Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Weekly Tip - Window Tinting

From the California Highway Patrol (CHP) website:

Can I put after-market tinting on the windows of my vehicle?

The main requirements for legal window tinting in California are: The windshield and front driver's side and passenger's side windows cannot receive any aftermarket tinting. If the rear window of a vehicle is tinted, the vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both sides.


The law prohibits any person from driving any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows, with certain limited exceptions.

However, legislation signed into law effective January 1, 1999, exempts from the above prohibition specified clear, colorless, and transparent material that is installed, affixed, or applied to the front driver and passenger side windows for the specific purpose of reducing ultraviolet rays. If, as, or when this material becomes torn, bubbled or otherwise worn, it must be removed or replaced

Most of the time, this violation is a "fix-it" ticket and can be signed off by a police officer. Unless the material you have applied is clear, UV only, with documentation, almost all tinting is unlawful in California.


Refer California Vehicle Code sections 26101 and 26708(a)(1).

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