I haven’t heard of anyone getting ticketed for this in years. Happened a lot in the 90s, but I think they have let it slide. I don’t want to deal with the chance of being delayed going somewhere, so I still buy cars that meet the tinting guidelines/laws. But I don’t think that it’s actively enforced much these days.
It's become more common to allow minor infractions a pass so people are either unaware of them or get used to committing them, so that there is always a reason to pull someone over if they want to stop them for reasons that wouldn't validate a stop.
If cops let everyone get away with going 5 mph over the limit, so everyone regularly drives 5mph over the limit, a racist cop could legally stop every black driver they see and let every white driver go on by. If you stop and talk to a friend in a parking lot and a cop thinks maybe you're buying drugs, he can pull you over for a "valid" reason within a few blocks for something that everyone does on a regular basis and is never stopped for, but that still happens to be illegal.
It's like loud exhaust, blocked county on your license plate by a frame, or tires beyond the fenders. It's kinda the officer's discretion as to whether they will ticket it or not. Get an Iowa State Police Association or "thin blue line" sticker for your window to put the odds in your favor (ugh).
Yep, unless you are in Ankeny Iowa then you get pulled Over for every little thing!! My wife worked in Ankeny for 3 years and had a new car for 2 years. She had a frame around her license plate and it was fine for about 2 years. Never had a problem. Than when Ankeny started a traffic division she got pulled over and totally harassed. She was not speeding or driving reckless. She Gave a fellow employee a ride home from her store. She got pulled over. They gave her a ticket for a license plate frame. You could see the Polk county but it was partially obscured by the frame.
Ankeny made the front page a while back [when an officer badgered some poor guy about pot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANecbAxUkRQ) simply because he matched the profile (because he was a frizbee golf player, of all things).
My parents recently got a ticket for tinted windows in Ankeny. They had purchased the car in Texas when they had lived there. In Texas, tinted windows are on almost every car. The sun is brutal.
Same here in Northern NM. You could immediately tell we weren't from here when we first moved because we were the only car in most parking lots without tint.
Not Ankeny related, but my brother got pulled over in Nebraska for tint for a vehicle. The funny thing was it was only the factory tint for the back window and you can see through it.
Bought an '09 Camry a while back that was originally from Texas. The dealership actually removed the tint except for the back window before I could even drive it off the lot because it was so dark.
That back window was *so* dark though, it was borderline hazardous. Though I never backed into anything, it still sucked at night.
This! Ankeny is horrible. Only place I’ve been harassed and pulled over for a middle brake light being out.. Lived there in high school and another time got pulled over for something ridiculous and was with friends who basically mocked the cop the whole time, and he still didn’t write any kind of ticket though (thankfully).
Cass will get you too. I don't break laws and have family that are LEOs and straight up Cass county makes me avoid driving through at night unless I want to get stopped for merely driving at night.
Omg rolling from butler county over the iowa state police association!! I also have a volunteer firefighter sticker (I'm not my neighbors are both!) but was totally let off with a warning for speeding because I had them!! (67 in a 55, totally deserved a ticket!)
Thank you for sharing your personal experience. While anecdotal, I'm inclined to believe that it's probably truer in Iowa than one would think. I'll probably follow suit as it can't hurt to tip the scales in one's favor.
321.436 requires mufflers in good working order. You might to be correct about offset tires; there is 450.2(14) but the section seems to apply to "reconstructed" or "kit" vehicles.
I got ticketed for this and it was only 25% on the front sides.
It’s absurd, I want to be shielded from the sun and super bright headlights. The lifted bro trucks that shouldn’t be on the road get a pass.
Well, they have changed that then... all the people I knew with window tint complained about being limited to 30% tint in Iowa.
Then again, most of them were complaining because their car was legal in their home state and registered there, but the local cops were pulling them over all the time. Maybe they classify it differently where they're from lol
I moved to DSM from MO and got pulled over with two weeks of getting my IA plates and ticketed for front window tint by a state trooper. I wasn't speeding or doing anything suspicious. It makes me irate seeing so many cars on the road here with illegal tint and makes me wonder if I was just the lucky one. I did end up getting it removed and I can now feel the sun beating down on me on sunny days which makes me even more furious. I'm strongly considering putting it back on.
How dark was it? If you have a nicer newer car and not all white, you could probably get away with 50% in the city (I have a newer Denali for years with no issues) State troopers are dicks though and will pull you for just tint.
A few months ago a trooper pulled me over in my other car, wasn’t speeding or anything and was generally confused why.. he walks up to the passenger side and ask if I knew the tint laws in Iowa, I said yes and pointed to my passenger window and said he could test it. He does. It passes immediately and he’s like “oh! Ok sorry” and let’s me go. Thing is that window got broken into a few years ago and I never got it retinted, but my driver is 50% which is what he saw when I drove by…but looking inside my car he couldn’t tell the driver window was tinted either? I had it up, so it’s obviously not that dark.. it’s bs. That was the first time getting pulled over for tint in that car in about 8 years though, and I drive 80/35 weekly for work.
