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Asides from acting as a security feature, tinting your car’s window restricts the amount of sunshine that gets into the car, and some car owners very much need this. Some cars come with tinted windows from the factory, and others don’t. If your car doesn’t come standard with tinted glasses, you can tint them yourself.
Can you tint your front windshield? Car window tinting has several regulations, depending on the county or state you live. In some states, you are not allowed to tint the front windshield window, but you can tint the other windows. Also, you must adhere to a particular VLT percent when tinting your car windows; the percentage differs by state.
Tinting Your Car Windows: What You Should Know
Tinting your car windows means adding a laminate film to them. You can almost get this laminate film in big auto stores or shop it online. However, you may not be able to perfectly install the tinting film, so it is best to have a professional mechanic or auto-tuner do it for you.
Buying a tinting film is not a problem; applying tint to your car windows is not also a problem; what’s the problem, is the type and level of tint you applied to the windows. Contrary to what many people may think, tinting your car windows don’t really block visibility – you can see through most window tints when you’re sitting inside the car.
But then, extremely dark tints can affect visibility; such tints are used on rear windows (passenger cabin of the car) and not in front windows (driver cabin), windshield, or the back window. Before you tint your car windows, it is important to know the tinting levels allowed in your state or the state you’re planning to move into.
People could list many benefits of tinting car windows, but, of course, there are disadvantages attached to this act. Driving with tinted glasses at night can be very difficult due to poor visibility, and in some counties, to pass certain safety tests, you must remove the tints on your car windows (if they’re tinted).
Can You Tint Your Front Windshield?
No. In many states, it is illegal to tint the windshield, but you can tint all other windows, including the back window (rear windscreen). If you must add tinting to your windshield, in most states, you’re allowed to put the tint up to the manufacturer’s AS-1 Line on the windshield, and there are specific tinting materials to use.
Windshield tinting is not allowed in many places because it may affect the visibility of the driver, thus, causing collisions, crashes, and other accidents. Also, the police need to see clearly into a car to know who’s driving it. Different states have different reasons for not allowing windshield tinting, but it’s majorly on the aspect of curbing “poor visibility” for drivers.
Notwithstanding, there are some cities you can drive freely with a tinted windshield. However, the tinting must not be too dark – there are specific visibility levels you must adhere to. The VLT must be 80% or above for places where windshield tinting is allowed. You can’t have a dark tint on your car’s windshield in any state.
AS-1 Line
Even in cities where windshield tinting is allowed, you must not tint below the AS1 Line. What’s the AS1 Line? If you look closely at your car’s windshield – about 5 to 6 inches from the top — you will find an imprint that typically reads “AS1” or “AS-1,” the AS-L is an imaginary line that runs across the AS1 markings on the top sides of the windscreen.
Didn’t find the AS1 markings? No problems, just measure 5 to 6 inches – on both sides – from the top of your car’s windshield, and you have what you’re looking for. Also, you can use your sun visors; flip it down until they touch the windshield, the bottom edge of the sun visor is the AS1 Line.
So, if you were going to put a tint on your windshield but can’t find the AS-1 Line to indicate where the tinting should stop, these are some of the ways to know the AS-1 Line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Federal Laws on Windshield Tinting?
When it comes to window tinting, there are no general federal rulings or laws; the regulations are state-based. So, how you should tint your car windows and the tinting material to use depends on the state you live and work in.
Which States Allow Windshield Tint?
States like Alabama, Massachusetts, Georgia, New York, New Hampshire, Oregon, Texas, and quite a number of others allow windshield tinting, but you must not tint past the AS-1 Line on the windshield, and there are other rules that apply – ensure to read the ruling on windshield tinting in your state.
What’s The Darkest Legal Tint For Windshield?
70 percent VLT. Most luxury cars come with tinted windshields, but the tint is typically designed to allow up to 80 percent light, or 70 percent at most. While there are no federal laws on windshield tinting, in most states, it’s illegal to have dark windshields.