Ticketed for Tinted Windows

[jaramill]

Anyone who lives in Los Angeles County knows what a pain in the ass, cops can be. Especially if you're in a bright colored BMW M3 like mine (red). I got a ticket yesterday for tinted windows. That's how the car came when I bought it used. Now my question is, is it for the side rear windows being tinted or for the rear-windshield? It doesn't say on my ticket. Also is this something that I can either fix or just pay the fine and keep the tint on? I heard taking off tint screws up your windows.

Thanks,
Gio

[Kevlar]

Here in florida, it is illegal to have the front two windows (where the cop looks to see the driver) tinted past 20%.

Here you can pay the fine and leave the tint on the windows... but eventually if it is the same cop, they can ticket you enough that it then becomes cost effective to pay to have the tint redone.

Some cops actually make you scrap it off the windows on the spot with a paint scraper or have the car towed because it is illegal to operate it that way.

[FatBoyM]

Unless the rules have changed, your ticket is for your front windows - driver and passenger, not any of the rear windows.
It is legal to have tint on the rear windows up to a certain percentage (don't know it off hand), as long as you have a right side mirror.
Your ticket is a fix it ticket - you will have to remove the tint and then have a cop sign your ticket verifying that you have fixed it. The processing fee is usually around 10 if it was CHP who pulled you over.
I've gotten two of these before. The first time, the shop took it off, I got it signed, and then drove straight to the tint shop to put it back on. Its not bad to take it off your front windows, you just don't want to mess with the rear defrost. The second time, I took it off and left it. It takes the shop five minutes to remove the tint
You can also do it yourself with Saran wrap or something like that.

[jaramill]

It turns out that my driver side windows were also tinted! Duh, I didn't even notice it. Oh well, guess I got to scrape it off. It was actually LAPD motorcycle cop that got me on Wilshire Blvd in Westwood. So how do I remove the front side window tint with Saran wrap? Or should I get my local BMW dealer to remove it?

Gio

[FatBoyM]

Don't waste the money at the stealer.
Look up a tint shop in the yellow pages and call around. Should be around 20-30 to remove it.
If you want to do it yourself, I'll have to check with a friend. I forget how to do it.
Something like wet the saran wrap, put it against the window and sit in sun for a few hours. No kidding.

[jaramill]

Actually a friend mentioned to use Windex on it then use a blowdryer and a razor to peel it off. But I'll ask around for a tint shop.

Gio

[Black Majik]

hmm... i got a ticket for tinted windows in my campus parking lot! aint that a b****!.... but i went to my tint shop i always go to, he took it off for free... all he did was take a sharp razor, cut into the tint and peel the tint off... once the tint is peeled off use windex to spray the window and scrape the window using the razor. Make sure the razor is smooth, he used about 3 razors to take off the tint, making sure that the razors were smooth so he didn't scratch my windows with uneven edges.

[jaramill]

Hey Richard where in SoCali are you? What shop did you go to?

I'm in Beverly Hills.

Gio

[TD///M3]

I've never heard of the saran wrap trick.

I just use a razor but when you peel off the tint do it VERY SLOWLY so that the gum (sticky stuff) stays on the tint and not your windows.

Good luck!

[Black Majik]

Originally posted by jaramill
Hey Richard where in SoCali are you? What shop did you go to?

I'm in Beverly Hills.

Gio

hey Gio,

im in Orange county.... i always go to Tint connection in Costa Mesa. Its right next to Mesa Performance.

(949)-650-TINT... ask for Jim.

[Andrew 97M3]

I hear about people getting tickets,tint ripped off all the time down here in south florida but I have never got questioned once(I find that amazing since cops love to stop me)... btw I have 5% all around + 5%strip...guess I've been getting lucky...ahh damn!! I just probably jinxed myself:eek:

[M3 Pete]

Gio, I went to Tint Factory on La Cienega, just north of the 10. They did good work installing mine. What percentage is your tint?

I got 55 percent on all my side windows and 35 in the back, just a subtle tint that doesn't attract that much attention. But my black interior makes it look darker than it is. I had the same combo on my 325 with tan interior for 4 years, no hassles (and no tickets either, that will probably change soon).