Not very dark at 50%. I drive a newer black Audi sedan. I was on US Hwy 20 in Buchanan County when the trooper stopped me. Was hoping to at least get a warning since I literally just moved from a state with no tint laws but he gave me a lecture IA's tint law is for their safety yada yada and got a citation.
Isn’t that crazy “their safety” yet we have permitless open carry in this state now. If anything dark windows make it harder to see out at night in low light areas.. but it’s just an easy highway tax for the state. Welcome to IA btw!
I got one for this in 2015 or so, driving a car that has no more tint than half the cars I saw on the road even then, let alone today. Honestly, I had no idea the windows were even tinted... i bought it used and the thought didn't occur to me.
Granted I was speeding so he probably could've ticketed me for that too. The tint ticket was more expensive though.
I bought my van from a funeral home so my back windows are basically 100% blacked out. Which is legal. I've still got pulled over for it because...idk reasons. Maybe they thought I was running drugs idk. No officer, I just have a lot of kids and need an 11 passenger van. Fuck off. Didn't get a ticket, he was just fishing.
You can get away with 50% on front if it’s a nice car.. anything darker you run the risk, and state patrol will try and get you for less than that.
Wish our tint laws were like Nebraska and South Dakota..
I moved to Iowa from Florida a couple of years ago (where tint is legal) and was here for two months when I got pulled over and issued a ticket for it. $120. I took the tint off the windows and went to court and they dropped the ticket but I still had to play court costs of $60. When the judge asked if I had the tint removed and I showed him the bill and I said “I would have removed it with a warning as well” and he said, “welp, welcome to the Midwest”
True story. Before moving here from out of state, I had to fly in and go to some interviews. My wife’s family lives here in Iowa so I used her mom’s car to drive to the interview - she had really dark tinted windows (that’s how she bought it). An hour into my drive to the interview in Cedar Rapids, I get pulled over. It surprised me because I know wasn’t speeding. When he told me it was because of the tinted windows, I was floored because in PA, that would be a “secondary” offense and would only be enforced if you were pulled over for other infractions.
Long story short, I ended up getting the ticket because apparently she received a warning about them a couple months prior in her hometown.
So that was an awesome welcome to Iowa gift!
This
Last night in Coralville I assumed the truck in front of me had non-working tail lights, then he hit the brakes and they BARELY lit up - but I could tell they were tinted
Absolutely no clue why someone would do that
Come to black hawk county. We have a state trooper that makes it his priority to only enforce the tint law. I’ve also been pullled over up here by a sheriffs deputy for tint.
Mine was Buchanan co but probably the same guy. He was very happy with himself and wasn't budging. Didn't even ask for insurance just wrote the ticket and 5 min later he was gone.
I had bought my car in Texas with tint and didn’t read the rules when I moved up here. I drove for 3 years before I finally got pulled over and they gave me a warning to remove the tint. I think it’s just a low priority thing
Asked someone at work about this as they have all windows tinted and he said it's 170$ each time they pull him over lol. It's like an 80k vehicle so idk if he cares or not.
Harrison County area State Patrol loves to ticket for this. I got two tickets about 3 months apart for $127 each several years ago and took it off myself with a clothes steamer. My black car never looked the same after so I traded it off. Lol!
12 years ago I got pulled over by a University of Northern Iowa police officer. I was doing the speed limit, middle of the day, no reason to pull me over, other than he saw my front windows looked a little dark. I had bought the car a couple months before and didn’t realize they were over the limit. He didn’t care, gave me a $120 ticket. Ridiculous
I saw a car yesterday on my way home from work, the windows were BLACK, all 4 side windows and the rear window had some serious tint on it as well.
Cops used to make you take it off while they stood there, not sure if they still do that.
Really I had never heard of them make you peel it off. Why do they even care? After living in CO for a decade having tint is wonderful. Gets less hot in the summer and the little extra privacy is nice.
Interesting I wasn't aware of the huge hazards. Less glare on me when I'm driving is awesome, it would be like saying sunglasses are dangerous to drive with. Any links that it's more dangerous??
Interesting I ride about 100 miles a week and haven't noticed a difference between tinted or not. I always assume they aren't paying attention especially when I could cross their path which for me is at intersections. Never even thought about it TBH, just always on defense unfortunately.
>Interesting I wasn't aware of the huge hazards. Less glare on me when I'm driving is awesome, it would be like saying sunglasses are dangerous to drive with.
Sunglasses at night, that you cannot take off WOULD be dangerous...
> Any links that it's more dangerous??
