Key Points of Indiana Window Tint Laws
An important detail to understand about Indiana window tint regulations is that these are laws, not just guidelines. This means that all tinting must be done by a professional and that it must abide by legal specifications. Professional tinting services can do adequate shading for you while maintaining legal compliance.
Some of the key requirements that tinting must meet in Indiana are as follows: For windows behind the driver’s seat, there is no restrictions. This gives you for potential window tint area on vehicles without restriction. However, the driver’s seat window and the front passenger window cannot be tinted. The windshield is also subject to specific percentages that might make it illegal to tint in the first place, so if you want legal tinting , don’t even try to tint the windshield.
Certain restrictions are also enacted at the level of individual counties, cities and municipalities. These restrictions can be stricter than what the state legally mandates, so doing enough research to understand them is an absolute necessity. For example, some states only allow mylar tinting which may not permit any light at all. You should also ensure that whatever tint you use has a certified label by an accredited company on the package.
Other regulations exist separately from the tint itself. For instance, you’re not allowed to tint windows if they’re cracked or tinted already. You also may run into some issues with law enforcement if the windows are tinted, as some areas have created a habit of pulling people over for tinted windows.
Why Tinting Laws are Important
For the driver in Indiana, abiding by window tint laws is important for two main reasons. The first is that failure to do so can result in a fine, which adds up quickly if you have multiple windows tinted to illegal levels. The second is that window tinting needs to be taken into consideration when you are assessing the safety of your vehicle. When you tint your windows, particularly when tinting the windshield, your view of the road may be severely restricted, depending on how dark you tint the film. Having restricted visibility while driving therefore becomes a point of concern. For some drivers, the benefits of having tinted windows and their reduced visibility while driving outweigh the risks, but Indiana law is clear on where the line is drawn. Unless your windows are tinted within the parameters laid out by law, it is illegal for you to be driving with those tinted windows. Regardless of the potential for reduced visibility, it is always recommended that you adhere to your state’s window tinting laws to avoid both fines and decreased visibility, thereby keeping you safe as well as other drivers and pedestrians on the roadway.
Exemptions to Indiana Window Film Law
It is a common myth among Indiana drivers that you can have darker tint installed on your vehicle windows if you have a doctor’s note, but this is not actually the case. Under IC 9-19-19-7, a person can be charged with a Class C infraction if they operate a car with window tints that are darker than the law allows. And the punishment for such an offense is usually a fine, but the tint cannot be removed. The window tint must be removed from the vehicle, so do not waste your time or money hiring a doctor to write a phony note.
Indiana laws do exempt certain special vehicles from the regular tint requirements, such as:
However, these exemptions do not apply to your run-of-the-mill vehicle unless they otherwise qualify for a special exemption under the statute, such as in the case of a vehicle being used for public transportation (i.e., taxi or limousine).
How to Calculate Window Tint Percentage
If you’re trying to determine whether the level of tint on Indiana car windows complies with the state law, you’re in luck. There are simple tools and methods to measure this. It’s not a perfect science, but it’s fairly easy to determine the percentage tint on your windows.
Let’s talk about methods and tools. A basic hand-held light meter designed for measuring light intensity on plants from plant nursery supply companies will work. If you can get an accurate reading at a flat part of the tinted front window, you’re halfway home, but such a light meter may not be easily portable. Another option is called a Tint Meter. They are also used for other purposes than cars but most car tint shops will have them and may test your windows when you buy the tint. Some police officers have light transparency meters, but they are starting to become obsolete as the newer window tint transparency (percentage of visible light transmitted) is too similar to the way the older tint transparencies read out making it hard to distinguish between the two. However, it may be worth your while to ask the officer if he has the equipment. Additionally, an officer may use a visual aid to detect if a tint is too dark: the officer pulls out a U.V. torchlight and flashes it onto the tint. Like a miracle, the officer can instantly see that the tint is too dark. He doesn’t even have to pull out his light meter! The tint is so dark that the U.V. rays can’t penetrate the tint leaving dark patches or spots on the inside of the window. On non-tinted windows, there is no dark spots.
