Postby firestoned » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:14
you are correct with the law being 27%, however clear (non tinted) glass has a VLT of 93%. So, if you put a 30% on the window, it will read a 23% on the VLT meter. The man who helped pass the Colorado Law actually worked with us for a while, and he said the law is 27% so that installers can legally install up to 35% on the window. Thats why its a 'weird number'.
Now, to answer your question, I personally think you are borderline getting pulled over already. Usually, we see people start getting harassed when they go darker than 15%. 15% is basically what factory privacy tint is. Any darker than that, and you are definitely going to have a higher chance of getting pulled over. Have I ever? NO.....Do I know anybody who has? NO. Have I heard hundreds of stories about it? YES. Thats the thing, it depends on where you primarily drive, how you drive, and when you drive. Certain times of the day makes the film look dark as hell, while other times you can see right through it. If you get a cop whos itching to be a prick, then expect to get asked about your tint when you are stopped. Good rule of thumb, ROLL YOUR WINDOWS DOWN WHEN YOU GET STOPPED. Unless he stopped you for tint directly, (which is super rare, unless you live in Boulder) then you will never have issues. With that in mind, some people choose to go as dark as they can in the rear half, and lighter on the front two. The idea behind this is that cops are only interested in the front 2 windows, and if they can see better in the front 2 than the back two, it sort of creates an illusion of being lighter than it really is. How much lighter you go in the front will change the looks of the car drastically, so try not to do too many shades lighter. Anyways, an honest opinion would be you can "safely" go darker in the rear half, but I would not suggest doing it darker on the front 2. Keep your 15 on the front and do a 10 or a 5 on the rear. Again, theres hundreds of people who do it, and NEVER have issues, but thats pure hit and miss. And remember, if a cop has a VLT meter, anything darker than 35% will get you a nice ticket with a fine attached!! Boulder is cracking down BIG TIME on tinting, every officer is equipped with a digital VLT meter, Commerce City has about 25% of the force with meters, and Aurora has them as well.
Other cities are unknown, if anybody wants to chime in on personal experience, its always nice to know where people are getting hit with tint tickets
and p.s. - sorry I didnt chime in earlier, didnt see this post until now....
