Am I missing something?
Posted by Aggressive-Rent-6163@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 79 comments
So is it legal to have your car windshield tinted? I see that more and more but don’t know if it’s legal or illegal.
Curious mind wants to know.
StrawberryHour7102@reddit
I have a clear tint (I don’t know the %) on my windshield and it helps 💯with heat in the summer.
ADJenks5@reddit
That actually works? I'm going to have to get that done
RHINO_Mk_II@reddit
A lot of radiation that makes it from the sun through our atmosphere is outside of the visible light spectrum - you can reflect it to reduce heat buildup.
xanoran84@reddit
I got my windows tinted at Alta mere in plano like 10 years ago. They had a heat lamp setup where you could test the tints. It was impressive how well the clear tint worked. They recommended against me getting it on my windshield though because they weren't sure if it would mess with the HUD. Tinted windows in general make a MASSIVE difference in how hot the car gets.
deebo7741@reddit
It doesn’t mess with the HUD
xanoran84@reddit
Good to know!
BitGladius@reddit
It apparently depends on the tint. According to the advertising, ceramic tint is very good at rejecting infrared no matter how visibly dark it is.
StrawberryHour7102@reddit
It makes a huge difference with how hot the car gets. I also have all the windows and the sunroof tinted.
3Time4Eater3@reddit
I have similar windows on my home..cuts internal heat by like 40% or something wild. We just got them installed a couple years ago.
StrawberryHour7102@reddit
I also had the windows in my home done! Having so many windows and glass doors, it helps with the heat there too.
InternetsIsBoring@reddit
I have almost clear windshield tint. It has the slightest blue hue. I also have a blue car. It makes a huge difference compared to the other car that does not have it. Even just driving around my face doesn't sting
xavier-22@reddit
Where did you go and get it done?
StrawberryHour7102@reddit
I went to Tritek
5yrup@reddit
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/vehicle-inspection/window-tinting-standards
Windshields have pretty strict requirements. Windows at the same row as the driver have some restrictions. Rear windows have no restrictions.
andiscohen@reddit
I believe rear windows also have a max tint but it's darker than front windows.
5yrup@reddit
From the Texas DPS link above:
If a motor vehicle is equipped with an outside mirror on each side of the vehicle that reflects to the vehicle operator a view of the roadway for a distance of at least 200 feet from the rear of the vehicle then there are no restrictions regarding the sunscreening devices applied to the rear window.
If a motor vehicle is not equipped with such mirrors then the rear window must meet the following standards:
So if you have mirrors on both sides feel free to just paint over your rear windows. It doesn't matter. Technically in Texas you only need a single mirror to be legal, but I haven't seen a car sold new with a single mirror in a loooong time.
andiscohen@reddit
Interesting. I guess the tint shop gave me outdated info. Not that I need my windows any darker. The factory tint on my front windows were at the max allowed.
5yrup@reddit
Yeah I mean think about all the work vans that don't even have rear windows or are fully painted or whatever. You don't technically *need* a rear window at all if you have mirrors.
the_submarine_man@reddit
State troopers I feel like will always find a way to give you a ticket. Even for missing front license plates
3Time4Eater3@reddit
Maybe laws of change but I'm pretty sure in Texas you have to have a front license plate.
Soundwave234@reddit
They dont enforce it. I've been rocking one plate on my truck since 2021, I've been to every corner of texas and everywhere between still hadn't been stopped or ticketed.
andiscohen@reddit
I have one now but when I didn't have one the only time it was even mentioned or noticed was if I got pulled over for something else. Never got a citation for it though.
3Time4Eater3@reddit
I've been pulled over for it in my 1972 Chrysler, at the time. I had a novelty plate instead. I was in living in a small town near Ft Hood and it was at night. Cop said that's why he did it, but I also now know that's a way for them to fish. Funniest part about it was where he pulled me over was right across the street from the O'Reilly's I bought the novelty play that.. I did mention that to the cop lol
RnOtCrAfTy@reddit
Correct
ReeeeTardyOswald@reddit
Yeah, we actually got pulled over and given a warning by a state trooper for window tint when I was a kid. The car was already tinted that dark when we got it, but he had a device to measure the amount of light it let through. That was the only reason he pulled us over too.
