This past weekend I was driving back from Columbia, MO and traffic was heavy and the Highway Patrol had a heavy presence.

Traffic was running along about 74mph. I saw a tropper in the median and he pulled out several cars behind me and eventually worked his way up behind me and threw on his lights.

I immediately pulled over and when he came up he informed me that he was pulling me over for the tint on my vehicle. He then used a meter to read the density of my tint. He told me that in Missouri the legal limit was 35% and my tint was 23%.

I was rather taken aback by this. I've had the car since Dec. of 2004 and the tint came on the car new. I purchased it at the Mazda dealer in Ballwin and never had anyone question it before.

I know the dealer had the tint applied, but I'm amazed they install a tint that is illegal in the state.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Would I have any recourse in going back to the dealer if I do get a ticket?

Thanks for any input.

Gary Eaves

 

If it was nighttime or if your interior is especially dark, either sometimes affects the readings, I imagine if it was, you could have legal tint and it would come up as under the legal limit. I would have a tint shop look at it and they should know the percentage instantly. They should be able to tell ya if its legal or not. Ive never heard of a dealership applying illegal tint on a vehicle. Good luck!

 

My friend has 03 Mitsubishi Eclipse pre-tint from factory and got pulled over in SF. He informed the officer that it was like this since first day. No ticket, but have to remove tint and report back in 30 days.

However, removing tint is pain in the .

 

Tint is dangerous.

 

jeez, cant they find a real crime. I guess im just lucky, no front plate, 5% tint all around, no cat, and ive never been pulled over for any of it (knocking on wood).

 

Well maybe I just won't worry about it.

It was around 7:00pm in the evening and overcast.

Thanks again,

Gary Eaves

 

I figure he would have given you a ticket right then and there unless you guys have some sort of system where they mail it to you or something. Usually you can take it to the shop that inspects your car and ask em if they think its legal. Do it in the daytime though because my 35% looks like 20% with my dark interior and nighttime, I get pulled over all the time for it but they cant do anything.

 

Glass from the factory is "pre-tinted" to around 7-8%. It sounds like they applied "legal" 35% tint over that. Hence the 27% reading. I'm not sure of any recourse you may have, I'd call the dealer but you probably won't get much satisfaction...

 

Weird, no one gives a crap about that around here.

 

I plan on getting some tints , hope they dont give me any crap.

 

i know a copper in maryland who drives around with 5% tint. he gets pulled over for it a lot and then just flashes his badge.

*******.

no wonder no one respects the cops.

 

Must be nice; I got a ticket on my last car (bought it that way used, but the car originated in Nevada).

It jacked up my insurance rates big time because it's "illegal equipment."

 

^You should have contested it

 

I've got 5% on my RX-7. I got pulled over in city, where they don't usually carry those meters. Got pulled over, cop is like "You're damn lucky I don't have my meter, boy."

Stupid arrogant cops. My windows were down, anyway.

 

Yea, the other night I got pulled over....for my tint also, and the ******* wanted to tow my car. He had the tow truck there and said I just got on duty so you're lucky.

It really pisses me off they worry about tint. I'm on the good side of town, clean plates, clean car, and hes worried about tint on the West side of town? Go to the East side, sit around and arrest the punks who run around with guns and drugs. COME ON YOU POWER TRIPPING ******* COPS><>!!! Seriously, this is why I have almost ZERO respect for a badge. I could go on, but I'm getting pissed so Im done ....hahaha

 

Importshow, put yourself in the cops shoes. You pull someone over, and you can't see jack **** inside the car. Who's to say he isn't holding a gun at the window ready to blow the brains off you. I know what my previous post says contradicts this statement a bit, but I was saying arrogant about how he acted towards it. I didn't even get it tinted, it came like that, and I can't be assed to spend the money to re-tint. But I see why the law exists, at least.

 

You cannot fault the officer for your illegal tint.

It's your car, and your responsibility to make sure its legal. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Nor is "but the dealer/previous owner/all my friends did it."

Stupid that you got pulled over and i don't agree with it much, but thats the way the game is played. Just think about all the tickets you never got when you should have and smile.

Note to self. Lower windows immediately when pulled over to put officer at ease.

 

right (at cyberpitz). which is why when i see the cops themselves driving around in 5% tint in their personal cars it makes them gigantic hypocrites.

how can people respect the cops when the cops dont respect the law themselves?

 

It just all depends on the cop.. My buddies dads a cop and he wont ever write window tint or seatbelt tickets cause he's got window tint on his cars and hates wearing seatbelts.. Its just like in in profession theres gonna be your good and your bad people...

 

Ehh.. Seatbelt wearing is just about common sense though. If you crash, wanna break all ribs, collapse a lung probably get your face crushed, or fly through the windshield (depending on crash severity). Or, do you want to get a bit of a bruise on your chest/stomach?

Tint, on the other hand, is just a appearance modification. It's not illegal in my city

 

i think the whole factory window tinting is an all around thing. My friend had the same problem with his car. The cop pulled him over and said his tint was too dark and he got a fix-it ticket. But the tint was probably the lightest it can be from being faded. And he got it from a dealership that said they had applied the window tint themselves. It's unfair for the consumer but it happens all the time. Don't think that you are the only one that this has happened to. Cops are just following the law some are more harsh than others. Just think of the movie "Crash". The end.