As long as you have both side mirrors, you can have as dark a tint as you want on the rear passenger and rear windows. In California it is illegal to tint the front windows, period.

btw, if you go to Tint factory, the owner has a M3 look-alike with super dark tint, he even tinted the WINDSHIELD!!!

[jaramill]

No my driver and passenger front side windows are also tinted (and my interior is black leather seats). I think the tint is about 50%. That's how the car came. The car wasn't 100% street legal (i.e. no front plate, missing registration tags, dark ting). Oh the price we pay to drive a BMW! :)

My rear side windows and rear window shield is "limousine" tint (i.e. pitch black). So the cop couldn't see me even in daylight. So how much would they charge to remove the tint? These cops out here just nickel & dime you to death with these petty "fix-it" tickets. :(

Gio

[M3 Pete]

I doubt they would charge you much, call and ask them, tell them Peter in the blue M3 sent you. I just did the tint in January. The limo tint attracts way too much attention. If it were me, I'd take it off and go lighter. But that's just me.

When I bought my car from the dealer, I discovered by inspecting the windows that it had been tinted, but the dealer must have removed it. I paid somebody almost $200 to put it back on. Stupid.

btw, I got the Madico Onyx tint.

[FatBoyM]

I talked with my friend, and he couldn't remember how to take it off either.
But the windex and razor blade sound about right.

FYI, cops really don't like the tint because of too many of them getting blown to bits with shotguns - they can't see anything with heavy tint.

[aus]

You may want to consider changing the tint all around. I'm sure it's the limo tint that caught his attention. Like FatBoy said, cops like to be able to see when the driviner is making funny movements. The stuff just peels off but can leave a sticky residue on the windows. Finger nail polish or adhesive revomer will take it off. You'll miss the tint in the summer time. Trust me on that. Don't let this sh!tty weather fool you.
Tint Connection is a great place. They did my wife's Lexus GS300 for around $160 and it was done before we finished lunch. The rear window was one piece; no lines. It's a bit of a drive but worth it. Places in LA charged about $200. It's up to you. I had friend down in OC so the drive was no big deal.

[Black Majik]

i've gotten three other cars besides mine done at Tint Connection: a Audi A4, Lexus IS300, and a VW Jetta.... all came out great. They were all happy with the results... and Jim, the owner, gives one of the best prices...

[FatBoyM]

Unless you put more tint on the front windows, you don't have to remove the limo tint, though it usually looks bad with limo tint in back and nothing up front.

[Dinan M3]

I just went to Tint Factory on La Cienega this Saturday.
They did a great job. They even sanded down the dots on the glass so the tint would stick better (matrix or matix?).

I got 36% all the way around, but my black intierior makes it look alot darker.

I had no idea that in California it is illegal to tint the front windows. DOH!

The owner is a pretty cool guy. Some lady smacked his 328, so he is looking for an M3.

[Dan Wang]

I got a ticket too for tint on the drivers and pass front windows.

The law back then was a simple fix it ticket. Now it is a ticket with a fine.


I removed the tint myself. I used a razor blade and tore that damn thing off.

If glue is stuck to your window, use some ammonia/water mixture (windex) and spray it on and use the razor again.

Good luck

[Black Majik]

Oh, S cali front window tint fine is $177

that's freakin' BS.

[FatBoyM]

Originally posted by Black Majik
Oh, S cali front window tint fine is $177

that's freakin' BS.

Are you sure? Talk about inflation!
Last time I had it done, it was a 15 fix it!

[Black Majik]

now tinted windows are a fine... i should know... i got pulled over and ticketed in my own school.

but yah, my fine was 177 dollars.

[jaramill]

Richard are you saying that it was $177 for tinted driver, and front passenger side windows? What town was this in?

I got caught in Westwood, CA.

Gio

[jaramill]

Well I finally got my proof of correction stamped by California Highway Patrol down in Culver City for free, then back up to West Los Angeles traffic court to pay $10 for removing my tint. Thanks to all who helped (especially M3 Pete). I went to Tint Factory and they removed it for $50. I'll go back and get a light tint all around since my interior is black leather so I don't want to attract to much attention to my fire-engine red M3.

Thanks all.

Gio