doors, interior

partitions, and openings in the roof.

© No person shall operate a motorcycle manufactured after

January 1, 1969, equipped with a windshield containing glazing

material unless it is safety glazing material.

(d) No person shall sell, offer for sale, or operate any motor

vehicle equipped with red, blue, or amber translucent aftermarket

material in any partitions, windows, windshields, or wind deflectors.

 

(e) No person shall sell, offer for sale, or operate any trailer

coach manufactured after January 1, 1977, that is capable of being

towed with a fifth-wheel device unless the trailer coach is equipped

with safety glazing materials wherever glazing materials are used in

windows or doors, interior partitions, and openings in the roof.

 

 

 

26703. (a) No person shall replace any glazing materials used in

interior partitions, doors, windows, or openings in the roof in any

motor vehicle, in the outside windows, doors, interior partitions, or

openings in the roof of any camper, or in windows, doors, interior

partitions, or openings in the roof of any camper, or in windows,

doors, interior partitions, or openings in the roof of a trailer

coach capable of being towed with a fifth-wheel device, with any

glazing material other than safety glazing material.

( No person shall replace any glazing material used in the

windshield, rear window, auxiliary wind deflectors, or windows to the

left and right of the driver with any material other than safety

glazing material.

 

 

 

26704. Wherever the term "safety glazing material" is used in this

article, it means safety glazing material of a type meeting

requirements established by the department.

 

 

 

26705. On or after January 1, 1969, no person shall sell or offer

for sale for use upon or as part of the equipment of a motorcycle any

motorcycle windshield unless the glazing material used therein is

safety glazing material.

 

 

26706. (a) Every motor vehicle, except motorcycles, equipped with a

windshield shall also be equipped with a self-operating windshield

wiper.

( Every new motor vehicle first registered after December 31,

1949, except motorcycles, shall be equipped with two such windshield

wipers, one mounted on the right half and one on the left half of the

windshield, except that any motor vehicle may be equipped with a

single wiper so long as it meets the wiped area requirements in

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Governing Windshield Wiping

and Washing Systems.

© This section does not apply to snow removal equipment equipped

with adequate manually operated windshield wipers.

 

 

 

26707. Windshield wipers required by this code shall be maintained

in good operating condition and shall provide clear vision through

the windshield for the driver. Wipers shall be operated under

conditions of fog, snow, or rain and shall be capable of effectively

clearing the windshield under all ordinary storm or load conditions

while the vehicle is in operation.

 

 

 

26708. (a) (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any

object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied

upon the windshield or side or rear windows.

(2) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or

material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon

the vehicle which obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view

through the windshield or side windows.

(3) This subdivision applies to a person driving a motor vehicle

with the driver's clear vision through the windshield, or side or

rear windows, obstructed by snow or ice.

( This section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Rearview mirrors.

(2) Adjustable nontransparent sunvisors which are mounted forward

of the side windows and are not attached to the glass.

(3) Signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a

7-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed

from the driver, signs, stickers, or other materials which are

displayed in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the rear window

farthest removed from the driver, or signs, stickers, or other

materials which are displayed in a 5-inch square in the lower corner

of the windshield nearest the driver.

(4) Side windows which are to the rear of the driver.

(5) Direction, destination, or termini signs upon a passenger

common carrier motor vehicle or a schoolbus, if those signs do not

interfere with the driver's clear view of approaching traffic.

(6) Rear window wiper motor.

(7) Rear trunk lid handle or hinges.

(8) The rear window or windows, when the motor vehicle is equipped

with outside mirrors on both the left- and right-hand sides of the

vehicle that are so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the

highway through each mirror for a distance of at least 200 feet to

the rear of the vehicle.

(9) A clear, transparent lens affixed to the side window opposite

the driver on a vehicle greater than 80 inches in width and which

occupies an area not exceeding 50 square inches of the lowest corner

toward the rear of that window and which provides the driver with a

wide-angle view through the lens.

(10) Sun screening devices meeting the requirements of Section

26708.2 installed on the side windows on either side of the vehicle's

front seat, if the driver or a passenger in the front seat has in

his or her possession a letter or other document signed by a licensed

physician and surgeon certifying that the person must be shaded from

the sun due to a medical condition, or has in his or her possession

a letter or other document signed by a licensed optometrist

certifying that the person must be shaded from the sun due to a

visual condition. The devices authorized by this paragraph shall not

be used during darkness.

(11) An electronic communication device affixed to the center

uppermost portion of the interior of a windshield within an area that

is not greater than 5 inches square, if the device provides either

of the following:

(A) The capability for enforcement facilities of the Department of

the California Highway Patrol to communicate with a vehicle equipped

with the device.

( The capability for electronic toll and traffic management on

public or private roads or facilities.

