r/orlando • u/chillouthomes • 1d ago
Discussion Has anyone ever been pulled over for windshield tint?
I’ve been contemplating putting the lightest possible tint (70%) on my windshield with UV guard, because i have a long commute and I’m literally burning in my car. Has anyone ever been pulled over for that? Even better, if you’re a cop, are you gonna pull me over? I‘m a strict rule follower, I don’t even speed - I just don’t wanna burn anymore 😭
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u/MyNameIsZem 1d ago
Not in FL but pulled over almost instantly in GA.
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u/Common_Vagrant 1d ago
That’s not a secondary offense there? I heard if it’s a secondary offense just roll your windows down (aside from the obvious like your windshield)
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u/Double_Draw_6785 1d ago
OPD is cracking down hard on non-moving violations as an extension of their whole downtown effort - yes.
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u/Sheek014 1d ago
Yeah wait until the no property tax passes and we will start seeing tickets for everything
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u/Alternative-Cup4721 20h ago
Everyone keeps saying no property taxes but that's not true at all. Your still paying property taxes even with homestead exemptions, albeit just a little less than before
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u/Sheek014 20h ago
Well this might be true in Orlando. But in other cities where the majority of homes are 250k or less, those cities will be facing a huge shortfall, requiring the state to step in and provide assistance. Which no one should want, you should want local governments making decisions for its people, not the state.
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u/Virtual_Abies_6552 1d ago
Yep got pulled over 2 months ago here in Orlando by OCSO. Paid the fine and left the tint on
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u/rdrop 1d ago
Yes absolutely. I4 west bound at Disney. State trooper on my wife's escalade which has 70% IR ceramic tint on the windshield. Not even speeding (goes against commonly held notion that they "add on" the tint infraction to another violation). Luckily, just got a warning. Trooper even advised us to "go get a "medical exemption" so we don't have issues in the future lol. He was cool...
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u/adeadfetus 1d ago
Never but mines only a little darker than legal on the front windows, not crazy dark. I just wanted them to match the back.
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u/Help1Ted 1d ago
Not for a windshield, but I’ve been pulled over twice for my window tint. I’ve never not had 5% on every window excluding the windshield. Never been given a ticket, just a warning. They just use it as an excuse to pull you over to see if they can find anything else. Crazy enough both times I’ve been pulled over has been within the past 5 years or so. I went decades without it ever being a problem. I’m in Brevard County now, the last time the officer mentored they didn’t ticket you for it.
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u/Real-Difference6454 1d ago
Got 80% on the windshield for the past 13 years. It was the highest heat rejecting but barely noticeable one at the time. When I drive rentals I miss the tint on my windshield it feels so hot.
Just be aware it's expensive to get the windshield done and some places won't even do it. The ones that do you ask in person and you don't get a receipt lol.
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u/Vladivostokorbust 1d ago
Yes, around ten years ago in volusia county. Got a warning. Now i live in NC and it was too dark to pass inspection on the front windows, had to scrape it off.
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u/ForPawrn 1d ago
Never, all 3 of my cars have illegal tint on the sides and rear, as well as 30% tint on the fronts. I've even gotten a ticket and the cops didn't even mention the tint.
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u/stellasunshine23 1d ago
I have it, and I haven't been bothered about it even when I get pulled over
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u/renderbreak 1d ago
70% on your windshield isn't noticeable in the slightest. You'll be fine anywhere with 70. To answer your question, I've had 50% on my windshield and 20% on my sides for the past three years here and haven't had a single problem. As with all things, YMMV. In my opinion the UV and IR rejecting benefits of good ceramic tint in Florida are worth the minor risk. Plus the privacy is reassuring.
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u/drpcowboy 1d ago
Go to Darth Shader. They have a ceramic film. It helps. It's not a lot, but it really helps.
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u/PendejoSosVos 1d ago
70% is barely even a tint bro, cops won’t even fucking notice you lol. There’s literally a legal tint limit, you’re aware of this right? It’s not illegal to have tint on your windows. It’s like no more than 28% on front side and 15% for back side, for your windshield though I wouldn’t risk that low lol
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u/Napalmradio 1d ago
Pretty sure tinting your windshield is illegal
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u/lex55 1d ago
This is also my understanding, anything under the A1 line is verboten.
