I just have a few questions regarding California laws:

License plates (Are front plates necessary?)

Tints (What's the minimum tint %?)

Exhaust (Loudness?)

Exterior and interior neons (What color, if any, are illegal? Also, is it illegal to drive with them on?)

Sound systems (Loudness?)

I actually borrowed these questions from the Florida regional and was wondering if someone could answer these questions regarding California?

License plates (Are front plates necessary?): 5200 VC-License plates, two required

Tints: 26708.5 VC-Application of transparent materials to window, not allowed and driver and passenger windows, anything is legal to the rear of the driver if vehicle is equipped w/ both driver and passenger side view mirrors.

Exhaust (Loudness?)- Must not exceed 95 dB

Exterior and interior neons (What color, if any, are illegal? Also, is it illegal to drive with them on?): Underbody lighting is illegal on any public street/highway/thoroughfare. You may have them on while parked in a parking lot which is considered private property.

Sound systems (Loudness?): 27007 VC-Sound system audible from at least 50 feet away from vehicle.

HTH.

wow nicely done.

check this one out.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm

*hate it or love it cops will get you for every single thing they can cite you this days. if you want to stick out, get ready for the attention.

wow nicely done.

check this one out.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm

*hate it or love it cops will get you for every single thing they can cite you this days. if you want to stick out, get ready for the attention.

Not every Police Officer.

I know one Police Officer who, for the last 13 years, has operated on the premise of Attitude is Everything, when it comes to vehicle enforcement stops.

Also, any modification to a car that is not an OEM replaced part can be cited under the CA Vehicle Code. If the state or DOT felt the vehicle could be operated safely under their guidelines, then there wouldn't be some violations under the appropriate states vehicle codes.

And the 2 officers i interacted with this summer had no interest in looking to cite me for anything other than exceeding the posted speed limit. They could've easily found a few other minor infractions but they didn't even look and the first one I was returning from a car show and had grease pencil numbers on my windshield even...

And on the topic of California laws, don't forget the new one that you MUST have your headlights on if it is raining enough to have your wipers on full.

Also, I can't believe how many peeps drive with only their parking lights on... always illegal!

well this has no relevance to the topic, but scionicman, i like your signature[/quote]

What is the minimuim tint % in California? In addition, are officers in the LA/OC area stressed to enforce this strictly?

What is the minimuim tint % in California?
Asked and answered:
Tints: 26708.5 VC-Application of transparent materials to window, not allowed and driver and passenger windows, anything is legal to the rear of the driver if vehicle is equipped w/ both driver and passenger side view mirrors.
In addition, are officers in the LA/OC area stressed to enforce this strictly?
Stick to 'legal' and one doesn't have to worry about it, eh? :P

What is the minimuim tint % in California?
Asked and answered:
Tints: 26708.5 VC-Application of transparent materials to window, not allowed and driver and passenger windows, anything is legal to the rear of the driver if vehicle is equipped w/ both driver and passenger side view mirrors.
In addition, are officers in the LA/OC area stressed to enforce this strictly?
Stick to 'legal' and one doesn't have to worry about it, eh? :P
I was the one that asked the first question, but only received a textbook answer; no concrete %. If I don't know what 'legal' is, how am I supposed to "stick" to it?

"anything is legal to the rear of the driver if vehicle is equipped w/ both driver and passenger side view mirrors. "

that doesn't help you??? Anything is legal. hence the anything for the rear windows

OK. So you mean I can tint it 5% on the side/rear windows and get away with it? I'm pretty sure there's a handful of ticketed people who'd beg to differ.

*edit* can someone please answer my question without going in circles?

As stated. Nothing on the windshield/ driver and passenger front windows. ANY tint on the back as long as you have side mirrors. How do you think panel van's operate the way they do? They don't even have freaking windows behind the driver/passenger fronts. If you or someone you know gets a ticket for having any tint back there (whatever the % doesn't matter) go to court and contest it. Your ticket will be thrown out 100% of the time, because of the stated cvc. I am only speaking for California...I don't know other states :)

Does that answer your question?

Look, you can paint the windows on the side aft of the "B" pillar and turn it into a panel van if you want to, and it would be legal so long as you have side-view mirrors on both sides. That's what the actual law says.

If an officer gets heartburn with that, a judge should be able to sort him out if you present the actual law to him.

Most times a LEO isn't able to quote every law in all it's detail, but is going by his 'gut feel' for what he thinks it means - his opinion. Those times where their 'gut feel' about the law is contrary to the law itself, they won't know that until they are corrected, officially.