© Notwithstanding subdivision (a), transparent material may be

installed, affixed, or applied to the topmost portion of the

windshield if the following conditions apply:

(1) The bottom edge of the material is at least 29 inches above

the undepressed driver's seat when measured from a point 5 inches in

front of the bottom of the backrest with the driver's seat in its

rearmost and lowermost position with the vehicle on a level surface.

 

(2) The material is not red or amber in color.

(3) There is no opaque lettering on the material and any other

lettering does not affect primary colors or distort vision through

the windshield.

(4) The material does not reflect sunlight or headlight glare into

the eyes of occupants of oncoming or following vehicles to any

greater extent than the windshield without the material.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), clear, colorless, and

transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the

front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the

front seat if the following conditions are met:

(1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88

percent.

(2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all

requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49

C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance

of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as

specified in that federal standard.

(3) The material is designed and manufactured to enhance the

ability of the existing window glass to block the sun's harmful

ultraviolet A rays.

(4) The driver has in his or her possession, or within the

vehicle, a certificate signed by the installing company certifying

that the windows with the material installed meet the requirements of

this subdivision and identifies the installing company and the

material's manufacturer by full name and street address, or, if the

material was installed by the vehicle owner, a certificate signed by

the material's manufacturer certifying that the windows with the

material installed according to manufacturer's instructions meets the

requirements of this subdivision and identifies the material's

manufacturer by full name and street address.

(5) If the material described in this subdivision tears or

bubbles, or is otherwise worn to prohibit clear vision, it shall be

removed or replaced.

 

 

 

26708.2. Sun screening devices permitted by paragraph (10) of

subdivision ( of Section 26708 shall meet the following

requirements:

(a) The devices shall be held in place by means allowing ready

removal from the window area, such as a frame, a rigid material with

temporary fasteners, or a flexible roller shade.

( Devices utilizing transparent material shall be green, gray,

or a neutral smoke in color and shall have a luminous transmittance

of not less than 35 percent.

© Devices utilizing nontransparent louvers or other alternating

patterns of opaque and open sections shall have an essentially

uniform pattern over the entire surface, except for framing and

supports. At least 35 percent of the device area shall be open and

no individual louver or opaque section shall have a projected

vertical dimension exceeding 3/16 inch.

(d) The devices shall not have a reflective quality exceeding 35

percent on either the inner or outer surface.

 

 

 

26708.5. (a) No person shall place, install, affix, or apply any

transparent material upon the windshield, or side or rear windows, of

any motor vehicle if the material alters the color or reduces the

light transmittance of the windshield or side or rear windows, except

as provided in subdivision (, ©, or (d) of Section 26708.

( Tinted safety glass may be installed in a vehicle if (1) the

glass complies with motor vehicle safety standards of the United

States Department of Transportation for safety glazing materials, and

(2) the glass is installed in a location permitted by those

standards for the particular type of glass used.

 

 

 

 

26709. (a) Every motor vehicle registered in a foreign jurisdiction

and every motorcycle subject to registration in this state shall be

equipped with a mirror so located as to reflect to the driver a view

of the highway for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of

such vehicle.

Every motor vehicle subject to registration in this state, except

a motorcycle, shall be equipped with not less than two such mirrors,

including one affixed to the left-hand side.

( The following described types of motor vehicles, of a type

subject to registration, shall be equipped with mirrors on both the

left- and right-hand sides of the vehicle so located as to reflect to

the driver a view of the highway through each mirror for a distance

of at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle:

(1) A motor vehicle so constructed or loaded as to obstruct the

driver's view to the rear.

(2) A motor vehicle towing a vehicle and the towed vehicle or load

thereon obstructs the driver's view to the rear.

(3) A bus or trolley coach.

© The provisions of subdivision ( shall not apply to a

passenger vehicle when the load obstructing the driver's view

consists of passengers.

 

 

26710. It is unlawful to operate any motor vehicle upon a highway

when the windshield or rear window is in such a defective condition

as to impair the driver's vision either to the front or rear.

In the event any windshield or rear window fails to comply with

this code the officer making the inspection shall direct the driver

to make the windshield and rear window conform to the requirements of

this code within 48 hours. The officer may also arrest the driver

and give him notice to appear and further require the driver or the

owner of the vehicle to produce in court satisfactory evidence that

the windshield or rear window has been made to conform to the

requirements of this code.

 

 

 

26711. Every bus or trolley coach, except those first registered

prior to January 1, 1960, and engaged in urban and suburban service

as defined in Section 35107, shall be equipped with movable eyeshades

of sufficient size to shade the eyes of the operator of a bus or

trolley coach while it is being driven facing the sun.

 

 

 

 

26712. Every passenger vehicle used or maintained for the

transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit shall be

equipped with a defrosting device which is adequate to remove snow,

ice, frost, fog, or internal moisture from the windshield.