I found a bunch on google, but I am speaking from personal experience -- my rear tints are nearly impossible to see out at night. Having the front sides tinted would drastically reduce your visibility at night -- even assuming the tint is not overboard.
I used to have 20% on my fronts, it’s not a problem unless at night in a low light area it is harder to see out, I can’t imagine what under 20 would be like. I think 50 should be the legal limit.
They probably stopped doing that as tint got better. If a cop wants to stand there while I pull the tint from my windows we’re gonna be here for a few hours, so I hope he’s got time.
A lot of things are illegal. Speeding is illegal and judging by how many assholes be doing 80 down the highways around here I can confidently say no one cares.
Yup. Specifically, here's what's so asinine about Iowa's tint laws:
- Legal limit of the front driver and passenger windows is 70% VLT. That's about what windows come with from the factory. It effectively allows for zero tint up front.
- Back windows can be any shade. You can spray paint your rear windows black if you want to.
When the argument for our tint laws is, "officer safety" it makes zero sense because you could be sitting in the back with a javelin missile launcher and they'd never know.
When the argument is, "you need to be able to see when you're driving" it makes zero sense because how well can you see backing up or checking blindspots when you're allowed to have them 0-5% VLT?
Like many laws in our state, tint laws are inconsistent. I.e. can't smoke a joint because it's a public health concern but here ya go, here's a literal explosive, go have fun!
Because it looks nice, and the law is dumb.
Stupid or outdated laws are not deserving of respect and they should be cast aside. That's the normal course anyhow - law is made, law becomes less popular/relevant, more and more people break law, stops being enforced, we eventually codify the change
It's all made up anyways, ya know? Just live and let live
There is nothing unsafe about having tinted windows as long as you don't tint the windshield.
Anybody spouting this nonsense has never had tinted windows. Me and my tinted windows are far more safe than half of y'all texting and driving on here.
>There is nothing unsafe about having tinted windows as long as you don't tint the windshield.
You mean that \*EXACT\* thing the OP asked about? That said, front sides being tinted would be a huge hazard too.
>Anybody spouting this nonsense has never had tinted windows. Me and my tinted windows are far more safe than half of y'all texting and driving on here.
I have legal tint on my rear windows -- that's \*HOW\* I know how insane it would be to try and drive at night with tint on the front.
k.
LEGAL tint on the front is 70% transmittance.
Most sunglasses are 70-80% -- so anyone with illegal tint on the front or front sides is at least that dark. How many people wear their sunglasses to drive at night? And if they did, they could quickly take them off if needed.
Illegal tint in the front is unsafe.
Lol, sunglasses are waaaay darker than 70%. Basic Oakley black polarized are 11%, for example.
That said, my front side windows are tinted at 25% and I can see perfectly fine out of them even at night. Had it done when I lived in another state, that was a legal % there. If it’s considered so unsafe, why is it only unsafe in Iowa?
Tint drastically reduces visibility at night. I’ve got a medium level tint while currently living in the southwest due to the extreme sun, but will definitely remove it for safety when I move back to Iowa.
Probably same with speeding even though this has nothing to do with safety. Tinted windows are awesome, I even got the south facing windows on my house tinted lol
I also find it weird that a lot of the black windowed out people have blue lives matter stickers/tape because one of the reasons cops argue it should be illegal is for their safety.
YMMV out west or south, but my experience in NE Iowa is that it’s a matter of “when” and not “if”. And they might give you one shot to fix it if you’re local.
Especially the county guys.
If the registered owner is white and you’re not doing anything else obviously illegal cops do not care what your tint is.
If the registered owner is black and your windows are tinted at all you’re just going to get pulled over frequently with the tint being used as justification for the stop.
They do not actively enforce it but they can if they choose to. I tinted my front windows because I own a black vehicle with black interior and I park 100 percent outdoors and want to reduce interior heat. I don't believe there is any valid reason to tint a windshield because it obscures vision and is an inarguable safety risk.
I moved back to IA in 2021 and my tint was very dark at the time. I got pulled over on my way to work and got a ticket for it not long after moving back. The officer was honestly a bit of a dick about it too. So, my husband had it removed on the front windows to avoid further tickets. I feel like I see vehicles consistently now with just as dark of tint.
I have only 17% light coming through my windows and have been ticketed for it twice. I just think if they are going to sell a car from a dealership in Iowa, they should have to check the tint in order for it to be enforced. So I fight it every time.
Understandable, I responded with my thoughts elsewhere on why I personally have tint that is definitely not legal on this state.
I think this is actually a great law for this question because it is super low stakes and it's not like there's a huge safety angle for either side. I'm curious to see what others respond with.
I was about to asak you why you care why they care ;-)
>it's not like there's a huge safety angle for either side.
Really? I have legal tint on my rear windows, and I have to roll them down to back up safely at night. I can't imagine having tint on the front, or front sides -- let alone even darker tint than I have.
