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Cop gave ticket for tinting and no front license plate

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Sharing the experience in case if anyone else is thinking to tint front windows in Bay Area . I have my front two windows tinted at 50%.
Today a cop pulled my wife (who was driving the my Tesla, I wasn’t in the car), for having tint on the front screen. He gave ticket and 2-months to fix and bring car back for inspection. He also noted that my car doesn’t have front license plate. So need to put that on. Been avoiding that as well.

Will have to take my car to tint shop and either reduce the % or completely remove it!!🤦🏻‍♂️
 
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I think OP says just front windows, not windshield. If he also has 50% on windshield, then I am not surprised that the car got pulled over. I think northern California is more strict on front windows tint and no front plate. 50% on front windows here in SoCal is pretty much the norm. I have seen some as dark as 35% and I don't think they get pulled over either unless they also speed. I am thinking OP's wife did something else (probably speed) that triggered the pull over and the cop let her off easy by just giving her a fix it ticket.

Also next time when OP's wife get pulled over, immediately roll down both front windows. That way when the cop walked over to the car, he/she can't see the front windows are tinted or not. As for the fix it ticket, you will have to remove the tint entirely, at least until the inspection is over.
 
Probably because in SoCal you NEED to the tint, not sure why the front plate isn't an issue, but the first few months after I moved north I too got a ticket. When I found that I could hang the plate in a most impermanent way and still get the fix signed off I haven't had a front plate on anything but my RV (cause I can get a foam plate frame cover to protect in case of a parking accident).
 
You can also just pay the fine and not take it off. Save the hassle of removing it and getting it retinted. Any % of tint in the front 2 windows are illegal in CA. NoCal cops are bored. I was pulled over a few years ago for driving with my windows down in December. CHP wanted to see if I had tinted windows. I did not. It was a 2 door couple and I didn't have any tint at all.
 
CHP wanted to see if I had tinted windows. I did not. It was a 2 door couple and I didn't have any tint at all.
keep the windows down and tell the cop you're not showing him *sugar* lol that's how i avoided a ticket in my old mustang.

Also its nice to have NV plates when i drive around in Nor-Cal i have tinted front windows and no front plate, unless its a major crime I'm already getting pulled over for (speeding doesn't count for that) they can't write me up for the windows or plate.
 
You can also just pay the fine and not take it off. Save the hassle of removing it and getting it retinted. Any % of tint in the front 2 windows are illegal in CA. NoCal cops are bored. I was pulled over a few years ago for driving with my windows down in December. CHP wanted to see if I had tinted windows. I did not. It was a 2 door couple and I didn't have any tint at all.
That kinda sounds like an illegal stop, he pulled you over not because you were doing anything wrong but to investigate and see if you are?
 
That kinda sounds like an illegal stop, he pulled you over not because you were doing anything wrong but to investigate and see if you are?

Correct. I was headed to the GG bridge. It was breezy on a nice day with the heat on full blast and the windows down. CHP on a motorcycle entered the freeway and saw me driving with the windows down. He lane split to my side and motioned his hands and arms for me to pull over. I did, and he walked to my car and asked me why was my windows down, and asked me to roll them up. I told him, it's a nice day out today. He said most people drive with the windows down because they have tinted windows as he walked away. He then quickly got on his bike and rode off.

In San Diego, I was ticketed for tinted windows on a different car (4 dr sedan). I was lucky because I ran a stop sign, but he was so focused on my tint that he forgot about the stop sign. It was also raining out and he stood in the rain and gave me a lecture on why tint was illegal in CA. He even pulled out a light meter, and showed me a booklet on all the tint % on it was illegal. I ended up just removing the tint on the front 2 windows on that car. I paid $20 for a CHP to verify I removed the tint. He asked for cash because he was going out to lunch. I paid cash and he signed off.
 
Correct. I was headed to the GG bridge. It was breezy on a nice day with the heat on full blast and the windows down. CHP on a motorcycle entered the freeway and saw me driving with the windows down. He lane split to my side and motioned his hands and arms for me to pull over. I did, and he walked to my car and asked me why was my windows down, and asked me to roll them up. I told him, it's a nice day out today. He said most people drive with the windows down because they have tinted windows as he walked away. He then quickly got on his bike and rode off.

In San Diego, I was ticketed for tinted windows on a different car (4 dr sedan). I was lucky because I ran a stop sign, but he was so focused on my tint that he forgot about the stop sign. It was also raining out and he stood in the rain and gave me a lecture on why tint was illegal in CA. He even pulled out a light meter, and showed me a booklet on all the tint % on it was illegal. I ended up just removing the tint on the front 2 windows on that car. I paid $20 for a CHP to verify I removed the tint. He asked for cash because he was going out to lunch. I paid cash and he signed off.
That’s unfortunate, but not surprising.
 
yeah pretty sure windshield is illegal in every state for any tint...
its all about if cop cares, i got pulled over in OR once with 20% tint on front sides cause cop thought i was on the phone (i was just drinking my coffee)
 
When my Dermatologist freezes spots on my skin it’s always on my left arm and left side of my face, I drive a lot. I tented my windows all the way around. Not real dark on the sides, the windshield a light tint. My primary reason for tinting was to stop the UV rays.

When my car was tinted the shop owner said some of his customers have a letter from their Dermatologist which they keep in the glove box.
 
Sharing the experience in case if anyone else is thinking to tint front windows in Bay Area . I have my front two windows tinted at 50%.
Today a cop pulled my wife (who was driving the my Tesla, I wasn’t in the car), for having tint on the front screen. He gave ticket and 2-months to fix and bring car back for inspection. He also noted that my car doesn’t have front license plate. So need to put that on. Been avoiding that as well.

Will have to take my car to tint shop and either reduce the % or completely remove it!!🤦🏻‍♂️
When I was practicing driving at 15 years old on my dad's Trackhawk I was pulled over and given a ticket for the front windows and windshield being tinted too dark. Till today that's been the only time I've been pulled over.
 
I was pulled over, last year, in my commuter for having the windows tinted. CHP actually pulled me over, in town. Really bored. The cop tells me that their Chief of police goes out to the employee lot, after people are all at work, and writes window tickets only he can sign off. Talk about a PITA.