Lowest Window Tint in California

[GKwey]

I expect to take delivery of my grey 85D in a couple weeks, entered production 2 days ago. From the picture of My Tesla page, it does not appear it comes with factory window tint. Is this correct?

To make it road trip worthy, I plan to tint it all around and be legal in California, with 3M Crystalline:
windshield CR90, front side CR70, back side and rear CR40.

To take advantage of no limit in California for back side and rear windows, I am thinking of going extreme all the way down to 5 (3M Color Stable CS5). Would this too low and would cause certain unexpected problems, such as difficulty driving in the night?

Should I stay around 35-40 range just to be safe?

 

[jcaspar]

From my understanding you cannot have any non-transparent, colored tint on the front-side windows and windshield in CA. That being said, I think tinting the front side windows a different tint than the rear side windows looks really silly. I went with 35%, 50% on all the side windows and nothing on the front. Looks great but could be a bit more tinted. 5% on the rear makes rear vision very difficult at night I have heard.

 

[Wknapp0924]

I just got 20% on the sides and 50% windshield done this weekend. It looks great and the installer said police don't really bother people with luxury cars and tint. It's the ones driving the hooptimobiles all tinted out.

 

[Eslee]

I've got CR70 3m Crystalline on all windows. I didn't like the look of having different tint on the windows. Too limo looking for my taste. Also with CR70 on the windshield an officer probably would not notice there's tint there. Didn't want to take the chance.
BTW, having a fully tinted windshield in CA is illegal from my understanding.

 

[rfmurphy81]

I picked mine up on Friday and it seems like the pano roof has tint on it already. Does anyone know off hand the tint percentage? My exposed skin wasn't getting fried like it does through the other windows.

Additionally, my Xpel Ultimate installer asked if I wanted to tint the windows and he also recommended against having different tint shades for the front windows and the back windows. I'm on the fence on what I want to do, but I definitely want to have some sort of way to bounce the heat away. It seems like ceramic is the best for blocking heat from what I've heard, but I wonder if it's possible to put on something higher than 70% to avoid running afoul with the law. Does anyone with experience have some recommendations?

 

[BertL]

I picked mine up on Friday and it seems like the pano roof has tint on it already. Does anyone know off hand the tint percentage? My exposed skin wasn't getting fried like it does through the other windows.

Additionally, my Xpel Ultimate installer asked if I wanted to tint the windows and he also recommended against having different tint shades for the front windows and the back windows. I'm on the fence on what I want to do, but I definitely want to have some sort of way to bounce the heat away. It seems like ceramic is the best for blocking heat from what I've heard, but I wonder if it's possible to put on something higher than 70% to avoid running afoul with the law. Does anyone with experience have some recommendations?

Congrats on your new S70.

Can't find it now, but Tesla used to state on their website the Pano from the factory blocks 98% UV and 81% of solar heat -- IMHO better than most tints you'd ever put on windows, but some people still add additional tint onto the pano. I chose not to, even though I did put the same tint on my sides and rear -- nothing on the front as it's both 100% illegal here in CA (except for a small strip at the top of the windshield), and I couldn't stand looking through anything that potentially makes visibility fuzzy, changes the color of what I'm seeing, or causes even a small amount of rainbow effects.

Suggest you do a bit of searching here... many other threads on different films folks have used ...and as has been said, watch out for California laws re what's legal and what's not, consider your personal risk tolerance in that regard, then decide what's best for you.

 

[bryanle1]

I just did 35 Huper Optik all around, and 70 on front windshield last friday. Knock on wood, I've never had a front tint ticket, and I've tinted all my cars the same way. I also don't like it when the front and rears don't match in tint.

 

[anxman]

SWIM (someone who isn't me) put 35 on all side and rear windows and has driven it for the last 3 years. No tickets.

The trick is to pick a number that can still be seen through. I've been pulled over for speeding and I always lower all four windows as soon as it happens. No windows -- no tickets.

 

[rfmurphy81]

Congrats on your new S70.

Can't find it now, but Tesla used to state on their website the Pano from the factory blocks 98% UV and 81% of solar heat -- IMHO better than most tints you'd ever put on windows, but some people still add additional tint onto the pano. I chose not to, even though I did put the same tint on my sides and rear -- nothing on the front as it's both 100% illegal here in CA (except for a small strip at the top of the windshield), and I couldn't stand looking through anything that potentially makes visibility fuzzy, changes the color of what I'm seeing, or causes even a small amount of rainbow effects.

Suggest you do a bit of searching here... many other threads on different films folks have used ...and as has been said, watch out for California laws re what's legal and what's not, consider your personal risk tolerance in that regard, then decide what's best for you.

Great advice. I'm just conflicted about whether I tint the front windows and windshield at the bare minimum and risk it. I'm curious how many other drivers have gotten caught and what the repercussions have been. One tint installed said he could do the windshield but it had to be cash and invoiceless as he didn't want to be associated with breaking the law; I was only asking about available options, but thought that was curious.