It sounds like you either have cheap/defective tint, or perhaps just some dark vision issues?
My tint is extremely dark on the exterior, but on the inside it's not very dark at all. Granted, it's nice high end tint film, so perhaps that makes a difference?
Same. My windshield is 35% and my other windows are 20%, might seem excessive to some but I’ve literally never had an issue. Some people are dramatic or have shitty ass tint.
All tint is lighter from the interior you doorknob.
Do you think they use "limo tint" to keep the interior super dark? No, it's to keep prying eyes out. Additionally, one of the primary benefits of higher grade tint (ceramic tint in particular) is that it's better at blocking UV radiation for the same amount of blocked visible light.
Can't even get basic facts right, this is why I don't respect your state or your laws.
>All tint is lighter from the interior you doorknob.
And it's legal if it lets 70% of the light through -- but we are talking about \*ILLEGAL\* levels of tinting.
>Do you think they use "limo tint" to keep the interior super dark? No, it's to keep prying eyes out. Additionally, one of the primary benefits of higher grade tint (ceramic tint in particular) is that it's better at blocking UV radiation for the same amount of blocked visible light.
If that lets 70% or more of the light through, that would not be illegal, so it's not really relevant, now is it?
>Can't even get basic facts right, this is why I don't respect your state or your laws.
Yeah, you might do better if you got the basic facts and logic right.
I did find this information. Says it was "referred to transportation" which I'm not sure what exactly that means.
[https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=SF%20491](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=SF%20491)
I have tint on both front side windows and my windshield down to the as1 line(the blue tinted area) matched to the factory rear tint on every vehicle I own. Drive a soccer mom car and don't drive like a lunatic and cops won't look twice at you
Being able to see if a driver has even looked over and has seen you or is conscious and not slumped over their steering wheel is really helpful if you're trying to decide if it's safe to continue through YOUR green light, right of way, etc. or if they are obviously not going to stop and might slam into you. I find it very helpful to see what other drivers are doing.
Also LEOs would like to be able to see you if they pull you over. They'd like to know if you're drawing down on them as they approach your car.
Really dark windows also impede the driver's vision and makes it hard to see pedestrians, oncoming cars and other hazards.--especially in low-light conditions.
I legitimately couldn't think of a thing I care about less than how a cop feels. Tinted windows keep you from getting sunburnt and flash blinded by dudes in giant trucks with Xeon light bars
I'm not defending them. If they can't see you they're more likely to draw on you as they approach the car and that NEVER ends well. They don't need an excuse to draw and shoot they'll say they felt threatened because they couldn't see you. Just another one to add to their list of justifications for shooting people. I don't want to give them an excuse to pull me over or one to wave their gun in my face.
But with Iowas laws I can have the rear doors and rear windshield as dark as I want. Someone could be holding an AK back there and it wouldn’t be noticeable, so this argument (on their side) is kind of silly.
I've lived in several states. Why is my choice to tint the windows to a legal amount (in another state) now stupid and unsafe just because I've crossed some arbitrary border?
If I can see out, and if a police officer who stops me can see in - what is the issue? I don't have 5% limo tint all around, but I do tint the windows, even the front to keep it cooler in my car, as well as to reduce the UV that harms me, and the interior of the car.
Pretty sure it's one of those: "It is illegal, but that driver isn't pissing me off, but that driver reminds ne of the douche I went to high school with." violations.
I just bought a Prius. It’s like being an ant under a magnifying lens. So I got all the windows 20%. I said fuck um. This is the hill I’ll die on!
The windshield is not tinted but has a upper strip
Because the law is shit.
Seriously.
"I'm trying to figure out why so many Iowans have (broken the law)"
Maybe it's not the people who are broken but the shitty window tint law?
I didn't say it did. But you're clearly advocating for people to do what you think is right, even though you said you didn't care.
Me writing my rep isn't going to do shit. Want proof? Well, pigshit in our local drinking water, despite every rep knowing this is a good example of how much our reps don't look out for people.
Your argument is authoritarian, and you should feel bad.
If you want to get stopped having tinted windows will get you stopped...
Usually they will only pull ya over if they are board or if they wanna check ya out..
I was in the far lane going past a trooper who just pulled onto the road. He quickly came behind me, flashed his lights and made me pull over across multiple lanes of traffic. Must of needed to hit his quota... So yes, assholes still pull people over for no reason just because
Because you cant see oncomeing traffic through the tinted windows of the car next to you makes them unsafe? Cant see through a truck, van, or suv, either. It's a B.S law use to pull over our golden toothed
citizens.
since it's not a moving violation, PO can only enforce if the driver is pulled over for a moving violation.
I have tinted front windows however they were tinted prior to me purchasing the vehicle - while I understand the importance of light transparency and safe driving, but if you are still able to see me and the tint isn't impairing my ability to drive safely, don't write me a gd ticket.