Whatever method and tool you use to measure the tint percentage, you must measure the tint on all windows – the windshield, both front side windows, both rear side windows and the rear windshield at the stated location of 5 inches from the top in the center in a horizontal plane.
Amendments and the Potential for Changes to Tinting Laws
Scarcely a few months pass before Autocustoms is contacted by an out-of-state visitor to Indianapolis, Indiana. Inquiring about a vehicle with broken glass, they explain that they visited us for window tinting last fall. So their car was safely parked at their hotel when a "pot hole" opened up on the parking lot and totally crushed the rear windshield. Remembering that we tinted last season, they assumed it would be safe to do so again since there are no changes to the law, right? Right? The Infiniti QX54 in the story above is an example of an SUV that has a factory deep tinted rear window. The side windows are tinted a little lighter than limo tint, but appear almost black to most observers. Unfortunately, anywhere outside of full sunlight an officer’s eye may not be able to determine just how dark the rear window was at 3:00 PM. This makes a simple verification of tinted windows quite difficult for the officer. When in doubt, the officer chooses to assume the tint is a custom tint, and confiscates your vehicle. For all the window tinting companies who advertised to the average consumer that Indiana’s window tinting laws have not changed, the State of Indiana’s requirement that the rear window must be AT LEAST 30% VLT on any windshield capable of being shaded will make our jobs more difficult districts statewide. All passenger vehicles must have a tinted windshield at least 30% VLT, unless the windshield is designed to be shaded darker than 30%. That said, some rulemaking changes inside the Indiana Code may permit tinting on darker vehicles than was previously understood was permitted. As of September 1, 2015 the law states that "vehicles on which factory tinted window glass has been installed are not required to maintain a light transmission of thirty percent (30%). Removal of a factory tinted window shall cause an owner to be in violation of this article." As a consequence, one Indiana Judge recently found that the law in effect prior to September 1, 2015 prevented the Indiana State Police from enforcing the VLT for passenger vehicles, because Class B misdemeanors require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. That is the burden of proof the Indiana State Police have to meet in court to prove someone violated the laws. As a result, the legislature amended the law on another matter in the late hours of the session this past April, and as a part of that "technical corrections" bill the legislature included language that is now effective, stating that "vehicles on which factory tinted window glass has been installed are not required to maintain a light transmission of thirty percent (30%) . Removal of a factory tinted window shall cause an owner to be in violation of this article." This language removes the argument the Indiana State Police previously had that they were required to prove that the vehicle was not built that way, which in the dark of the night, manufacturers were able to certify as factory tint, allowing for windows tinted less than 30%. So if you are caught with less than 30% tinted windows, and it hasn’t been certified with the original factory sticker, then the officers may indeed issue you a ticket; not because you tinted the windows, but because it was removed and the officer foolishly cited you for failure to show proof certified that you purchased the tint manufactured for your car with factory tint. So, less than 50% of all the states in the U.S. have no requirements to certify the tint that was used, leaving the officer lacking any ability to verify if the tint was original, or work done thereafter. If your tint is over 50%, the officer will not be able to tell if the tint was factory installed or subsequent. If your tint is under 50%, no officer will be able to tell you are in violation of the law, even if it was changed. Exceptionally large fines are now imposed in most counties statewide for improperly tinted windows. Here’s the bottom line: We tinted a Mercedes-Benz C-Class a few months back, with 30% tint on the sides, but because the manufacturer tinted the rear window at 35% the decision was made to apply additional 35%. On a passenger car, that is 7% lower than what is otherwise acceptable on a passenger automobile, should the law still remain as it was, and is on most cars today. The C-Class is a passenger car which is manufactured with darker tinted as stated previous, however the addition of tint which is certified to be legal took a 35% tint to a mere 28% VLT in a state where only 30% VLT is acceptable, and the officer is not necessarily required to hold a tint meter, and much less make a subjective determination that tint is darker than 30%. In the two months since the law has changed, and since the September 1 enforcement date, we have stopped carrying tint meters due to the fact that officers are now learning that they are required to make a determination that max passenger tint can be 35% VLT. Veiling momentarily though we will continue to use the tint meter, because our lawyers have an easier time creating a record of what the tint meter showed once it was placed in the shade.