 

[Az_Rael]

I have been pulled over for tint on the drivers windows in CA. I was not speeding or anything - that is the only thing he pulled me over for. I had moved with my dealership tinted car from TX (a perfectly legal tint in TX, BTW) and had no idea it was illegal to have anything on the front windows. Cop gave me a warning. I never removed it and didn't get pulled over again before I sold the car (several years).

So it happens, but its very rare I would assume. On another note, I hate that states have such differing rules on this stuff.

 

[bryanle1]

Great advice. I'm just conflicted about whether I tint the front windows and windshield at the bare minimum and risk it. I'm curious how many other drivers have gotten caught and what the repercussions have been. One tint installed said he could do the windshield but it had to be cash and invoiceless as he didn't want to be associated with breaking the law; I was only asking about available options, but thought that was curious.

From what I've seen the past, if you get caught they will write you a fix-it ticket, and you have to get the tint removed then signed off. So the cost would be the tint removal plus the ~$10 fix it ticket (first time offender). I've been in a tint shop where someone brought their car in to get it removed to get the fix-it ticket cleared, and made an appointment to come back to have it reapplied.

I've been pulled over for something other than tint, and the cops have never said anything about my tint, even with the windows rolled up when they walk up. I guess it will just depend on the cop and his/her mood that day. YMMV

 

[4SUPER9]

I'm in LA too and interested in tinting. Does anybody have any (affordable) recommendations? I will not do the windshield or the pano.

 

[dsm363]

Any tint on the windshield is technically illegal below a certain line at the top.

Automotive Window Film State Law Charts - International Window Film Association | IWFA.com

 

[TaoJones]

I'd recommend Extreme Autowerks in Cerritos for Photosync tint all the way around. For example, Photosync 35 sides and rear, and Photosync 75 on the windshield. I would also put no lighter than Photosync 35 on the pano panels. You *will* feel the heat otherwise, and the Tesla sunshades for the pano panels are almost completely useless.

Ask them what the majority of Teslas have gotten at their shop. That answer would be Photosync 35. Personally, I found the Photosync 75 on the windshield to make a significant difference in reduced glare.

At this level, they're all good tint materials. What you're paying for, other than some difference in TSER, is quality of installation and, to some extent, warranty and followup service for when someone (hi, Service) scratches your tint.

Is it possible to get a ticket for tint? Sure. Possible to get a ticket for no front plate and for dashcams too.

 

[rfmurphy81]

So how about the double whammy of darker front window tint (and very light windshield tint just for heat reflection) AND no front license plate? That seems like you're asking for it then, right? :tongue:

 

[Maaz]

Huper optik extreme 5% all around. Gets dark at night in neighborhoods at night. But anywhere with street lights it's fine. We got huper optik extreme 20% on my fathers model s looks nice but feels too light for me.

 

[4SUPER9]

Huper optik extreme 5% all around. Gets dark at night in neighborhoods at night. But anywhere with street lights it's fine. We got huper optik extreme 20% on my fathers model s looks nice but feels too light for me.

You must be very young. My older eyes could not handle it. Also sounds like you become a target for getting pulled over.

 

[GasKilla]

Anyone have pictures of their tint jobs? I'd like to see what the numbers look like applied on a MS.

 

[BertL]

Anyone have pictures of their tint jobs? I'd like to see what the numbers look like applied on a MS.

Do some searches on the many other threads on this subject and check out mfgr sites. It's where I picked up a rough idea and got it down to a couple possibilities, but i think as I may have suggested to you or someone else a while back in another thread, nothing tops finding a good installer, taking your MS and holding up pieces of tint to your windows in BOTH sunlight and shadow, then looking at it side-by-side while sitting inside and from out. Pictures on the net just won't do justice to what your eyes will see in the real situation, and while holding pieces of tint up to your windows isn't quite the same as when it's installed and cured, IMHO it's a WHOLE LOT better than anything else. You just won't pick up in web photos the subtle grey or blue tinge most tints have, the possible rainbow effect some display in certain lighting, or how some have a bit of haze -- almost a very light fog even after curing -- if you don't see it in person.

FWIW I'm a zero tint guy on the windshield and pano, but 55% PhotoSync on sides and back hatch. It accomplishes what I was after, zero difference in front windshield visibility, and otherwise only very subtle visual difference from "no aftermarket tint", but with the heat & UV reduction benefits I was looking for. I did not want a blacked-out gangster look on my Pearl White MC that would draw attention to my ride or impare my (beginning to age) night visibility in any way, which the much darker tints can do from my POV. BTW, I'm not dissing other's choices -- to each their own with different levels of tint, brands, installers, their risk tolerance related to the law where they live and drive, and the look they are after.

 

[Mr X]

You really think cops are looking for cars with illegal tinted windows? Thats comical.


My buddy has limo tint all around (windshield too) on his WHITE Camaro and hasn't been pulled over.


"Laws" like this are insignificant and shouldn't be acknowledged. Tint your windows however you want.


And its easy to see at night with dark tint.