What Is The Darkest Legal Tint In California?

Beyond the aesthetics, aftermarket car window tinting enhances the occupants’ privacy, improves temperature control, reduces the potential for dangerous glares, and, depending on whether it’s a ceramic or carbon window tint, even improves window strength. Factory tint, which comes with most new vechicles, is a permanent feature of the glass and hovers around 15% to 20% visible light transmittance, or how much visible light passes through the window. While that’s more than dark enough for some drivers, others prefer a near-blackout effect. Whether adding tint to a clear window or stacking on top of factory tinting, before the film comes out, it’s important to understand your state’s laws.
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Tinted glass adds privacy, but the darker tints are banned in almost every state because they’re seen as a safety risk. That’s why every state has regulations in place regarding aftermarket tinting. California, known for being fairly strict on traffic safety, has a rather tought allowance. Per the state’s Vehicle Code, the lowest allowable aftermarket tint is 70%. While not fully transparent, as it still blocks 30% of visible light, it’s quite light when compared to states that don’t seem to care about window tint, which allow as much as 100% tint on certain windows.
There are a few caveats to the law, particularly what’s required for tinting to be considered legal. Before going to add that darker tint, avoid the ticket and brush up on California’s law.
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