Zhombe@reddit
Because state troopers are looking for drugs. That’s their primary mission. Interstate drug trafficking.
You have limo tint all around you’re gonna get sniffed.
Stereotyping and profiling sure. It’s what it is.
arlenroy@reddit
I mean you're right, they definitely profile and stereotype drivers, having limo tint or anything below state law (is it 20%?) is a red flag for law enforcement. Few years ago I was doing some side work, home remodel, riding in an older Chevy S-10 to the lumber yard and we get stopped. Two white guys in a older but perfectly legal vehicle, did he profile us for meth? Nope. Cop walked up and asked us to raise the windows 3 inches (no ac, both windows were down) to inspect the tint, it had factory tint which was shitty, he stopped us because the back window was like 10%, close to limo. He was checking to see if the side windows were tinted like that too, they weren't, just the back which is legal AFAIK.
Texasaudiovideoguy@reddit
This! Before I grew up and stopped being stupid I got two very expensive tickets from DPS. They actually pulled a U-turn through the damn center median to pull me over just my tint.
Due-Consequence9579@reddit
The reason is being brown.
Accomplished-One2137@reddit
I got pulled over a few years ago in East Dallas by a dick cop who told me my back seat windows were too dark. He pulled out his meter to see how dark they were. I had limo tint on both back seat windows, and the rear glass. The front doors had legal tint.
I knew he was lying, but I didn't call him out on it since my skin is brown, and I didn't want him to think of something else to try to pin on me.
He gave me some story about a cop being shot by a passenger in the backseat of a car that had dark tint like mine. That might be true, but the law says I can have the back windows as dark as I want. I can spray paint them black if I wanted to.
Jovantae@reddit
Like being a minority or a white person in a minority part of town.
blitzzo@reddit
It's not legal to have any tint, (even 70%) below the VS1 line. A lot of people make the mistake thinking they can put 70%/80%/90% on the entire windshield but this isn't true, the way the law is written your front windshield must have a visible light transmission rate of 70% or more but with absolutely nothing on it straight from the factory most windshield will be in the 75%-80% range. You might get away with a 95% tint on the windshield but just barely.
Now in reality, I have 90% tint on my front windshield and unless you look for it you can't see it and yes it does help a lot but I also drive a a honda crv or camry, if I drove something like a corvette, camaro, or busted 90s civic with a fart can exhaust I feel like police might give me a harder time.
If you look around tons of people are rolling around with 20% tint or below and they seem to do just fine, I feel like if you get pulled over for going 10mph over or a busted taillight, keep your hands on the wheel until told otherwise, turn the overhead light on before they approach if it's dark, and just be polite most cops aren't going to care about a 90% or even 80% windshield tint.
Now if you're driving like a maniac or give them the "make it quick, I'm late for work" attitude yea they'll cite you for it.
ChrisEWC231@reddit
How does that work when you replace your registration sticker each year? Does scraping it off damage the tint? Or how do you change it?
blitzzo@reddit
Most places will hand you a few pieces of static cling film like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Windshield-Applicator-Electrostatic-Application-Re-Application/dp/B0D2DD8SJS
You put the sticker on the film then just place it on your windshield and it's "sticky" enough to remain on the windshield despite wind/speed bumps/potholes/etc but easy enough to just peel off with your fingers. The other option is to leave a small section untinted and just apply the inspection sticker every time but I prefer the static cling film.
Random-Spark@reddit
Depends on your skin colour iirc, dallas cops are silly.
According-Loan-7040@reddit
I have 30% on mine which I think is the legal amount I believe but that doesn’t stop people from going darker. Totally makes difference when driving in the summer and not getting blinded by the sun.