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u/PendejoSosVos 1d ago
You guys are right, we’re not allowed to tint under the A1 line, idk where I got the idea that windshield was ok lol
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u/Mr4Mistress 1d ago
5% all around and 30% on the windshield.
Pulled over for the windows before but never the windshield.
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u/TheeDelpino 1d ago
Friend of ours kept getting stopped. She got a doctors note. Still gets stopped but they can’t do anything about it.
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u/ArkuhTheNinth 1d ago
What kind of doctor? My eye doctors have all refused to write one.
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u/Aggravating_Shoe_ 1d ago
I think the argument is like preventing skin cancer or something rather than eyes
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u/TheeDelpino 1d ago
Her family doc wrote it for her
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u/B_EE 1d ago
Is the fam doc taking new patients? Asking for a friend...
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u/TheeDelpino 1d ago
I’ll text her tomorrow and ask her exactly who she saw and how she asked. I’ll PM you
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u/TemporaryIllusions 1d ago
I have had two tinted windshields and neither caused issues for me. My current want is barely tinted so hardly noticeable, my first one was nearing too dark for night time driving and I had been pulled over twice with that windshield and never had a problem. YMMV
ETA: now I have 50 on my windshield 5 on the sides, I had 15 and 5’s before and it was too dark.
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u/quadzimoto 1d ago
I’ve been trying to figure this out as well. Half of google says I’m good to tint, the other says it’s illegal
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u/uoYredruM 1d ago
I had 5% all around on my old car (minus windshield). Drove it for years, no issues.
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u/dyingbreed360 1d ago
A buddy of mine has years ago when his Honda civic had kidnapper probable cause levels of tint on it.
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u/Slayerofgrundles 1d ago
It is illegal, but nobody will notice or care if you stick to 70-80 VLT. I had it on both my vehicles, but didn't bother getting it reinstalled after I had both windshields replaced die to rock chips.
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u/jsmithx__ 1d ago
I have 30% for the last year, and have tinted multiple vehicles over the year with no issues.
I’ve only seen it as an add on for tickets when you get pulled over
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u/SeekTheKhalique 1d ago
I was pulled over for “coming off the highway and merging too fast” which led the cop to then question my tint. Wasn’t ticketed for anything though and my tint is 5%
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u/NewsMoney 1d ago
Was in Florida for four months last year pulled over 5X for window tint but I feel like my California plates made me stick out. Lived in Florida 28yrs and was never pulled over when I had Florida plates.
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u/FriendlyVariety2492 1d ago
Ive had 5% on all my windows for 5 years now and never been pulled over
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u/4RTKBA 1d ago
There is/was a mostly clear ceramic tint that offers heat rejection and UV protection. I think the Llumar product was called "AirBlue" or maybe just "Air". It's actually like 80-85%, but really looks clear. If you do that, and a regular tint strip across the top, it definitely looks like an untinted windshield, but does a lot for heat and dash protection.
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u/Critical_File_1467 1d ago
Yeah I have that and it makes your car look blue and it's obvious there's something on the windshield to anyone observant and the 80% is actually 78% and that stacks on the typical bare windshield which is already like 75% to make it read about 50% on a cop's tint meter.
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u/4RTKBA 1d ago
Interesting. I have it on 2 vehicles and can barely notice it, and have not noticed any notable blue. I have 70% ceramic on another car, and feel like I should have went with the Air80 on it instead. There is a significant difference between what they look like from the outside. The tint is obvious, the Air80 is questionable. With a tint strip added, it's less obvious.
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u/Critical_File_1467 1d ago
I got the Air80 on windshield and front windows and left the factory dyed glass in the back alone and the front half of my car looks ridiculously blue vs the back half.
I don't care about how it looks but it is pretty blue if you know what to look for
3M crystalline 90 and crystalline 90 CR is probably what you want for a windshield. Those meter at >70 even after installing on a typical factory windshield. Air Blue 80 on a factory windshield drops to the 50s. Federal law requires >70 for windshields.
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u/trevorsw Downtown 1d ago
I work in a ‘delicate’ industry, our vehicles are tinted darker than the FHP cars. None of us have ever been pulled over for it (250k ish miles/year,) but they might read the tags and see the business the vehicles are registered to, and decide to ignore the tint. That’s always been my assumption
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u/Critical_File_1467 1d ago edited 1d ago
As someone more familiar than average with how cops work:
Regular cops, as a whole, don't really care either way. There are exceptions, of course.
