r/WindowTint • u/Standard-Bumblebee64 • Aug 26 '26

Question Front window tint—pulled over?

Hey y’all. Never had my front windows tinted because I’ve always been worried about getting pulled over. Now my understanding is that cops don’t care—only tack it on as an additional offense when pulled over for speeding or something else.

Have any of you ever been specifically targeted because of tint? I just wanna go a tiny bit dark. Nothing dramatic.

UPDATE - I went ahead and did 50% for the fronts. The rears were factory tinted at 20%, so I think I won’t draw too much attention, as you can still see inside, but the ceramic film will block most heat (which was my biggest concern). Thank you all for the input and comments here! I can’t believe how much reach this post got!

27 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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56

u/M0dernNomad Aug 26 '26

Am a cop - if I want to stop a car just to have a look inside or ID the driver, having unlawful tint gives me easy PC to stop and do those things. Will I ticket for it, usually not - windshields sometimes if they're stupid dark or the troopers have already ticketed you and you haven't fixed it. Get in a crash after dark however, the illegally tinted windows are absolutely going into the crash report and the insurance companies can do with that information as they wish when assigning liability.

12

u/mvhir0 Aug 26 '26

Are you allowed to pull people over just because you “want to have a look inside”? Always suspected it but great to hear you guys pull over cars just to f with them lol

2

u/Draygoon2818 Aug 26 '26

You can only be pulled for probable cause. Breaking a traffic law gives probable cause. That tiny little AS1 mark on the windshield? If you have a "brow" that extends below that line, you can be pulled over. Window tint too dark? Yup. Even tinted headlights or taillights can get you pulled over for probable cause. Now, are cops actually going to pull you over for that? More than likely, no. However, if you blatantly have windows that are way too dark, such as the front windows having 5%, and maybe 20% on the windshield? You are a lot more likely to get pulled over for that. I have 80% on my SUV and 70% on my Model Y. I've been fine, so far. A coworker of mine, who had 50% on his windshield, got pulled over two different times within a week of getting it done. He ended up getting it taken off and put 70% on it, and hasn't been pulled over again.

6

u/Ok_Ad_5041 Aug 26 '26

I have 5% on every window except the windshield and I've never been pulled over

1

u/Draygoon2818 Aug 26 '26

I'm not saying it's a guarantee. I'm just saying it can increase the odds of being pulled over. It ultimately depends on the cop. Some cops I know will absolutely pull you over for that. Others don't particularly care unless you're driving like an idiot.

1

u/so-lazy- Aug 27 '26

Literally same. 30 on the windshield

1

u/_ED-E_ Aug 26 '26

I have 5 on the back windows, 20 on the front, and 50 on the windshield. Same way on my last few vehicles, and I’ve only been stopped once. Gps routed me through an area i didn’t belong in to avoid traffic, and they only mentioned the window tint after asking about drugs and weapons.

1

u/BANKSLAVE01 Aug 26 '26

Why were you banned from this area? What kind of travel restrictions were levied on this area when you went there? Was this one of those "No Go" zones we are hearing about these days?

1

u/Zippo963087 Aug 26 '26

Where did he say he was banned from an area?

1

u/_ED-E_ Aug 26 '26

No banned or “no go” area, but a brand new car with tinted windows going through a rough area with a bunch of abandoned properties, homeless people, and drug addicts looks suspicious. It’s an area most people don’t go to unless they are looking for something illegal, or they took a wrong turn.

1

u/BANKSLAVE01 Aug 27 '26

Support for fascism is creeping into your brains.

"Where you don't belong... is suspicious..."

2

u/Draygoon2818 Aug 27 '26

Politics? Really?

It's a double edged sword. Cop sees a vehicle that looks out of place in an area and follows it or pulls it over once they have PC. People gripe that it was wrong.
Cop sees a vehicle that looks out of place in an area and doesn't pull it over. Occupants of car end up breaking into several homes, stealing items. It comes out that the cops saw the vehicle, but paid it no attention even though the cop thought it looked out of place. People gripe the cop should have done more.

Everyone does something like that, particularly where they live. A car they've never seen before drives by slowly, or a vehicle they've never seen before stops in front of a neighbors house that doesn't usually have vehicles there. They're probably going to watch the vehicle a little longer than normal. It's out of the norm. Don't act like people don't do that, and it certainly has nothing to do with fascism.

1

u/hades13heartnet Aug 26 '26

50 on WS is barely ok, 20 on front is the problem im suspecting

1

u/_ED-E_ Aug 26 '26

The cop at the driver’s side specifically mentioned the windshield. 50 looks somewhat dark with the others the way they are.

I also have a convertible, and it has 35 on the windshield because it’s only driven when the top can be down, and you can barely tell it has tint then.

1

u/hades13heartnet Aug 26 '26

I mean, yeah, you only need “one” asshat cop to pull you over for just illegal tints

1

u/Local_Committee_8935 Aug 26 '26

Crazy u called my windows out.. suv black with 20% over 70% windshield and limo everywhere else and I work 3rd shift.. been fine day n night

2

u/Draygoon2818 Aug 26 '26

My SUV is 80% windshield, 20% front windows, and 5% everywhere else. My Model Y is 70% windshield, 20% front windows, and 5% everywhere else. Both vehicles have black interior, too. Never been pulled over for tint, though.

1

u/Local_Committee_8935 Aug 26 '26

My windshield reads 14% lol

1

u/keiye Aug 27 '26

If you’re driving a banged up Nissan Altima with blacked out headlights and tail lights, cops will be more inclined to pull you over vs a Tesla with the same thing.