Pulled over twice in (2) weeks for tint!

[BreakingBad]

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.

[Jbow89]

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.

[FenwickHockey65]

I am fully aware it is 'illegal' per PA statutes/laws.

/endthread

[Swacer]

Yikes. It's a shock they are being so hard on you speaking that tint is a secondary offense.

[TXLS3]

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.

[Stealthpanda]

Uhm... I live in NJ. What is "legal" tint?

[motorhead]

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.

[kingdave]

Originally Posted by Swacer

Yikes. It's a shock they are being so hard on you speaking that tint is a secondary offense.

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?

[YellowL99]

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.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by BreakingBad

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.

Here we go again... another "sure, I broke the law but they were just picking on me" story.

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!

[NYCamOwner]

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.

[Irishmic]

You should have said..." Do Youns have a tint meter..if not ..go red up your room " ...lol

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by BreakingBad

...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...

Oh yeah, about this... you do know that the whole tint limits thing is primarily done for the LEOs safety, right? When they approach a car, they want to be able to see what is going on inside of it before walking right up to it. That's in case someone inside is pointing a weapon at them waiting to blow them away when they window is rolled down - or someone stashing drugs under the seats before the LEO get up on them.

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.

[Caddyroger]

Originally Posted by BreakingBad

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. They're nothing more than extortionists in my opinion.

I get a good laugh when people that police are just out to get money. You do realize if you do not break the law they do not get any money. By you keeping the tint you saying come and get me I'll keep giving you money.
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%.