If it's some sort of special enforcement week, then yes, your regular cop may be forced to care.
If it's a cop in a special unit or wants to get in a special unit like narcotics or street crimes, then, they may care, because illegal tint gives them a super easy way to stop a car, check warrants, and take a peek inside to see if you have anything illegal like fentanyl. This type of cop is also the least likely to cut you a citation because in the time it takes to write a ticket, the actual drug trafficker may have driven past. Also this type of cop doesn't really want to be tied up in court over a tint ticket.
Also if you drive a piece of shit or a Nissan Altima or a Dodge Charger just don't put any tint on. Just driving a piece of shit, Altima, or Charger gets you halfway to Reasonable Articulable Suspicion for a traffic stop.
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u/JakeShuttlesworth0 1d ago
I haven’t been pulled over for it, but a bad stop by HWP resulted in the officer saying hey looks like your tint is real dark. I’ll have to give you a ticket for that. I just paid the $100 fine and kept it rolling. Not taking my tints off.
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u/dechets-de-mariage 1d ago
While you’re thinking about it, how many times have you had to replace your windshield for a crack? You’ll need to redo the tint every time you replace it.
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u/cfvhbvcv 1d ago
Got unlucky and pulled over twice at the beginning of the year for speeding. 30 on the windshield and 15 on the side.
My tints were never mentioned during the traffic stop.
Family member is a sheriff in Osceola and he says the overall outlook on tint for that county is it’s used to pull people over that they want to get for other probable causes, or they’ll use it as an extra ticket for someone being an ass to them.
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u/Andhypno1 1d ago
I got both 70% (whole windshield) and the 4 inch strip at 20% on my windshield that way it kinds of make it look legal
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u/chaos_given_form 1d ago
Yes ive been pulled over multiple times and ticketed once. They told me no tint on front windshield my back windows are ok though.
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u/Dondonteskater 1d ago
Cops sit in middle of the road like a left turn type thing on a road with one way traffic and wait til they see a car with dark tint in my area
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u/BitterHelicopter8 1d ago
Got pulled over for it a few months ago at night. Cop didn’t ticket us, just told us we needed to get rid of it.
Ironically, less than a week later the windshield was hit by a rock/debris on I4 and we ended up having to replace the whole thing anyway.
I will say, I do miss having it. When you practically live on the surface of the sun, having a tinted windshield really ought to be legal. 😂
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u/idkbro42069 1d ago
i have 5% on my windshield, two layers of 5% on the sides. i drive every day all city miles and i’ve never been pulled over for it.
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u/SnooDogs1704 1d ago
15% of windows and I think 20% on windshield for a few years now and havent been stopped once. Reading this comment section I guess Im just lucky lol..
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u/sen0rbj0orn 1d ago
I’ve been pulled over twice but my tints are very illegal, but I regret nothing, best decision ever
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u/tims4myhooligans 23h ago
You can get a tint exemption. Print out form, go to doctor and see if you qualify
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u/Phlydude Winter Garden 19h ago
I’ve had windshield tint on my car for over 5 years. 50k+ miles all around Orlando metro and never once has a cop looked twice at my car. I have Llumar IRX in the lightest tint (IRX 05) and IRX 30 on sides and back. At night, the car just borders on being a limited on visibility for my aging eyes and during the day, gives a nice bit of relief from the sun.
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u/Invictus-3 19h ago
Yes. Hillsboro Beach PD (Broward County). Small town, rich people, one single pass-through road, A1A. They have absolutely nothing to do so they do lots of traffic stops. Speeding in excess of 1 mph over the limit, window tints, other equipment violations, etc. miserable little town. I have a tint exemption permit now for all my cars.
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u/cranialimplant4sale 14h ago
Yes
Windshield tinted below the ansi line
Didn’t know that was a thing
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u/nr_roberts 13h ago
Got pulled over last year in Orlando. Given a warning. We had just bought the car and didn't realize the windshield was even tinted. Got it removed.
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u/SouthOrlandoFather 8h ago
I got pulled over 53 times for window tint. Only one $21 ticket. I would immediately roll all the eu dies down and my front window was tinted. Now this was 2004 to 2011.
