Was cruising down I10 coming home from Katy about 8 pm. As we got on I10 there was a DPS pickup cruising in traffic. I was behind some guy in about a 10 year old Eclipse that had seen better days. He freaks out and keeps slamming on his brakes even though he is already going 5 under the limit. I pulled over into the next lane over. I joke with my wife that he must be worried about getting pulled over because his stickers are out. Meanwhile the DPS pulls into the HOV lane while several cars blow by doing 10 mph over the limit and he just watches them. A minute later he rolls up right behind me and is tailgating me. I am just cruising along about 2 under the limit (there was other traffic on I10). He lights me up so I exit and pull over. Remembering what my police friends have told me, I roll the windows down, turn the car off and keep my hands in view.

He walks up and tells me to get out and give him my license and insurance. As I give it to him he gives the usual "Do you know why I pulled you over?" I really hate that. Before I get a chance to answer he tells me the window tint is too dark. I quickly reply that seems strange because I had it re-done about 2 years ago so it would pass inspection and point that the inspection is current. He told me to show him the inspection report. Who keeps that in their car? I told him I didn't have it. Then he tells me he would like to know who passed the car with this windown tint. I tell him it was a gas station along I10, but don't remember which intersection (I don't want anyone getting investigated over a trooper having a bad day).

Then he comes back and says "Here, I am just giving you a friendly warning" and smirks. I ask him what I need to do and he tells me "Nothing, its just a warning" Well, he never tested the tint. If my tint is illegal why doesn't he tell me to get it redone?

All the windows are 20% because the 2 inspectors I go to told me that is federal law and that is what they go by. If it's 20% or lighter they pass it.

When I get home I pulled up the TXDOT website and it sayd 20% passes. I think great, this guy was just having a bad day and hoping he could find something else wrong to write me for. Then I keep reading and there are different standards for State Driving Laws. These state it must be 25% or lighter. Why are the inspection standards and driving laws different. How does that make any sense?

I am also a bit miffed that he didn't test the tint if he was so sure it was illegal.

Have any of you dealt with this before? Any inspectors here that could shed some light on this?

Here is the TXDOT website

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/Misc/faq/tint.htm

 

you got lucky dude... i got two tickets in two weeks for that **** $600 total.. all i got to say is you a lucky man...

 

been pulled over alot of times for that when I was in the mini truckin scene about 3 years ago, and a few times in my Camaro when I had it done, Ranger was a lil past the legal limit but it sill passed since it was a reg cab, the Camaro on the other other hand is all 100% legal, just looks darker than it is because the t-tops might as well be painted solid black, and the rear glass is at like 5% so it makes the two front windows appear darker than they are...anyways, every time a trooper pulled me over for tint, they always opened my door and took there flash light and shined it through to see how much light passed through it..

 

I'm just a dumb ole hick, however it seems the DPS site you linked to states 25% on several occasions.

 

35% is the darkest you can go... my dad is HPD and he says that is legal, and i also failed on my truck b/c my tint was 5... it cant be darker than 35 or it wont pass, or can get a ticket... also got a written warning with 20% tint...

 

you got lucky, ive had a cop pull some **** and measure how dark it was. or maybe he was bsing me. but i did leave with a ticket

 

Bingo 35% in Houston is max. The state is 20%, but I guess the city/county overrules the state law.

~ Craig

 

Glad to know the Troopers are going after all the hard criminals.

I can't believe we pay guys like this to pull over people who may have borderline illegal window tint. GAY!

 

That is my point. If that is the case, why does inspection guideline say 20%? Shouldn't they be the same?

Exactly what I thought. There were people speeding and a guy right next to him that was out of inspection / registration, but he nails me for window tint? My wife thinks he was hoping to find more on us. He was looking really closely inside and checking everything once I pulled over. I think window tint was all he could come up with.

 

I got pulled over the other day in my Mustang by DPS. He walked around my car and finally said, I pulled you over for not having a license plate on the front of the car. I got a warning but damn, don't you have better **** to do?

 

lol...you guys should try driving an 18 wheeler. we can be doing absolutely nothing wrong, and they'll pull us over just to check our paperwork, then write us a ticket for an oil leak and whatever else they can find and send us on our way

 

I was a state inspector for 6 years and the rules is 20% +/- 2%. So if it was 18-22% it would pass. That is just the driver and passenger side windows, the back window can be as dark as possible. He probably was just having a bad day and im sorry to hear about him giving you ****, but they can unfortunately.

 

I had 5% all around on my truck for 2 years before I finally got a $300 ticket. I had to take it off and show the judge, and after that I went and got it redone with 20% on the front windows. That only lasted 3 days before I got another $300 ticket. Their little testing device always seems to read 2% darker than the tint is supposed to be, so even if it is 35% I guess they could be an A-hole and give you a ticket for 33%. I'm not upset about donating $600 to the state over this, I feel I deserve it. Having illegal window tint is right up there with rape and murder.

 

sept 1st we won't have to worry about this anymore when that new law goes into effect... i never understood what the hell is up with the window tint laws... 20% and i can pass the inspection with a 2% leeway as stated earlier so if it was 18% you can still pass it... but then people are getting tickets for having less than 35% on their front windows WTF!?... i can understand if it was totally blacked out but 20% is perfectly ok to see through even at night

 

alright, now is that front license plate law really getting passed this time, or is it another rumor?

 

from what i have read everywhere its supposed to be sept 1. just going to have to wait it out and see what happens.

 

I own a title/registration business that subcontracts for TxDot and have not heard about them revising the law although I am 100% for it.

 

Its because of what you were driving. He figured if he wrote you a ticket that you would pay it. He saw you and your wife in the truck and probably racially profiled you and put it with what you were driving and thought that its easy money instead of the poor **** in the old eclipse that for sure wouldnt pay his ticket. I hate to pull the race card, but its probably one of the reasons you got pulled over.

 

Didn't read this on any replies, but the way I understand TXDot's site is when you go to have your vehicle inspected, it has to be 20% or greater (on the sides). On the road however, it has to be 25% for the side windows (not the back). I got pulled over about 2 months ago and I have had illegal tint on my daily driver for 6 months at the time, and busted me for the 2 front's. He never stated to me I had to do anything about my 2 rear side windows, just the 2 front ones.

 

We were actually in the Camaro, but I just detailed it and it looked like it was brand new.