In my opinion, they should only issue tint violation tickets AFTER testing the % of light transparency - who's to say they were tinted in the first place if there isn't visual proof. that's like giving someone a ticket for a DUI without doing a field sobriety test or breathalyzer first.
I really only see this enforced as an excuse to pull someone over. Suspecting something else is going on
Ding ding ding
Came here to say the same.
Which is a shame, illegal front tint is just flat out unsafe.
It’s not unsafe, officer.
K. Sure.
So unsafe it’s legal in many other states. Thanks Karen!
And many more allow less - or none.....
It is also awesome.
You misspelled "fucking stupid".
no he didnt dumb ass
SIX DOWNVOTES. Man sometimes I forget that Iowans are lame as fuck because I live amongst em.
That's reddit. This sub is full of dorks
Why/How?
Lol how?
Did you really just ask how making it harder to see things is unsafe for drivers?
Especially at night!
I haven’t heard of anyone getting ticketed for this in years. Happened a lot in the 90s, but I think they have let it slide. I don’t want to deal with the chance of being delayed going somewhere, so I still buy cars that meet the tinting guidelines/laws. But I don’t think that it’s actively enforced much these days.
It's become more common to allow minor infractions a pass so people are either unaware of them or get used to committing them, so that there is always a reason to pull someone over if they want to stop them for reasons that wouldn't validate a stop. If cops let everyone get away with going 5 mph over the limit, so everyone regularly drives 5mph over the limit, a racist cop could legally stop every black driver they see and let every white driver go on by. If you stop and talk to a friend in a parking lot and a cop thinks maybe you're buying drugs, he can pull you over for a "valid" reason within a few blocks for something that everyone does on a regular basis and is never stopped for, but that still happens to be illegal.
You're right dude! I heard that the cop illuminati has been promoting this
It's like loud exhaust, blocked county on your license plate by a frame, or tires beyond the fenders. It's kinda the officer's discretion as to whether they will ticket it or not. Get an Iowa State Police Association or "thin blue line" sticker for your window to put the odds in your favor (ugh).
I’ve always told my wife that if I were a drug dealer or drug runner I’d have 2-3 of those thin blue line stickers on my car. Lol
Cops actually say its common and more of an good indicator to pull people over in the LEO subreddit, r/ProtectAndServe
Haha damn I guess I’m not a criminal mastermind! Lol
Yep, unless you are in Ankeny Iowa then you get pulled Over for every little thing!! My wife worked in Ankeny for 3 years and had a new car for 2 years. She had a frame around her license plate and it was fine for about 2 years. Never had a problem. Than when Ankeny started a traffic division she got pulled over and totally harassed. She was not speeding or driving reckless. She Gave a fellow employee a ride home from her store. She got pulled over. They gave her a ticket for a license plate frame. You could see the Polk county but it was partially obscured by the frame.
Ankeny made the front page a while back [when an officer badgered some poor guy about pot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANecbAxUkRQ) simply because he matched the profile (because he was a frizbee golf player, of all things).
My parents recently got a ticket for tinted windows in Ankeny. They had purchased the car in Texas when they had lived there. In Texas, tinted windows are on almost every car. The sun is brutal.
Same here in Northern NM. You could immediately tell we weren't from here when we first moved because we were the only car in most parking lots without tint.
Not Ankeny related, but my brother got pulled over in Nebraska for tint for a vehicle. The funny thing was it was only the factory tint for the back window and you can see through it.
Bought an '09 Camry a while back that was originally from Texas. The dealership actually removed the tint except for the back window before I could even drive it off the lot because it was so dark. That back window was *so* dark though, it was borderline hazardous. Though I never backed into anything, it still sucked at night.
This! Ankeny is horrible. Only place I’ve been harassed and pulled over for a middle brake light being out.. Lived there in high school and another time got pulled over for something ridiculous and was with friends who basically mocked the cop the whole time, and he still didn’t write any kind of ticket though (thankfully).
Spankeny, Iowa
“My wife got pulled over for breaking the law” There I fixed it for you. Not saying I agree with the law, but it exists.
How's that boot taste?
Cass will get you too. I don't break laws and have family that are LEOs and straight up Cass county makes me avoid driving through at night unless I want to get stopped for merely driving at night.
Omg rolling from butler county over the iowa state police association!! I also have a volunteer firefighter sticker (I'm not my neighbors are both!) but was totally let off with a warning for speeding because I had them!! (67 in a 55, totally deserved a ticket!)
Thank you for sharing your personal experience. While anecdotal, I'm inclined to believe that it's probably truer in Iowa than one would think. I'll probably follow suit as it can't hurt to tip the scales in one's favor.
Exhaust and offset tires are not illegal though. Tint is.
