Window Tinting Laws in Washington State
Questions Race Back and Forth - Legal or Illegal?
Over the years people grew fond of tinted windows on their cars for one reason or another. The main reason naturally is, to block the sun and make it easier for the driver to see outside in the day time. But what about driving at night with the tinted windows?
Many people think that tint on car windows should be illegal, or at least don't have such dark tint for your cars.
And there is also a kind of tint for your car windows that looks silver, in my opinion it looks like a mirror, and there is no way that someone on the outside can see the person on the inside.
The main controversy here is, Safety…
Driving at night with tinted windows not only jeopardizes the viewing efficiency of the drivers being able to see clearly out of their windows, it also jeopardizes civilians in other vehicles, for instance; what if you were a cop, pulling someone over for speeding or for some other reason, and they had the 'mirror tint' on their car windows, the cop would not be able to see inside that car so the person in the car could have a gun pointed directly at the cops head, and the cop would never see it coming…
Another scenario; what if you had a child who was walking home from school, and someone had a car with really dark tint on their windows, the car pulls over and picks your child up, your child could be screaming and waving and no one would be able to see that there is a child in the back of that car that needs help.
There are so many good reasons that window tinting should not be legal, and what, two reasons why people love it: 'The looks of the tint, and/or, to block the sun in the daytime.' But for your reason to be 'to block the sun in the daytime' really isn't a good reason, blocking the sun in the daytime is for sunglasses, and at night you take the sunglasses off, but if you have dark tint on your car windows, you can't just "take it off" at night when you don't need it anymore. Driving a car with dark tint is like wearing your sunglasses at night, it makes everything three times as dark as it really is outside.
And what happens when you have to backup in your car, your reverse lights don't light that much up, and having tint on your windows makes it even harder to see, so you may not be able to see the shopping cart in the parking lot and crash into it, or you may not see the kid running in the street and accidentally hit him. Do you see what I am saying?
With only two reasons for window tinting to be legal, verses 100 reasons and scenarios why window tint should be illegal, there really isn't any comparison.
So maybe we should compromise, set a medium for how dark is too dark of tint, and how dark is acceptable for window tint.
Or someone should make a window tint that changes, like glasses, in the sun they are dark, and in the night they fade so you can see clearly.
In Washington State the window tint laws apply as follows:
6 inches / 32% Film / 32% Film / 32% Film / 1989
Note: MPV Windows behind the front side doors are exempt.
Enforcement Note: Tint law applies to non-Washington registered vehicles.
The info is in this format: Windshield/Front side windows/Rear side windows/Rear back windows/Year passed
The percentages are the numbers representing the amount of light transparency through the tint.
So, A tint brow on the windshield cannot go no lower than 6 inches, 32% film may be applied to the front side windows, 32% light must go through the combined window film and windows for the rear side windows and 32% light transmission is required on the rear back window and film combined. The year 1989 is the year that the law went into effect.
To look for your states window tinting laws there are many web sites you can visit: http://home.pcisys.net/~bpc/auto_law/tint/ is where I found to be the most helpful…
Another very helpful web site I found is: Enjoy the Drive.com You can read their chart and find out exactly what tint is legal in your state. http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=10456
The most reliable, easy to understand web site for your states window tinting laws is: Tint Center.com http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/
They supply 'FAQ' about window tinting, all 50 state's window tinting laws, and if certain colors or tints are legal or illegal.
Published by Tabitha Rodriguez
Writing is one of my many passions, I also love to dance, cook, and laugh, I believe that "Laughter is the spice of life" and "A single smile can spread to a thousand faces" so always keep your chin up and f... View profile
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- Most of my information was gathered here: home.pcisys.net/~bpc/auto_law/tint/ Enjoy the drive.com is a helpful resource where you can find even more information on window tinting in your state. www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=10456 Tint Center.com makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for when it comes to window tinting in your state. www.tintcenter.com/laws/
- Tint or no tint? would you jeapordize your safety and everyone elses for the look of your car?
- What is window tinting worth?
- Check out your states laws to find out if window tinting is legal.