Steps to Take to Correct Non-compliant Tinting
If your vehicle’s car windows are not in compliance with Indiana tint laws, there are several different options you can pursue to rectify the matter. For starters, you can always have the dark tint removed and replaced with compliant tint. It is generally less expensive to simply take off the tint film and have a compliant tint installed than it is to remove and replace potentially non-compliant windows. Be warned, however, that removal could scratch the glass if the film was not applied properly initially or if the wrong type of film was used. Although this can usually be repaired with little fuss, the time and expense may not seem worth it to you. Additionally, the cost to repair is often passed on to the tint installer, so if you have had your windows tinted at a reputable establishment, you may be off the hook entirely. Another option is to go back to the tinting company that applied the film to your vehicle windows and ask them to remove the old tint and comply with the law. Although this would not always be cost-free, it could be less expensive than having a different tinting company come out to your residence and remove the tint film, replace the windows or reinstall the tint. If you intend to take this course of action, be sure they are seasoned professionals and have the insurance and/or bonding necessary in order to completely blame them for their mistake if in fact that has occurred. If you have purchased a used vehicle with non-compliant window tint, and you have no idea who tinted the windows, it would obviously be more convenient to simply have the window carbon nanotubes and dark tint film removed and replaced than to have the windows swapped out. The time and cost associated would be similar to those of removing and replacing windows. In most instances, only the front windows will need to be replaced. Replacing the rear windows is rare as it is quite expensive to do so. No matter which method you choose to correct your vehicle’s non-compliant tint, if you should happen to be pulled over by a law enforcement officer in the meantime, simply tell them that the tint is in their process of being replaced or removed. Be honest and courteous, and they will more than likely just give you a "fix-it" ticket.
Clarifications About Common Misunderstandings of Window Tint Laws
The realm of window tinting laws is surrounded by "what ifs" and "what do you thinks". Every state has its rules and regulations, and Indiana is no different. Unfortunately, when it comes to window tint, the law can be a bit convoluted, or rather ambiguous. The law can also (and has been) misunderstood. In some cases, what seems like a logical assumption may actually be an incorrect one. Below are the common misconceptions about window tint laws in Indiana.
Front Windows
Some people assume that while there may be rules on how dark both the front and rear windows of a vehicle can be, there are no differences on the tint that can be put in the rear. The law is strict on this and treats the front and rear differently. The law for the front window is a VLT of no less than 30%. This means, at minimum, the tint must be 30% visible. For the rear window, however, there isn’t a percentage of tint that is acceptable.
There are no rules on the tinting of the two rear windows. This does not mean, however, that the tint can be just anything. A tinted rear window, like any other window, cannot endanger the safety of others. Unlike the front windows, the rear window can be no darker than 8% visibility.
Obstruction
The law regarding window tints is that sunlight cannot be obstructed when the window is closed . When the sunlight hits the tinted glass, it will cause the tinted area to appear darker than what it may actually be. This will cause an issue insofar as the cop cannot determine whether the tint is too dark or not. It is not illegal to have tinted glass on your car, so long as it is not dangerous to you or others on the road. The tinted area cannot be overly dark, and this has everything to do with safety. If the tint begins to look black, you might as well have got ebony.
Tint Levels
There are two levels of tint that are commonly found, 20% and 35%. While these two have very similar applications, they are not the same and will serve different purposes. A 35% tint will allow more light to pass through the tint, thereby providing more clarity. When safety, visibility, and comfort all need to be at a good standard, 35% will go a long way. On the other hand, 20% will allow very little light through the tint. While this might seem like a good thing, it is not necessarily so. An overall dark window tint can have the effect of damaging your vision. Your eyes are very sensitive in changing light settings. This means that going from a bright outside to an inside that is much darker than the outside bright can put you at a high risk of eye damage and even increased chances of accidents. The eye could be damaged by sudden exposure to bright lights, and can make focusing difficult.