ChronoGN

I got a ticket for side window tint and I think that the window tint law in Michigan is ridiculous. You can only have 4" of window tint from the top on the side. Michigan is the only state that has a window tint law like this. I think we should be able to have 35% or even lighter 50% on the sides since those arent even that dark at all.

Most local cops don't even care about the side window tints. I have been pulled over before by a local cop before but they never said anything about the side window tints. The Michigan State Police doesn't want window tint because they wont be able to see inside the car on night stops because of dark tint. But you can see fine what the person is doing inside the car with 35% tint. Even better with lighter 50% tint. I just want protection from all the UV lights and summer heat inside my car.

Anyone know if theres any petition or something to legalize side window tints in Michigan?

MBonZ28

this law is for thier own protection so they take it seriously. did you get pulled over for something else? best advise...when you see a cop....DROP EM!



the windows that is

jp2002ls1

You can try all you want to try and get lesser restrictions on window tint laws but I doubt it will ever happen. For police safety they need to be able to clearly see if you have a weapon or something that could be a threat to them. As much as I think window tint is cool the safety standards highly outweigh the restrictions on window tint.
What I want to outlaw is the cops shining those darn flashlights in your face.

smiley23

BTW, what is the ticket for that run now? I heard that if you tore the tint off that and brought the car back to the PD that they would rip up the ticket for you.

I have a car with REAL dark side window tint that I imported when I moved here from Canada. It was fresh tint back then (about a week old) and I wasnt about to throw away that kind of cash - so I left it on.

I asked our local PD - showed them the car - and they said "Yes, that is too dark ... have a nice day". No ticket.

JoeliusZ28

a bunch of people at my school have gotten pulled over for tickets like 3 times each. If you rip the tint off for the cop right there they will let you go... at least thats what has happened with them several times. Then they go home and re-install it of course.

If there is a petition going around I could easily get a dozen people including myself to sign it. no tint laws are ridiculous... awww...they cant see the weapons? as if you would hold the weapon where they could see it anyway (assuming you had a weapon and a evil intentions)

MBonZ28

if you are holding a weapon below the door sill they can see it by looking in the rear view, thats where they look as they approach. and that is why you are allowed tint at the top of the window.

IROC5.7TPI

You would think those bright *** spotlights would penetrate the tint?? I was ticketed for tint in my old Mustang... funny thing is my buddy had the exact same car, same color and everything except no tints, so we switched my plate onto his car and went and got the ticket signed off. They didn't even verify the VIN...

jp2002ls1

The laws were made to protect police officers and citizens, yes they do look at the rear view mirror to see inside the car but they can't see the rear view mirror if you have too dark of tint. I have to side with the law on this issue that the police officers safety to see inside of the car outwieghs the intrusion of limiting the tintable areas. It also makes it easier for the driver to see at night which is a safety issue. The reason they allow the top 4" of window tint is to block sunlight from blinding you, they even allow this on the windshield. You could get 500,000 people to sign a petition but I doubt it will do anything except waste peoples time and raise police suspicion even more so that they provoke more "tinted window" tickets than they currently do.

CamaroBoy96Z28

I've never been bothered at all.....not yet anyway. I think my tints are 35% but dont know because thats how I bought my car 2 years ago. You can clearly see in the car during the day and a little bit at night. It is a pain tryin to see out my rearview mirror backing out my driveway at night though.

kandied91z

i have double 5%.....just be sure to roll the windows down before they come up to the car and you should be ok.

Jay-Roll

From what I understand. The reason we have a tint law in Michigan is this: Years back two cops were sitting at a stoplight and a car pulled up with black tint on the windows. The driver of the car put a sawed off double barrel shotgun up to the window and pointed it right at the cops. They obviously couldn't see in the car so they never saw it coming. The driver fired and killed both cops right on the spot. Since that moment and several other minor incidents they've outlawed window tint of any percentage on the side windows besides the 4 inches. I could be wrong on that story, but that's just the reasoning I heard. Or atleast what set it off anyway.

SUPERSPORTBOY2

[QUOTE]Originally posted by kandied91z
[B]i have double 5%.....







i thought i was the only one

Jay-Roll

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SUPERSPORTBOY2
[B]I used to have double 5% on my rear window and 3% on both side windows in my old Sonoma GT. Black interior and white exterior. Now that was dark. Lasted for about 6 months before I got nailed. Cop said all he could see were my nuckles on the top of the steering wheel, everything else was black. I could stick my face right up to the window in the inside and someone sticking their face up to the window on the outside couldn't see me lol. Looked really nice though.

Dr. Weir

But I just can't do it. Window tint laws have NOTHING to do with safety. They have everything to do with money. Tickets=revenue. Why else do the police have an unwritten ticket quota?

If this is an issue of the officers safety, please explain to me why the police will still issue a ticket if you have the windows down when they aproach the vehicle?

Here is a short story. Me and a very good freind were at the dream cruise about 4 years ago. We were in his mustang gt. We were directed off Woodward at about 9pm. We then were pulled over. I will point out now we were going about 10MPH on I-696, and it was about 85 degrees out, so the windows were down. When the state trooper aproched the car, he demanded we roll the windows up. We refused. He "still" wrote my friend a ticket for tinted windows. Needless to say, he fought the ticket and won. Bottom line, like most tickets, this is a ploy to get money. The police and the courts count on most people not trying to fight such tickets, as this would cost them just as much to take the day off work, and so on.

If the police did not directly receive ticket revenue, I would bet you would see an end to such nonsence.

What needs to happen is that the law should be changed to state that side windows, if tinted must be rolled down if a police officer aproaches the car, and hands must be placed on the wheel in plain site and left there until instructed to do so. This is common sence, and would satisfy both us and the police.

Still, it will never happen. Because of money. Follow the money, and all things will become clear.

On another note, a long time ago there was a thread here about the same issue. I proposed a petition to the state legislature about ammending the law to allow tint, if windows were down when police aproached the car. I had a lawyer, at the time, who was going to help me out, with where to send letters, and all that. I got "one" person on this board who was serious about this. So I dropped it.

I would like to mention that this same lawyer is now a staffer for US senator Debbie Stabenow. I think he could have helped us out. Also, he had a TA and was sympathetic to the hassles we all face as owners of these cars.

If someone wants to take this on, sign me up! However, I will not take this on again, I just don't think enough people care.

jp2002ls1

I have to disagree, the window tint laws were not a child of money hungry legislators. This law was passed primarily for safety reasons. The reason you get a ticket even if you roll your windows down is to prevent the police from pulling someone over who doesn't roll their windows down who might possibly have that loaded gun, the law prevents the argument of "oh I forgot". Also your car is a place of limited privacy, police want to be able to look into your car even if you are pulled up next to them at a stop light, so unless you drive around with your windows down all the time (which would negate the need for tinted windows) the police can't see into your car and they can't see if foul play is happening in your car. I would prefer to have a officer look into my car through my windows and have the right to refuse a search of my car rather than have tinted windows and give them an excuse to search my car if I forget to roll down both my side windows every time a officer looks at my car because tinted windows would raise reasonable suspiscion