JPhi1618@reddit
Funny, I just use sunglasses and don’t have an issue. And I can take them off at night. It’s pretty cool.
James-the-Bond-one@reddit
Did you ever see that picture of the trucker with the left side of his face aged a decade more than the right, due to sun exposure?
Tint is for UV protection as much as for glare control .
dam072000@reddit
It's the left side of his face because the side window is rolled down or doesn't have tint. The front windshield, assuming laminated safety glass, is roughly equivalent to SPF 50 sunscreen, where the side window without tint or laminated safety glass is equivalent to SPF 2.
noncongruent@reddit
That may be true for modern cars, but I've gotten sunburned through my windshield on long roadtrips driving toward the sun in older cars.
James-the-Bond-one@reddit
Good to know! I had no idea of the 50 SFP.
LostinIKEA512@reddit
You don't need to go dark for uv protection.
James-the-Bond-one@reddit
You got a point there.
According-Loan-7040@reddit
Sunglasses aren’t enough and I have light sensitivity that these blinding high beams and bright white street lights hurt my eyes so yeah I’ll take my tint instead
ObviouslyLuke@reddit
Had 25% when I moved here and was forced to get it removed to get my car registered. Was 4 years ago so it’s probably changed since then
According-Loan-7040@reddit
Yeah I haven’t had any issues besides when I pull up and since the front tint makes the rest of it dark they always doubt me on the % for the front windows and tell me I may not pass but I do
5yrup@reddit
Legal limit for Texas is 25% and must end five inches below the top of the windshield.
According-Loan-7040@reddit
Oop this was 4 years ago I got it and they did a full panel on mine, I’ve passed my registration though, they’ve never brought it up
MadScallop@reddit
I had to drive one of my buddies car who had max legal on the rear windows.. almost couldn’t see out of them at night in the countryside
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
Sounds like it would help for those blindingly bright LED lights that are everywhere now.
Etheerieal@reddit
Probably has something to do with not needing a safety inspection anymore 🤷♀️
Horror_Tennis_2993@reddit
Well I've got to hand it to SKC...because if I passed it they'd put it in our own goal.
This team over the past 10 years has effectively wore me down enough to where soccer is now an afterthought.
quantumthrashley@reddit
I wish they enforced it. Not being able to make eye contact with the driver can be dangerous. I was walking through a Home Depot parking lot with my 3 year old recently and a massive pickup with blackout tint stopped in front of us, I had no idea if he was stopping to let us cross in front of him or not because I couldn’t see into his car.
comicsansibar@reddit
Anything above the AS-1 line you can have as dark as you want. Below that you can’t have any tint other than clear. So if you wanted clear UV tint that would be legal.
nodimension1553@reddit
Usually the full windshield tint is illegal or heavily restricted, but people still do it anyway.
Kaliking247@reddit
So people have pretty much already answered. Rear tint do whatever you want, front tint is very much a hit or miss. Even if your front tints are in regulations a cop can and will pull you over for it if they feel like it. Some of them will check it with a checker and will tell you it's not in regs Even if it is. If you get tint just be careful when going through smaller counties.
keriekat@reddit
I had my windows tinted and the guy asked me if I wanted my windshield tinted too bc I was wearing glasses. He told me if you have astigmatism and your eye dr fills out some form, then it's legal in TX for my windshield to get tinted. I'd just have to show the form if a police officer ever pulled me over. I ended up declining bc I didn't want to give cops a reason to pull me over
Toasted_Taters@reddit
This is so funny that you mentioned this. I drove past a car yesterday that not only had a dark plate cover on it, the windows were black. When I say black, I mean black. You couldn't see anything in that car. It made me wonder, what kind of shady shit are you doing that you don't want anyone to see anything going on? Really weird and 100 percent illegal.
Pecan_Artist@reddit
Texas is a police state. I am sure we're all breaking laws just existing.
Texasaudiovideoguy@reddit
TLDR- no it’s not legal at all and can be not worth the risk.