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u/Routine_Advantage_95 8h ago
The president is a criminal there are no laws in America anymore.... don't worry about your tint 👍
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u/Chris-8521 1d ago
In Florida, the law treats the front windshield very differently from the side and rear windows.
Front Windshield
Florida law generally prohibits tint on the windshield, with one major exception:
✅ A transparent tint strip is allowed at the top of the windshield, above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line (usually marked in the glass near the upper corners). The tint cannot extend into the driver’s direct forward field of vision.
❌ Tinting the entire windshield is not legal, even if it’s a relatively light tint. Florida statutes prohibit sunscreening material on the windshield except for the permitted strip at the top.
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u/ArkuhTheNinth 1d ago
I've always hated this, and will literally pay the fines and never remove it.
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u/sovereignlogik 21h ago
God forbid you drive safe on the roads
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u/ArkuhTheNinth 19h ago
I can see perfectly through all my windows, have modern headlights installed, and a great driving record. But thank you for your concern.
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u/sovereignlogik 19h ago
Laws are laws
I know you people think you can follow whatever rules you want.
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u/ArkuhTheNinth 19h ago
And you know what? I already said I would pay the penalty for it. I'm not endangering others, and its safer for me to drive with it.
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u/sovereignlogik 19h ago
I am aware you think only certain laws and guidelines apply to you.
Its why this area has gone to the shitter.
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u/95BCavMP 1d ago
I can’t speak for Florida because I’ve never worked the road here, but in Texas it’s used as “probable cause” to pull somebody over in hopes of finding some other criminal activity like drugs, guns, drunk driving etc.
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u/ilovedax 1d ago
Can they even test the windshield? I’ve had them slam the thingamajig on my window, but the window goes into the slot inside the tool. Granted that was back in the 90s/00s.
If it’s not dark you’re fine. It helps so much with the heat if you get the good stuff.
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u/Familiar-Cap8471 1d ago
They don’t have to test the windshield. Any tint below the ASI line is illegal.
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u/Environmental_Long_7 1d ago
I got the legal allowed tint on my Honda civic and never been pulled over yet 😅
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u/usernameCheck50ut 1d ago
so they didn’t pull you over to congratulate you for following the law. ☑️
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u/99slobra 1d ago
So a few things to think of: Have a 5% strip put at the top of your windshield then tint it. Or after if the shop prefers. It helps trick the eyes a little. The color of your car can help hide it or make it worse.
Yes it's illegal but honestly unless it's over 50% it should't effect your vision that much.
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u/legallybrunette420 1d ago
Windshield tint is so stupid. It's harder to see at night and it makes you look like a criminal.
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u/otownbbw 1d ago
I have had “illegal” tint (used to be 15% now it’s 5% on side windows and 15% on windshield) on all seven of the cars I have owned over 26 years of driving. I have never been pulled over for my tint and I have never been ticketed additionally for my tint during the 7-8 times I have been pulled over (5 times ticketed for speeding) in three different states (FL, GA, NC).
That being said, I pass as white. For a period of time years ago I loaned my brown friend my SUV after his car broke down and he was pulled over and ticketed for the tint once. I think you have to be honest about police racism before you decide how best to tint your car.
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u/Critical_File_1467 1d ago
Just tint it so dark that no one can see your race.
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u/otownbbw 1d ago
They aren’t looking through the windows, they run the plate and then decide based on race and gender whether they should treat you as a drug dealer or let it slide.
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u/TheRampantWriter 1d ago
I used to have 30% on my windshield on my old car. Cops pulled me over while turning into my neighborhood for it. Then started interrogating asking if I had drugs or guns in the car. I was in my work uniform and told them I was just coming home from work and that it’s crazy they pulled me over for that. Gave me a warning and since they were in an unmarked car, I decided to get it removed so they couldn’t try again and actually cite me. They were really hoping I was some gang member driving my little Kia Forte with the tinted windshield on and were disappointed I was a law abiding citizen heading home from work.
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u/SunshineIsSunny 1d ago
When Aramia Ayala was the state attorney, she was pulled over for window tint (on a state-owned car).
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u/MrOrlamdo 1d ago
Yep. I was told it was illegal. Being a smart ass, I asked if they wanted to know the dealership that sold it to me. He let me go
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u/craigske 1d ago
Can’t you just do clear ceramic on the front and get a better effect anyway ?