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I live in SC. I was issued a ticket for the tint being too dark but the officer did not use a meter to rate my windows. I got a meter rating from a local tint shop that states that I am 27%; which is the legal rating for our state. Does anyone know
1) Whether that would be sufficient to have the charges dropped?
2) Can I get the window tint rated at the Police or State Trooper's Department?
3) I don't really have $400 to pay the fine but it seems that if there is a legal rating requirement, then the trooper should be required to carry a Light Meter and not rely on his eyesight. And if, by some stretch of the imangination, me not having a lawyer to represent me in court being one such stretch, his eyesight were sufficient to issue a ticket do you think the judge would agree with me that the metered rating is more accurate a proof and dissmiss the ticket?
When I was stopped I asked the trooper how come no other officer had ever warned me about the tint being too dark (not that I get stopped offen or anything but I have had the car for several years and have been stopped in the past) he said that as far as he was concerned since he could not see me thru my window it was too dark. I explained that when I bought the car I was told by the second-hand dealer, Rick-Hendrix, that the tint was legal. He said that dealers don't have safevouch the tint which the current manager at Rick-Hendrix confirmed when I went to ask for a meter reading; which they didn't do. It angers me that it would be legal for a dealer to sell a car that does not meet the legal safety standards of the state while at the same time OK to to issue a driver a ticket for driving that said same car; but I digress.
Forgive and overlook the rambling rant just share your thoughts. I'm headed for the movies now but will be back to check the forum later tonight for your replies. Thanks in advance all.
I have never understood the need, of some, to have tinted windows in the first place. My daughter had them on one of her cars, just 'cause she thought it was "cool" -- along with her piercing her tongue. Thank God, she's matured since then.
I love tinted windows and I'm in my 40's. I'd never have a car without them. They keep the car cooler and protect the interior and you from the sun, not to mention they just flat out make the car look nicer, when it is done professionally not that cheap purple junk.
It's not colored or reflective is it? Is there a sticker on each window to verify the tint? Make sure everything is within the required regulations. If it is, then I would go back to two different shops, have it retested and get written paperwork from each stating that it is within legal limits South Carolina Window Tint Law - TintCenter.comand then present it in court. That would and should be enough to get it dismissed. Didn't you get any papers with it? They usually come with a lifetime warranty.
My tint is within the legal limit, but sometimes depending on the light or time of day it looks darker than other times. Maybe this is when the cop saw them. Also a dark interior will make it look darker.
When I was a teenager my car had very dark tint and I even had the front windshield tinted. You couldn't see in that car at all. lol Now that SC has made into law how dark a tint should be I keep it at the legal limit. At dark it does look darker which I like when me or my daughter are driving by ourselves at night. It's an added security when someone can't tell if a female is driving so when I get a new car it goes straight to the shop to get tinted.
I would take the auto to a window tint dealer and see if they will check your windows to see if the tint is legal then put in writing their findings.
Thanks for the feedback. Do you know whether I can get the tint metered at the Police or State Trooper's Department? I called the police station but after talking to the officer I was cowrdly declined to ask him.
Because I read the SC Window tint law link referenced by scjj I did go have my window tint metered by a reputable tint shop in Lexington. It was rated at 27%, the legal limit in SC and no, it is not reflective or colored. As I mentioned initially, I bought the car used and it did come with the tint already in place so I don't have any papers on the tint. When I bought the car I did ask and took the word of the dealer that the tint was legal. I checked the sticker as referenced by the article and though it was so faded I need a flashlight to read it, it listed the name and direction of the shop and 35% as the tint rating.
You might want to call or stop by the DMV and ask if there is someone there that can check window tint. Get something from them in writing. If it is 35% then you should be good. Cop was probably in a bad mood.
If someone meterres it at 27 and that's the limit you should be fine. Maybe get a second reading as someone else advised and show up to court with the readings. It is not as if you can 'measure' tint by the naked eye- it was really the cops perception of the tint.
Does anyone else feel like the state of SC and various towns are trying to ticket their way out of the budget shortfalls?
Go to court prepared ... get everything in writing. Call your local DMV office and ask if they have a meter to check your tint. We have tinted windows and I really like them. Good luck in court ... just be sure and have all your ducks in a row and you should be able to fight it without a lawyer. Ask for a jury trial if necessary that always blows them away!
Thanks All for your replies. Your recommendations were very helpful. I had my day in court and lost. I did call at the DMV office and they sent me to the Public Safety Office for a meter; they didn't have one. In court, the State Trooper said he didn't give me a ticket because of my tint being too dark but because it was reflective.
After court, I went back to the tint shop and asked the guy about the reflectivity of my tint and he hem and haw'd like he had never been asked that question before. His certification had limited itself to the meter reading. It did not however make any reference to wether my tint was reflective or not so, the moral of the story, the devil is in the details.
Again, thanks all.
Cheers
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