I tinted windows for a living for a long time in Dallas. The only way you can tint the windshield is with a special doctors requirement. And even then, it can only be 70% and it still doesn’t guarantee it will get you out of a ticket. If you don’t have the doctors “note” with you and things look sus, you will have to go to court to prove it.
Local cops don’t seem to care but do use it as an excuse to just check you if they think you are rolling dirty. But DPS troopers have a hardon for popping people for tinted windshields. And I have gotten two tickets, and they are not fix it tickets and are very expensive. Also, in most larger counties it’s apart of the yearly vehicle inspection. The test the sides with a meter and you can’t hide the front. They have to scrape off the sticker and they will see you have tint. And most don’t know about the doctors exemption and won’t accept it.
dorameon3@reddit
yeah it’s illegal, i was pulled over recently and given a citation for my front windshield, driver side window, and passenger side window being tinted below the ATS line or whatever it’s called. They’re pretty lenient about dismissing the ticket if u just get the tint removed and show the judge. At my court date they didn’t even care if u had proof, if u just said that u removed it they dismissed the ticket…
BothEntertainment00@reddit
Not legal. Dallas cops won't do anything though, suburb cops will ticket you though if they have nothing else to do.
Earline1a@reddit
Well Theres a lot Black tint and no Dallaa Acworth Paulding ever pulled me YET. But watch FKG COBB THEY GOT ME Really BAD 2005 and 3 black cobb git me 3 months ago.
therealdeviant@reddit
What kind of rambling gibberish is this?
Longhorn24@reddit
Are you having a stroke?
Earline1a@reddit
Hell no
RaisingCanes4POTUS@reddit
Do you need an ambulance?
Earline1a@reddit
Ambulance who,? Me? Im chillin hoping i dont Need a Ambulance again
itsnotapipe@reddit
I do after having trudged through that mess.
hbc07@reddit
What?
Earline1a@reddit
Well... Look Everybody just BE COOL WATCH OUR EYES COPS PERIOD. HAY IVE DONE IT ALL BAD,WILD,CRAZY DRIVE FAST TORE UP MY OTHER MERCEDES AMG C63 THATS WHY IM TFLLIN EVERYTHING STAY FKG AWAKE...Have Fun Happier people..j need a cool Fun woman in Dallas lately.
JohnnyPaloonky58@reddit
Can not stand when a tinted windshield is sitting at stop sign probably waving me to go, but can't see them and they stopped first. Being able to make eye contact is so necessary in traffic.
rhymes116@reddit
The limit in the state is 70%. You can barely tell but if you get ceramic it is totally worth it as it helps with the heat.
jtmonkey@reddit
In California it’s illegal but it’s also not enough for an officer to pull you over for. They will ticket you if they stop you for something but they won’t pull you over for it.
PhoenixAquarium@reddit
My dad always blacked out his rear and back windows. Front and front side windows do have tint at the legal limit I guess because they would have pulled me (currently driving a truck I bought from him) over for that long ago.
ninjamike808@reddit
I heard something about it being considered a secondary offense. Where they can’t pull you over just for that, but if the pull you over say for speeding, they can get you for the tint as well. Any full tint is illegal, but you can have an eyebrow across the top. UNLESS, you have doctors note.
I see a bunch of people with 35 or under and it’s dangerous. I think even 50 is kinda rough. 70 it’s hard to even tell that it’s tinted. I forget whatever is stock on my car, something like 90-95. It helps with the heat, but I think everyone needs at least clear tint for the IR resistance.
potatobot3000@reddit
Something is only illegal if it is enforced
Earline1a@reddit
Well they can do What they want too but mainly if too Fast or being too loud they are still looking anything Sometime But Dallas Paulding is Nothing Bad like Cobb Austell Powder Springs WATCH THEM DONT GEG TOO STONED AND NEVER DRUNK.
krel08@reddit
I dont know the % limit but too dark is against the law. Having said that, I bought my truck used and it has blackout tint on it. From my experience, cops arent really looking unless they think you have done something else and want to use it as an excuse to pull you over.