Pennsylvania law allows windows on motor vehicles to be tinted to a maximum level of 30%, allowing 70% of light to pass through. Currently, the level of window tint is not part of the state vehicle inspection process. However, motorists may be pulled over by law enforcement and issued a ticket for tint being too dark. Window tinting that is done as part of the manufacturing process is almost always in compliance with the law, but “after-market” tinting performed by businesses after the vehicle was purchased is where window tint laws are most commonly violated.
A 2019 report indicated that the State Police have increased the number of citations being written for windows that do not comply with legal levels of tinting, with almost 10 tickets being written every day across the Commonwealth. Additionally, reports from other states indicate that some companies have sold vehicles with window tint at levels that do not meet standards while claiming that the tint level was legal.
Illegal window tint can also pose a hazard to other drivers and pedestrians by impeding a driver’s vision or preventing a driver from communicating their intentions. Equally important is the safety of law enforcement officers during routine traffic stops. Darkly tinted windows may prevent an officer from seeing what is happening inside the vehicle and who the occupants of the vehicle are.
To address these issues, we will be introducing legislation that will require window tint to be included as part of the state vehicle inspection process. Furthermore, our legislation will require businesses that perform window tinting to notify customers if the level of tint being installed will violate Pennsylvania law. These simple solutions will ensure that drivers are not unwittingly operating vehicles with illegal levels of tint and increase the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and law enforcement officers.
We hope you will co-sponsor this legislation to improve vehicle safety across our Commonwealth.
Statutes/Laws affected: Printer's No. 1261: 75-4524