07-06-2014, 07:56 PM | #1 |
MAGA
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Pulled over twice in (2) weeks for tint!
So, quick back story.
I have 5% tint on my vehicle in the state of PA. Was pulled over by a boro cop (6 police cars, I know, asinine/waste of resources/stereotyped) and I was just given a citation with no chance to 'take off the tint'. I am fully aware it is 'illegal' per PA statutes/laws. Now, even though I completely disagree with the law and believe that tint infractions are nothing more than ways for the revenue agents of the state (police) to bring in money, my opinion really doesn't matter and I'm faced with what I'm faced with. Just got hit by an undercover state trooper for my tint. He simply said "dark tint", and gave me a warning - to take it off within 5 days or face a citation of $127.50. That being said, I know that PA law (correct me if I'm wrong) states that 70% light transmittance or more is LEGAL, while anything less than that isn't. On the 'warning notice', the officer did not use a tint meter to gauge the level of tint, but simply wrote "Tint infraction". Now correct me if I'm wrong, how can this officer warn or cite me without having a tint meter to gauge how dark it is? Nothing on the warning says 5% just that it's a window tint violation. The warning reads I have 5 days to show up with the tint removed for face a fine (the $127) - but to those of you who may know, is there any recourse for me to get this warning thrown out as the office did not use a tint meter to gauge whether or not I was within PA state law recommendations? You are legally able to to have tint on your vehicle in PA, it just has to be 70% transmittance of light if I remember correctly. That said, how is this trooper 'in the right' for just 'eyeballing' my tint with no real equipment to test it and/or documenting it on my warning? I know my best option is to take it off to avoid future citations, but I really don't give a shit to do that myself or pay someone to do it because it looks damn sexy and a citation here and there isn't a big deal. I've just heard rumors that without a tint meter, you can sometimes 'fight' the warning being the officer did not use proper equipment to test the darkness of the tint to gauge if it was within legal limit. Does anyone know if it's even possible to 'fight' this to get it thrown out? Either way, I'm not taking it off and not driving an hour away and paying a professional to take it off, that's too much wasted time when my camaro looks amazing with the tint. I've went 2 years without a citation, and prior to my camaro I went 9 years with 5% tint with no infractions. I just got the shit end of the stick for the 4th holiday weekend where these buttholes are out in full force finding anything and everything they can jack people on to steal their money. They're nothing more than extortionists in my opinion.
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07-06-2014, 08:00 PM | #2 |
Drives: 2012 LS Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: South jersey
Posts: 205
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Your tint breaks the law in your state and you know it. If you decided to keep it pay the fine and deal with it. I'm in nj and when I get a ticket for not having a front plate I just pay it cause I know I'm breaking the states law.
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07-06-2014, 08:01 PM | #3 | |
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Quote:
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07-06-2014, 08:07 PM | #4 |
Drives: 2018 GT350 Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 2,719
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Yikes. It's a shock they are being so hard on you speaking that tint is a secondary offense.
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Off to the Dark Side
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07-06-2014, 08:10 PM | #5 |
yea I've been down this road.. i just keep the tint legal now a days. its a waste of money getting illegal things done to your car especially, tint. cops aren't stupid you can look at it and tell what % it is.
and your car is black just get the sides done legally and it looks fine. i have legal tint on my black ss and it looks great. 5% in the rear and 15% on the sides. |
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07-06-2014, 08:15 PM | #6 |
Thread Ender
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS L99 Join Date: May 2011
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 1,038
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Uhm... I live in NJ. What is "legal" tint?
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07-06-2014, 08:17 PM | #7 |
Drives: Love the one you're with Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Downtown Charlie Brown
Posts: 11,850
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I don't like giving cops a reason to pull me over thus no tint at all. I've had friends pulled over with legal tint. They use it for an excuse to pull you over regardless. Cops need to make money these days as much as fight crime if not more. Why make it easy for them.