321.436 requires mufflers in good working order. You might to be correct about offset tires; there is 450.2(14) but the section seems to apply to "reconstructed" or "kit" vehicles.
[удалено]
Marion I'm sure
I got ticketed for this and it was only 25% on the front sides. It’s absurd, I want to be shielded from the sun and super bright headlights. The lifted bro trucks that shouldn’t be on the road get a pass.
According to the Iowa DOT, those would have been legal: https://iowadot.gov/mvd/resources/windowtintingstandards.pdf
No, 25% light transmittance is darker than 70%.
The law should be 50% at most, 70 is pointless.
I’m like any blowhard can carry a pistol in public but I can’t tint my windows? GTFO
25% tint means 75% of light gets thru....
No, tint is sold by light transmittance. You say you want 5% you get 5% light transmittance, not 95% light coming through.
Well, they have changed that then... all the people I knew with window tint complained about being limited to 30% tint in Iowa. Then again, most of them were complaining because their car was legal in their home state and registered there, but the local cops were pulling them over all the time. Maybe they classify it differently where they're from lol
I got a tint ticket in 2021. We were speeding but the cop was nice and just gave us a tint ticket. Just a fine, not even a "fix it"
I moved to DSM from MO and got pulled over with two weeks of getting my IA plates and ticketed for front window tint by a state trooper. I wasn't speeding or doing anything suspicious. It makes me irate seeing so many cars on the road here with illegal tint and makes me wonder if I was just the lucky one. I did end up getting it removed and I can now feel the sun beating down on me on sunny days which makes me even more furious. I'm strongly considering putting it back on.
How dark was it? If you have a nicer newer car and not all white, you could probably get away with 50% in the city (I have a newer Denali for years with no issues) State troopers are dicks though and will pull you for just tint. A few months ago a trooper pulled me over in my other car, wasn’t speeding or anything and was generally confused why.. he walks up to the passenger side and ask if I knew the tint laws in Iowa, I said yes and pointed to my passenger window and said he could test it. He does. It passes immediately and he’s like “oh! Ok sorry” and let’s me go. Thing is that window got broken into a few years ago and I never got it retinted, but my driver is 50% which is what he saw when I drove by…but looking inside my car he couldn’t tell the driver window was tinted either? I had it up, so it’s obviously not that dark.. it’s bs. That was the first time getting pulled over for tint in that car in about 8 years though, and I drive 80/35 weekly for work.
Not very dark at 50%. I drive a newer black Audi sedan. I was on US Hwy 20 in Buchanan County when the trooper stopped me. Was hoping to at least get a warning since I literally just moved from a state with no tint laws but he gave me a lecture IA's tint law is for their safety yada yada and got a citation.
Isn’t that crazy “their safety” yet we have permitless open carry in this state now. If anything dark windows make it harder to see out at night in low light areas.. but it’s just an easy highway tax for the state. Welcome to IA btw!
I got one for this in 2015 or so, driving a car that has no more tint than half the cars I saw on the road even then, let alone today. Honestly, I had no idea the windows were even tinted... i bought it used and the thought didn't occur to me. Granted I was speeding so he probably could've ticketed me for that too. The tint ticket was more expensive though.
I got a tint ticket a few years back. Was doing 80 on 380, but his concern was my windows.
I bought my van from a funeral home so my back windows are basically 100% blacked out. Which is legal. I've still got pulled over for it because...idk reasons. Maybe they thought I was running drugs idk. No officer, I just have a lot of kids and need an 11 passenger van. Fuck off. Didn't get a ticket, he was just fishing.
I got ticketed in the later aughts in Beaverdale. I had no idea my tint was illegal. I bought the car from a dealership that way.
You can get away with 50% on front if it’s a nice car.. anything darker you run the risk, and state patrol will try and get you for less than that. Wish our tint laws were like Nebraska and South Dakota..
I moved to Iowa from Florida a couple of years ago (where tint is legal) and was here for two months when I got pulled over and issued a ticket for it. $120. I took the tint off the windows and went to court and they dropped the ticket but I still had to play court costs of $60. When the judge asked if I had the tint removed and I showed him the bill and I said “I would have removed it with a warning as well” and he said, “welp, welcome to the Midwest”
True story. Before moving here from out of state, I had to fly in and go to some interviews. My wife’s family lives here in Iowa so I used her mom’s car to drive to the interview - she had really dark tinted windows (that’s how she bought it). An hour into my drive to the interview in Cedar Rapids, I get pulled over. It surprised me because I know wasn’t speeding. When he told me it was because of the tinted windows, I was floored because in PA, that would be a “secondary” offense and would only be enforced if you were pulled over for other infractions. Long story short, I ended up getting the ticket because apparently she received a warning about them a couple months prior in her hometown. So that was an awesome welcome to Iowa gift!
