So i'm looking to get some tint on my SW TC. Dark tint on this car just looks absolutely amazing, but there is unfortunately a bit of a complication with this.

I was recently accepted to the California Highway Patrol academy, so when a spot opens up, that's where i'll be. My CHP buddy who actually turned me on to law enforcement was VERY specific about getting everything on my car absolutely and completely street legal. The Lexus I had until recently had tinting of the driver and passenger side windows, which is apparently a big no-no. Also, some a-hole had bumped the front of my car in a parking lot and tore off my license plate, so I didn't have that either.

So on my new TC, if I have illegal tinting, or no front license plate, anything at all not completely and totally legal by the California law, I will be in for a world of hurt when I get to the academy.

So what do you guys suggest for tinting? Should I even bother tinting the rear windows at all if the fronts have to stay completely un-tinted? I haven't seen any pictures in any of these threads of SW TC's with tint in back but not up front. Would it look lame?

 

it depends on what your local laws allow, that would def help.
no tint up front looks alright as long as you dont have anything super dark in back.
30-35% is the darkest i would go in the back if your not going to have anything up front.

 

The car looks cleaner an newwer without tint!

 

Well it's not local law as much as it is state law. California is pretty hardcore about having zero tint on the front windows, i may try and play with photoshop a bit to see how it looks with a little tint on the back and nothing in the front.

I may end up just not tinting at all though, which sucks. I loved the tint on my lexus.

 

Well we can have tint on the front windows, but not much (70% light must go through for the front passenger/driver side windows).

No tint on the windshield and the back driver/passenger windows and the hatch can be as dark as they want.)

You can get by pretty low though without hassle, typically around 35% is what I see most people do in this area to avoid hassle, but going darker draws more attention to you.

Here is a website I googled that may help http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/CA/

 

Thanks for the link! Very helpful.

So would 30% all around be sharp, or 30% up front and darker in the rear?

 

70% means you cant tint, that is pretty much what the factory tint is already. No show has over 50% from what i have seen

 

you guys are aware there is a whole thread full of pics of tinted tc's right?

 

I have a 08 SW with no tinted front windows. I had 5% all the way around three days after installation I was pulled over for no front plate. Well the officer wrote me a fix it ticket for that then asked me to roll my window up. Took his key to the tint and said that its illegal and I should probably get it removed. Really nice guy!! Anyways that was over a year ago and I still have no tint on front. It doesn't look bad at all I could find a decent picture from the side if you really want

 

at the academy they will find any reason to bust your *****. my friend tried joining the academy first day he showed up in his car (retired crown vic police interceptor still with the push bar) made him run more laps than everyone. why? cuz they dont like whackers (people who try to impersonate a LEO, law enforcement officer). guy quit and became a firefighter

 

I looked through literally hundreds of pictures and didn't see a single TC with dark tint in the back and none up front. All the pictures with tint that I could find had tint all around or not at all, which is why I started this thread in the first place.

 

Yeah, this is exactly what my buddy informed me of. Looks like there will be no tinting for me.

 

When I bought a used xB in Maryland, it already had a tint on it and automatically failed vehicle inspection. What I had to do is take it to the DMV and have a state trooper scan the glass with a meter. He then certified it as legal, put a numbered sticker in the corner oif each front window, and gave me a certificate of legality in case I was ever stopped about it. 35% is the darkest we can legally go in MD. Mine were at 53%, which is more than enough.

Check with the California DMV website to see what is, some poking around on the web says 70% light transmission is the limit.

Sounds like a bunch of winners there at the academy Deathstalker, indoctrinate to be jerk early. Stay easy if yo go Wavechaser, the trooper who scanned my tint was the first nice one I've met, so I know they do exist.

If they're going to bust your ***** regardless, might as well give them a reason. Get a t-shirt from the local county sheriff's office and wear it the first day.

 

thats prob because, like i said...
dark tint in back and none up front looks goofy.

 

agree

 

And that was precisely why I made the thread, I wasn't sure if that was the reason or not, but it's good to know so I don't waste my time.

Thanks everyone! :^:

 

Do you think you would get hassled with 50% on the front, I mean really isnt much?

 

50% tint on front wont be a hassle i do a bunch of tint, and got buddies that have a shop for tint. on my car i currently of 3% on the back 3 and 35% on the front 2. have had it on for 2 years now, not a problem. i plan on going 5% on the front soon. some of my buddies have just 35% on their backs and 0 on front, that looks real clean. well in my opinion anyway.