Last edited by motorhead; 07-06-2014 at 08:38 PM. |
07-06-2014, 08:19 PM | #8 | |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Posts: 148
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Is this still true? I'm stationed in Florida and tbh I'm not sure whether it's primary or secondary. But originally I'm from MD and I was told by a buddy back home that it had been switched to a primary offense. Apparently it's a jail-able offense now after your 3rd citation? |
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07-06-2014, 08:28 PM | #9 |
Drives: 2014 Yellow L99 Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: nowhere
Posts: 545
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man i use to have all my recent cars 5% tints all around and 30% on the windshield, i never got pulled over. Whether trips down to south jersey, PA or NY.
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07-06-2014, 08:29 PM | #10 | |
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You know your tint is illegal and you've been breaking the law for over a decade on multiple vehicles. You finally got caught and now you're whining about it. Too bad - suck it up and pay the fine. Oh... and since they will know you didn't correct the tint, you may find you get pulled over fairly often when your local LEOs see your car. But at least you will not have "wasted your time" correcting the infraction. I got a ticket in college that read "Speed Not Prudent" (and it certainly wasn't)... kind of like your "Dark Tint". They can tell when you're over the limit and it's a judgment call how they write it up. Pay up!
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2013 1SS/RS Coupe L99, Stainless Power Works LT Headers, SCT X4 Custom Tune from RDP, CAI Inc. Air Intake w/ Apex Scoop, VMAX CNC Ported Throttle Body, Solo Axle-Back Exhaust w/ J-pipes, Apex Catch Can, Husky Splash Guards, Heritage Grille, 3D Carbon Rear Spoiler, Oracle Chrome Turn Signal Bulbs, GM Reverse Light Trim Billets, Gorilla Black Locking Lugs, Emblem Pros Retro SS Badges/Custom Retro SS Kickplates/Under-hood Bowtie, 35% window Tint, Nitto Motivo Tires (6-8-18)
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07-06-2014, 08:34 PM | #11 |
"Katy"
Drives: 2014 2LT A6 'Vert Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Western New York
Posts: 1,076
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If PA is like New York, the State Troopers vehicles in New York are tinted to the legal limit, which is pretty much nothing. How can he tell you that it is over the limit? Just by the look.. You can see a huge difference between 5% and 70%. I had 19% on my previous vehicle and I got stopped one time, and the officer did the same thing. When I questioned him about it, he showed me my window, and then had me look at his...
HUGE difference.
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07-06-2014, 08:36 PM | #12 |
Drives: 2014 Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: NH
Posts: 335
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You should have said..." Do Youns have a tint meter..if not ..go red up your room " ...lol
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07-06-2014, 08:37 PM | #13 | |
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Also, it's a safety thing for YOU and other drivers. Whether you realize it or not, tinting does impair you vision and could contribute to accidents.
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2013 1SS/RS Coupe L99, Stainless Power Works LT Headers, SCT X4 Custom Tune from RDP, CAI Inc. Air Intake w/ Apex Scoop, VMAX CNC Ported Throttle Body, Solo Axle-Back Exhaust w/ J-pipes, Apex Catch Can, Husky Splash Guards, Heritage Grille, 3D Carbon Rear Spoiler, Oracle Chrome Turn Signal Bulbs, GM Reverse Light Trim Billets, Gorilla Black Locking Lugs, Emblem Pros Retro SS Badges/Custom Retro SS Kickplates/Under-hood Bowtie, 35% window Tint, Nitto Motivo Tires (6-8-18)
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07-06-2014, 09:00 PM | #14 | |
Drives: 2011 RJT Camaro LT2 RS auto shift Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Washington state
Posts: 1,861
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By the way they can tell if your tint is illegal by looking at it. I have 35% on mine the legal limit here. At 5 feet I can see inside my car but it is dark. Now if I can not see in the car at 5 feet it darker then 35%.
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