16 Comments
Post a CommentI just got window tint done according to Texas standards. I even have clear window tint on my windshield. The difference in my car is like day and night. I have a black car with black leather seats. I was not able to wear sleeveless shirts or shorts as I would burn my skin on the seats. That is over. The inside of the car is much cooler and cools down quicker once I am driving. Also, I have trouble at night seeing due to oncoming traffic. Especially SUVs and trucks blind me. Well, not anymore. I can look straight into their headlights and don't even see shadows afterwards. It's amazing. The only drawback: I cannot wear my prescription sunglasses anymore as the double polarization puts everything green and purple stripes..... yuck....
I use tint as a deterrent for thieves. If they cant see whats inside, they wont swipe whats inside. I have never had problems driving at night, just like I have never had problems driving in the day with sunglasses on.
your dumb...
Anyone who uses tint to keep themselves from being seen is a coward, because you are so wimpy that you don't want others to see you as you cut them off!
Driving is a privilege NOT a "right", Mr. "free passage". (where did you ever come up with that "free passage" nonsense?)
For safety reasons alone, it's important to be able to SEE THE OTHER DRIVERS in the cars around you! Not to mention the police being, understandably, nervous around blacked-out windows.
The sooner every overly-tinted window is STRIPPED to bare glass, and all the illegal tinting shops are OUT OF BUSINESS, the BETTER!
Dear Author, I am a little disturbed by the fact that you did not provide your home address, what if I knew you kidnaped my children I have no way of locating your home. I also do not belive you should be allowed to draw your blinds at night, as I would like to be able to look inside your home incase you are providing alcohol to minors, or performing other illegal acts.
Window tint has saved my life.
Just the other day, someone may have been picking their nose behind tinted glass. Because I could not see them, I was not distracted, and I didn't crash.
I moved to Washington from Arizona where pretty nearly everyone has tinted windows and the reasons are numerous. Although the heat of the sun in Washington doesn't come close to Arizona's, it clearly keeps the interior of the car cooler which equates to less A/C use and improved fuel economy. It also helps protect the dashboard from heat damage...I've seen many a cracked dashboard from the intense heat. There is a limit to how much tint can be used on the front seat windows-limo tint is forbidden for safety reasons when the PD has to pull a car over. Understandable. But this IS America, isn't it? If we want to tint our windows we should be able to do so.
This is nut's it ok to ride your bike with the dark sun shild down on your helment and at night you use it to keep bug's rain out of you face... the Da@m law that dont what you to have window tint......thats it.I know and man that killed a cop just for the heck of it he went to jail then to fry got it down to life if you want to kill and cop you don't need and tinted window JUST A GUN and how to shut good. My truck has 20% on the two sides blacked out no see back window i can see fine at night
well in WA state it is apparently illegal to have limo tint in the back yet i see unmarked law enforcement is exempt. double standard.i also see commerical vehicles ie: big vans that are rolling billboards that have thier ads cover the windows too albeit using perforated decaling which totally blocks any veiw inside but they can see out... and thats legal?
I agree everyone has a right to have window tint on their windows. For what ever the reason . But yes it happons and yes things go wrong and can so very quickly . Try yourself pulling someone over can't see in that car walking to the front and he open's fire. I am a Civ. and i work with a Dept. I am also a mother who enjoys my privacy and i to don;t like how dark we can or can not have our cars but i also understand the cross walks are there for a reason and so is the security check points at airports. For your self evan when someone pulls up next to you and it is nice to know who is on the other side of that window weither it is friend or foe. So this law on Tinting your windows was placed in effect for the safety of alot of people . Not just Cops but ordinary people out there like you and i and our kids as well . No one likes being hot when all we have to do is apply tint and it helps up to 65% of the heat.
Excuse me, but I have small children and When I put them in the car in the summer I dont want it to be a million and one degrees in the car. Nothing like a good case of heat stroke driving to the store. Sunglasses are not going to keep the car cool, or keep gas prices down by not having to use the ac 24-7. As far as cops go, i think we still need the right to have our privacy, not everyone is out to get cops, and they wouldnt need window tinting to do a crime. Not to mention I have seen MANY undercover police cars with tinted windows. So it cant be that dangerous!