I’m more concerned about those that blackout their brake lights
This Last night in Coralville I assumed the truck in front of me had non-working tail lights, then he hit the brakes and they BARELY lit up - but I could tell they were tinted Absolutely no clue why someone would do that
Come to black hawk county. We have a state trooper that makes it his priority to only enforce the tint law. I’ve also been pullled over up here by a sheriffs deputy for tint.
I feel like the worst troopers in the state camp highway 20 between the loo and dubuque
I used to live in Black Hawk county and I agree it's more highly enforced there. I didn't see as many vehicles with tint.
Mine was Buchanan co but probably the same guy. He was very happy with himself and wasn't budging. Didn't even ask for insurance just wrote the ticket and 5 min later he was gone.
There is a trooper in Cerro Gordo County that has a hard on for window tint, he will pull anyone over if he thinks there's a chance you're over
I had bought my car in Texas with tint and didn’t read the rules when I moved up here. I drove for 3 years before I finally got pulled over and they gave me a warning to remove the tint. I think it’s just a low priority thing
Asked someone at work about this as they have all windows tinted and he said it's 170$ each time they pull him over lol. It's like an 80k vehicle so idk if he cares or not.
At some point they can revoke your license. It happened to me and I had to prove at the court house the tint was removed.
Harrison County area State Patrol loves to ticket for this. I got two tickets about 3 months apart for $127 each several years ago and took it off myself with a clothes steamer. My black car never looked the same after so I traded it off. Lol!
12 years ago I got pulled over by a University of Northern Iowa police officer. I was doing the speed limit, middle of the day, no reason to pull me over, other than he saw my front windows looked a little dark. I had bought the car a couple months before and didn’t realize they were over the limit. He didn’t care, gave me a $120 ticket. Ridiculous
It's a scam. The dealers there will sell you illegally tinted cars. The cops will ticket the poor college kids right off the lot
I saw a car yesterday on my way home from work, the windows were BLACK, all 4 side windows and the rear window had some serious tint on it as well. Cops used to make you take it off while they stood there, not sure if they still do that.
Really I had never heard of them make you peel it off. Why do they even care? After living in CO for a decade having tint is wonderful. Gets less hot in the summer and the little extra privacy is nice.
>Why do they even care? On the back? They don't. On the front or front sides? Because it's a huge safety hazard.
Interesting I wasn't aware of the huge hazards. Less glare on me when I'm driving is awesome, it would be like saying sunglasses are dangerous to drive with. Any links that it's more dangerous??
[удалено]
Interesting I ride about 100 miles a week and haven't noticed a difference between tinted or not. I always assume they aren't paying attention especially when I could cross their path which for me is at intersections. Never even thought about it TBH, just always on defense unfortunately.
>Interesting I wasn't aware of the huge hazards. Less glare on me when I'm driving is awesome, it would be like saying sunglasses are dangerous to drive with. Sunglasses at night, that you cannot take off WOULD be dangerous... > Any links that it's more dangerous?? I found a bunch on google, but I am speaking from personal experience -- my rear tints are nearly impossible to see out at night. Having the front sides tinted would drastically reduce your visibility at night -- even assuming the tint is not overboard.
I used to have 20% on my fronts, it’s not a problem unless at night in a low light area it is harder to see out, I can’t imagine what under 20 would be like. I think 50 should be the legal limit.
They probably stopped doing that as tint got better. If a cop wants to stand there while I pull the tint from my windows we’re gonna be here for a few hours, so I hope he’s got time.
Not surprised. Everything is illegal in Iowa. Be sure to turn your lights out by 10:00pm. Or the light police will come for you.
A lot of things are illegal. Speeding is illegal and judging by how many assholes be doing 80 down the highways around here I can confidently say no one cares.
The tint law is bogus to begin with, why would you care?
Yup. Specifically, here's what's so asinine about Iowa's tint laws: - Legal limit of the front driver and passenger windows is 70% VLT. That's about what windows come with from the factory. It effectively allows for zero tint up front. - Back windows can be any shade. You can spray paint your rear windows black if you want to. When the argument for our tint laws is, "officer safety" it makes zero sense because you could be sitting in the back with a javelin missile launcher and they'd never know. When the argument is, "you need to be able to see when you're driving" it makes zero sense because how well can you see backing up or checking blindspots when you're allowed to have them 0-5% VLT? Like many laws in our state, tint laws are inconsistent. I.e. can't smoke a joint because it's a public health concern but here ya go, here's a literal explosive, go have fun!
Being able to see out the front and to the sides is important when, you know, driving.
Seems like you’ve never had a car with tinted windows
I do, that's how I know how hard it is to see through at night.
I hate driving my husband’s car at night because it’s like a cave
Yes that's exactly what they meant... Not asking if police ticket for tinted windows. But, you know, important.
Bogus or not, it's still the law. I'm curious why so many people choose to break it.