So, again, as quoted in the very first answer by one of our resident LEOs, you may tint your side windows aft of the "B" pillar to *ANY* level so long as you have both sideview mirrors installed.

Keep in mind that The Squirrel gave you that ACTUAL LAW to read for yourself so you will KNOW what it says, not just what he says it says. :D

Back in the day, peeps used to paint the rear windows black on the inside. Looked like the darkest limo tint ever, at least from the outside...

NOTHING on the fronts, the rest is a non-issue. You can even do the hatch window as long as you have both sideview mirrors.

Tints: 26708.5 VC-Application of transparent materials to window, not allowed and driver and passenger windows, anything is legal to the rear of the driver if vehicle is equipped w/ both driver and passenger side view mirrors.

Or the windshield as stated above. I guess I didn't make it clear enuff?

Thank you Tomas.

Look, you can paint the windows on the side aft of the "B" pillar and turn it into a panel van if you want to, and it would be legal so long as you have side-view mirrors on both sides. That's what the actual law says.

If an officer gets heartburn with that, a judge should be able to sort him out if you present the actual law to him.

Most times a LEO isn't able to quote every law in all it's detail, but is going by his 'gut feel' for what he thinks it means - his opinion. Those times where their 'gut feel' about the law is contrary to the law itself, they won't know that until they are corrected, officially.

So, again, as quoted in the very first answer by one of our resident LEOs, you may tint your side windows aft of the "B" pillar to *ANY* level so long as you have both sideview mirrors installed.

Keep in mind that The Squirrel gave you that ACTUAL LAW to read for yourself so you will KNOW what it says, not just what he says it says. :D

Don't you hate when someone posts while you're typing and you end up looking like you just regurgitated the last post...

hehe, great minds think alike.

Great. Thanks.

OK. So you mean I can tint it 5% on the side/rear windows and get away with it? I'm pretty sure there's a handful of ticketed people who'd beg to differ.

*edit* can someone please answer my question without going in circles?

We did answer your question without going in circles. anything would mean that you could put 5%. Those handfull of people that might beg to differ should have fought it in court. I did. I won.

Isn't it nice how four different people gave the same answer without any quibbling?

(Actually the very first response, by our resident squirrel, uh, I mean LEO, was complete and succinct.)

What it boils down to is no ADDED tint forward of the "B" pillar (that's the trailing edge of the front door) and no limit on tint aft of the "B" pillar if both outside rearview mirrors are present.

Of course, the complete details in any law are MUCH more complex than that, including allowing for factory tint at the top of windshields, and for some slight "tint" on all windows that is really just IR and UV filtering to reduce interior heat load and protect the interior.

Even more complex are the allowances for tinting the side windows forward of the "B" pillar with a written letter from a doctor prescribing the tint, to be carried in the vehicle and offered to a LEO should he question the tint.

Thing is, though, the simple answer is still the best.

Don't worry about why the manufacturers are allowed to tint the tops of windshields - that's covered in the laws. Just remember that you are not allowed to tint the rest of it.

Don't worry about the slight greenish, brownish, bluish, pinkish, or whatever color your windows may seem to have - it's simply the IR and UV filtering.

Don't worry about trying to get your doctor to write you a prescription for tinted windows - if you need that, he will know already, and if you don't, you are asking him to break the law.

BOTTOM LINE - Just remember the dividing line is the back of the front door: In front of that, don't add tint, behind that you can add any non-reflective tint you want so long as you have both outside mirrors.

:P

Thanks for clearing it up.

support your local PD or California State Sherriff Association......there's always the 11-99 foundation :)

support your local PD or California State Sherriff Association......there's always the 11-99 foundation :)

lol, i did i payed all my citations on time. :rofl: Im sure it well spent

I know so many people that have very light tint on the front windows that it's never been an issue unless a cop is havinng a -really- bad day.

I have I think 50% on my front windows and so does my bf. He asked a cop before if his tint needed to come off and the officer said it was fine.

There is a clause in the CA code though about having tint on your front windows with a doctors prescription. The sun out here hurts my eyes the majority of the time, but I'm too cheap to go out and try to get an MD to try to get me papers.

I have my firefighters decals on the window which usually keeps this from being an issue! :)

Scott

Does anybody know if tinting the headlights are illegal?

Does anybody know if tinting the headlights are illegal?

I don't have the Vehicle Code book here at home, but the headlights are supposed to have enuff light output to be able to light up a specific field/area in front and partial sides of the vehicle, and the dimensions are given in the book.