Indiana Tint Restrictions
Indiana has three types of legal tint limits. The first is for passenger vehicles, or cars. In these vehicles, the window tint limit is 30%. Here is where most people don’t know the rules. Just because you are in a car, there are additional rules. The front windshield cannot have a legal tint. An exception exists for a non-reflective tint that reaches no further than the manufacturer’s AS-1 line. This is the line across the top of the windshield.
Secondly , we have SUV or van legal tint limits set at 30%. Keep in mind, no window other than the very back sides and rear of an SUV or van can have a tinted window.
Finally, compact and mid-size pickup trucks are subject to the same 30% tint limit as cars or SUVs. However, the front windows must not allow more than 50% of light in. Similar to SUV and vans, if your pickup truck is not compact or mid-size, the front windows and windshield are to remain untinted.
Why Indiana Has Tint Laws
Window tint is more than a flashy custom vehicle feature-it can be an important safety concern. In particular states, car window tint can impede the ability to see into vehicles with darker tints, inhibiting security for surrounding drivers and pedestrians alike. The tinted nature of some windows can also make it difficult to see into a vehicle during dark hours, making it difficult to identify potentially-forbidden contents or individuals who may be behaving suspiciously.
This concern is heightened for law enforcement officers and employees who approach parked or moving vehicles at close range during their duties. Therefore, the imperceptibility created by window tint can pose a major risk for these officers, who need to be able to easily and quickly identify the occupants of other vehicles, particularly in responding to suspicious circumstances. As a result, some police agencies across the state employ tinted window checks, which may incur costly fines or charges for many individuals and vehicle owners.
For these reasons, state law enforcement agencies throughout Indiana have adopted policies governing the level of tint allowed on windows for passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs. In order to ensure that security and law enforcement officials can easily and efficiently identify the occupants of these vehicles, the detection potential set forth above must be preserved. Accordingly, the level of tint on car windows is strictly regulated in order to give these officials greater peace of mind during the performance of their duties.
Penalties for Tinting Violations in Indiana
In the state of Indiana, a violation of tint laws and regulations is technically considered a Class C infraction. This is the second lowest level of infraction which is followed by the Class D infraction. A Class C infraction carries a penalty of a $500 fine for a first time offense. The amount per offense can become severe if there are multiple offenses occurring in a very short period of time. When it comes to issues such as tint on tint windows, law enforcement officers often give multiple warnings to get the tint laws corrected before handing out citations. However, given the high volume of vehicles in most cities in Indiana, this tends to be an issue many motorists drive with at some point during their lives. If an individual does receive a citation for excessive window tint, it is possible for them to simply pay the fine, but they will be admitting guilt. The guilty plea could potentially carry associated inconveniences, so it may be better to have an attorney handle the matter for you if you choose to plead not guilty. When it comes to application of tint, the rules are simple with no exceptions granted to the driver or owner of the vehicle. A warning is normally issued for errors in tint application or other technicalities that are minor in nature that dont cause safety concerns, but when it comes to tint, this is not an area that permits any flexibility. The tint exemption process in the state of Indiana requires you to meet very specific criteria, and even then only manufactured tint is allowed. If you are going to apply tint to your windows and want to be fully legal and compliant, you need to be very careful with how dark you make your tint and if you want to apply another layer, as this can easily violate laws and regulations.
Exceptions to Tint Law in Indiana
Medical and Other Exceptions to Indiana’s Tint Laws
Indiana has certain exceptions regarding window tinting. The mission behind these rules is to provide an exception for those who have legitimate, medically-based needs for keeping their equipment and transportation as cool as possible.
For instance, if you have a medical condition that would be aggravated by direct sunlight, then you may qualify for some sort of exemption. You will be required to submit documentation from your medical provider verifying the need for an exception , and then subsequent documentation in order to keep your tinted window exemption on an annual basis.
Some individual have a health condition that makes them particularly susceptible to the sun’s UV rays. For this reason, there are exceptions in the law that allow for medical exemptions if you suffer from such a health condition. If you suffer from a condition such as lupus or a similar disorder, ask your doctor about documenting your need so that you can apply for an exemption.
How to Test Your Tint
The most accurate method of testing tint is with a light meter. The light meter measures the amount of light coming through your tinted windows and calculates the percentage of light that your tint allows in. The more light allowed in, the greater the transparency of the window. Conversely, the less light allowed in, the darker the tint. The closer the number on the meter is to zero, the more opaque or dark the tint.
However, most vehicle owners don’t have access to a light meter to test their window tint. LaPorte County requires all tint testing to be performed by a certified facilities that offer the equipment and trained personnel to check for compliance. In terms of tint, we want to see a reading of 25% or greater on all windows.
Although not as reliable as a light meter, you may be able to get a good indicator of the level of tint on your windows by holding a % tint strip up to the window in question. The % tint strip is a piece of film that has varying %s of tint on separate sections of the strip. You’ll hold an end of the strip up to your window so that the end with the nearest % tint is at the top of the window frame. Then, you can slide the strip down the length of the window, checking to see where the % tint equals that of your window. By doing this, you’ll get a pretty good idea of the % of tint on your window. Simply slide the % tint strip down until the % matches your window. If it’s lower than 25%, your tint is too dark.
Selecting a Tint Installer
To ensure that you get the correct tint for your car, it is essential to select a reputable and knowledgeable tinting installation service in your area. They should be well-versed in Indiana law and fully understand the tinting regulations before commencing any work. Having a quality installation professional is crucial since they will be the party who provide you with the certification for your vehicle’s windows . You should also keep in mind that even the best tint installers will not be able to repair any window tint that has already been previously installed on a car at a time when it was illegal. Optimum Tint will always replace legal tint with the exact legal shade now allowed in Indiana.