Limo tint in SoCal, Problems?

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VegasVanGuy

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Hi all, Anyone doing sleeper camping in Southern California? I'm thinking San Diego.  Any issues with police and dark tinting? I have a Honda Element, should I get darker tinting, reflectix, or homemade curtains? Thanks for any replies.
 
Any aftermarket tint on the windshield or front side windows will cause problems. If it's light you can probably get away with it for a while but then you don't really get much advantage from it anyway.

As long as you have mirrors all around you can do whatever you like in the back. On my last van I painted my rear windows black and had no issues in California or anywhere else.
 
Most tint, you can see inside if you put your face to the glass. I can't remember about limo tint and not sure if a cop shining his flashlight in can still see through. Curtains is a big giveaway that you're living inside. So is Reflectix if it's on all windows. I wonder if spray painting Reflectix black would be more stealth. This way, at least you can take it on and off to get a good view & sunshine. Also, you'd have the shiny side for the summer and the black side for winter if you're in colder states. I've tried a bunch of ways, including: curtains, cardboard, black poster boards, tint, rubber mats....and the most convenient and effective is the Reflectix because it's the easiest to take off and put on, by far.
 
do your research here, LEO in So cal will stop you just for thinking your tint looks a little to dark on anything but a registered Limo.
 
Reducto said:
Any aftermarket tint on the windshield or front side windows will cause problems. If it's light you can probably get away with it for a while but then you don't really get much advantage from it anyway.

As long as you have mirrors all around you can do whatever you like in the back. On my last van I painted my rear windows black and had no issues in California or anywhere else.

This.  Leave front windows untinted, backs can be painted black as long as you have a passenger side door mirror.

Lighter tint on the front windows, you might get away with, or you might not.

Dark tint on the front windows, it is just a matter of time.

In the back, I use doubled cardboard panels painted black on one side, with my old curtains adhered to inside.  Right now they have reflectix style dollar store window shades facing inward to reduce radiated heat transfer due to less emissivity.

Painting reflectix black on one side reduces efficacy a bunch.
 
So the reason I'm asking is I live in Vegas and have window tint one grade lighter than limo. Still beyond legal. I've been pulled over and tint wasn't even mentioned. Officers here are live and let live and they realize it is hot as f*** and tint makes a big difference but in California the cops are revenue generators. I guess curtains with a light tint on the front windows are the way to go.

Has anyone here been pulled over just for tint?
 
A friend of mine got pulled over for front tint on a Honda Civic daily driver, that they had bought used and which came with the tint.

I helped him remove it and the adhesive. I think it was just a 'fix it' and no fine, but it was 14 years ago.
 
Interesting comment made in the above thread I mentioned.

In 29 Palms, California, there was a judge who would not find anyone guilty of having tinted windows---UNTIL--his wife was in a crash. She had tinted windows all around. The impact broke a hole in her driver's door window. Her arm went out from the post-impact movements, and her arm was almost sawed off.

The windows are engineered to shatter on impact. Applying tint cancels out the shattering feature, some glass breaks out, and you are left with a saw edge of glass.
 
in kalifornia you can not tint you front window or your front driver door window or your front passenger door window. all other windows you can tint as dark as your want just as long as you have a passenger side mirror. highdesertranger
 

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