# Tinted window law in Pennsylvania **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832 "2007-11-09T21:36:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/1 "2007-11-09T21:36:56Z")
Robin got nailed speeding the other day. While she was pulled over, the police officer told her that her window tint wasn’t legal. I’ve seen various people quoting 30% as the limit here in Pennsylvania, but I’ve looked over the laws and I can’t find anything to indicate that. One thing that the law does say is that window tint from the factory is exempt, and the car was delivered that way. Further, she has had the car inspected 5 times and the tint has never come up as an issue. Not once. We’re thinking about challenging this warning (which will become a citation if we don’t remove the tint). Can anybody come up with a reason why we shouldn’t, or why it’s a lost cause? From what I’ve seen there’s no way we can lose based solely on the laws. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/2 "2007-11-09T21:41:12Z")
Did the officer give you anything in writing, citing a statutory provision? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/3 "2007-11-09T21:53:19Z")
I think there is a small line marked on the windshield glass near the driver’s side column, a few inches down from the top, which represents some kind of legal limit on how far down the glass the tinting may extend. Could this be it, rather than the darkness of the tint? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/4 "2007-11-09T21:53:37Z")
I’ve got the written warning right here and there is no statute or regulation cited. What the cop did was put a meter on the window. The meter reading said “43%” which can’t be right, since the tinting is rated at 35% and has a decal saying so. Robin ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/5 "2007-11-09T21:55:28Z")
[QUOTE=Napier] I think there is a small line marked on the windshield glass near the driver’s side column, a few inches down from the top, which represents some kind of legal limit on how far down the glass the tinting may extend. Could this be it, rather than the darkness of the tint? [/QUOTE] The cop wasn’t interested in the windshield (which was replaced about a year or two ago and so complies with PA law, if that exists). He was interested in the driver’s and passenger’s windows. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/6 "2007-11-09T22:08:12Z")
Some links worth exploring … [http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/consumers.aspx?id=295](http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/consumers.aspx?id=295) [http://www.berksweb.com/users/dmv/tint/](http://www.berksweb.com/users/dmv/tint/) [http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/PA/](http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/PA/) ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/7 "2007-11-09T22:13:38Z")
[QUOTE=MsRobyn] He was interested in the driver’s and passenger’s windows. [/QUOTE] And these have not been modified since the car was new? Yet you’re now expected to replace them? ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/8 "2007-11-09T22:20:06Z")
**The Law** This comes from title 75 of the PA Consolidated Statutes § 4524 > [@](#): > > (e) Sun screening and other materials prohibited.– > (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sun screening device or other material which does not permit a person to see or view the inside of the vehicle through the windshield, side wing or side window of the vehicle. **The Regulation** According to the PA DMV, you are correct about the 30%. See [here](http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-sun.pdf) (pdf). ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/9 "2007-11-09T22:25:06Z")
Here is the regulation: [67 Pa. Code Subchapter O. Vehicle Sun Screening Devices](http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/chapter175/subchapOtoc.html) And the statute: [News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com](http://members.aol.com/StatutesP1/75PA4524.html) The regulation seems to require at least 70% light transmission. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinted-window-law-in-pennsylvania/425832/10 "2007-11-09T23:28:44Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] And these have not been modified since the car was new? Yet you’re now expected to replace them? [/QUOTE] I can peel the tinting off. It’s just going to be a PITA. I now know what I’m doing this weekend. ☹ Thanks, everyone. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I’m stuck (heh) with it. Robin