tint and inspection

[focus]

I got my windows tinted (all but front windshield) at 20% and now its time for an inspection. I went to a valvoline to get my oil changed yesterday and got to talking with some of the [cooler] guys that worked there about my windows and to see if they could do an inspection while I was there. They said that there was no way they could pass my car because they knew guys working at other places that have gotten busted for overlooking people's illegal tint and their shops lost their inspection licenses and had to pay fines (upwards of $5k+). I also asked a friend of mine's father who owns a car dealership if he knew somebody that could possibly do it and he said that his friends that do his inspections won't even do it for him because of the fines. Is there any way around this? (other than stripping my tint and getting it retinted after the inspection). I live in NC and I need to get an inspection soon.

Any ideas?

[dominoSLEV6]

Ahhhh, the joys of living in Florida.

For all the hurricanes and hot weather I put up with the no smog check, inspection etc. thing makes it all worth it.

I can run no cats on a car with 5% tint and only have to worry about getting pulled over for my tint. anything below 30% is illegal in FL from what I hear. Of cours eI've heard 15 and 20 from others, but I never had any trouble usuing 15% before.

Anyhow, I believe here those restrictions only aply to the front windows, so maybe that's the same in NC and you could strip the fronts and only have to pay to retint those.

-chris

[Jon11582]

Same issue in Jersey. They used to be lax, but now alot of private inspectors won't look at your car if you have tint either. Best option is to get it re-done every time you get inspected, or to stick to the legal limit.

Btw, legal in NC is 35 all around. FL legal is 28 Front/15 Rear. NJ sucks, No tint on front, as dark as you want on the rear, plus inspection every two years.

http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php?t=8607

[linmk2]

Here Texas the story is the same. The tint must be at the legal limit or the car will not be inspected. For many years I worked at a car dealership and the state will pull a dealer's permit if it's caught doing an inspection on a vehicle that does not meet state code. The fine is too big to do you a favor. Good luck in your search, but I'm afraid you might just end up pulling the tint off. On a side note, I have a friend who lives in Hot Springs, Ark. They don't have inspections at all!

[SolDoubt]

Ya...I was going around looking for a place to pass me for my tint. I ended up calling the guy I got it tinted from and he referred me to someone he knew that would pass me. However, luck would have it that it started to blizzard right after and i slid my car into the curb !!!!! So your best bet is probably to call back the person that tinted ur windows for help or go find the shadiest inspection station you can find and pay them to pass you.

[focus]

Ya...I was going around looking for a place to pass me for my tint. I ended up calling the guy I got it tinted from and he referred me to someone he knew that would pass me. However, luck would have it that it started to blizzard right after and i slid my car into the curb !!!!! So your best bet is probably to call back the person that tinted ur windows for help or go find the shadiest inspection station you can find and pay them to pass you.

I may have a friend of a friend who can hook me up, but I'll have to drive 3 hours to get there. I guess it's worth it.

stripping the tint + getting it reapplied = $50 + $150 = $200
or
driving to a land far far away = $35 in gas + 6 hours of my life

on a side note, your avatar is giving me seizures..

[gone]

i've had 20% on my other car and my current car and never had a problem with getting it inspected especially with the tints. ask one of the guys to do the inspection, then if anything if you get in trouble, say you got the tints done after inspection?There's so many cars with illegal tints on the streets and have inspections done, there's gotta be a shop by u

[focus]

toyochick,

thats the problem though, people around here are scared to death to do it. one guy told me that they've had undercover dmv guys come around on mini-stings trying to bust people.

I agree with you though. There are sooooooooooo many cars w/ darker tints than mine on the streets.

[Jai_Jai_Binks]

Here Texas the story is the same

Not entirely true, without elaborating much you can find 'friendly' stations!

[cklinh]

Just curious... this "inspection" thing, it's state by state? And is it just a visual?

I don't recall having anything similar in CA...

[dominoSLEV6]

The way I believe it's done is by putting your window about halfway down and holding a meter that measeres the % of light that passes through. The meter goes over the top of the window and extends down to both sides to measure. Of course some places may just do it visually with swatches of different tint.

-chris

[indiglosolara]

Just curious... this "inspection" thing, it's state by state? And is it just a visual?

I don't recall having anything similar in CA...

We dont have Visual inspections in CA.. We have very strick Smog laws. However if you get pulled over and get a Ref. Ticket for inspection then you would have to get it done.

Other then that we dont have visual inspections like some states do...

[FLUXEMAG]

In AZ you have to be pulled over and it has to look illegal to be inspected. It's 35 front/anything for the back windows and nothing below the stripe on the windshield. It's hot here, so you can get away with 20.

[FLUXEMAG]

Get out of NJ state before it's too late!