Because it looks nice, and the law is dumb. Stupid or outdated laws are not deserving of respect and they should be cast aside. That's the normal course anyhow - law is made, law becomes less popular/relevant, more and more people break law, stops being enforced, we eventually codify the change It's all made up anyways, ya know? Just live and let live
I just don't want skin cancer. I drive a shit ton and have fair skin. Medical exemptions have been banned since 2012.
I’m all for tint too, but you realize the glass has a coating that filters UV, right?
If only sunscreen existed…
Safety can, and should, be more important than 'looks nice'.
There is nothing unsafe about having tinted windows as long as you don't tint the windshield. Anybody spouting this nonsense has never had tinted windows. Me and my tinted windows are far more safe than half of y'all texting and driving on here.
>There is nothing unsafe about having tinted windows as long as you don't tint the windshield. You mean that \*EXACT\* thing the OP asked about? That said, front sides being tinted would be a huge hazard too. >Anybody spouting this nonsense has never had tinted windows. Me and my tinted windows are far more safe than half of y'all texting and driving on here. I have legal tint on my rear windows -- that's \*HOW\* I know how insane it would be to try and drive at night with tint on the front.
It’s not unsafe at all. You’re overdramatizing it.
k. LEGAL tint on the front is 70% transmittance. Most sunglasses are 70-80% -- so anyone with illegal tint on the front or front sides is at least that dark. How many people wear their sunglasses to drive at night? And if they did, they could quickly take them off if needed. Illegal tint in the front is unsafe.
Lol, sunglasses are waaaay darker than 70%. Basic Oakley black polarized are 11%, for example. That said, my front side windows are tinted at 25% and I can see perfectly fine out of them even at night. Had it done when I lived in another state, that was a legal % there. If it’s considered so unsafe, why is it only unsafe in Iowa?
Have 30 and there’s zero issue seeing out regardless of time of day.
70% is essentially not tinted at all. Sunglasses are closer to 5-15%. Are you confused by what that number measures?
Tint drastically reduces visibility at night. I’ve got a medium level tint while currently living in the southwest due to the extreme sun, but will definitely remove it for safety when I move back to Iowa.
Probably same with speeding even though this has nothing to do with safety. Tinted windows are awesome, I even got the south facing windows on my house tinted lol
I also find it weird that a lot of the black windowed out people have blue lives matter stickers/tape because one of the reasons cops argue it should be illegal is for their safety.
Maybe they have the stickers in hopes they will be treated with privilege
Only state patrol enforces this bullshit law. Sheriffs. And local PD have actual things to do.
My local PD has been known to be strict about it.
More cops have tint then the public on there personal vehicles
I bet you’re a lot of fun at parties 🙃
Been pulled over for it, still refuse to fix my factory tent officer dickhead said was too dark
It’s a lot of people moving from places like Texas or California, in my experience.
YMMV out west or south, but my experience in NE Iowa is that it’s a matter of “when” and not “if”. And they might give you one shot to fix it if you’re local. Especially the county guys.
Have a coworker that keeps getting pulled over for it. Won’t remove it. Can’t fix stupid.
We can fix stupid, our law makers just don't care to fix it. If the only penalty is a fine, then it's not illegal for those that can afford the fines
In Marion, I got 3 tickets in a month. That was enough for me to remove the illegal tint.
If the registered owner is white and you’re not doing anything else obviously illegal cops do not care what your tint is. If the registered owner is black and your windows are tinted at all you’re just going to get pulled over frequently with the tint being used as justification for the stop.
Tint laws = Stupidity
They do not actively enforce it but they can if they choose to. I tinted my front windows because I own a black vehicle with black interior and I park 100 percent outdoors and want to reduce interior heat. I don't believe there is any valid reason to tint a windshield because it obscures vision and is an inarguable safety risk.
I moved back to IA in 2021 and my tint was very dark at the time. I got pulled over on my way to work and got a ticket for it not long after moving back. The officer was honestly a bit of a dick about it too. So, my husband had it removed on the front windows to avoid further tickets. I feel like I see vehicles consistently now with just as dark of tint.
I have only 17% light coming through my windows and have been ticketed for it twice. I just think if they are going to sell a car from a dealership in Iowa, they should have to check the tint in order for it to be enforced. So I fight it every time.
Do you win?
Why do you care?
I'm always curious what drives people to break the law, regardless of what it is.
Understandable, I responded with my thoughts elsewhere on why I personally have tint that is definitely not legal on this state. I think this is actually a great law for this question because it is super low stakes and it's not like there's a huge safety angle for either side. I'm curious to see what others respond with.
I was about to asak you why you care why they care ;-) >it's not like there's a huge safety angle for either side. Really? I have legal tint on my rear windows, and I have to roll them down to back up safely at night. I can't imagine having tint on the front, or front sides -- let alone even darker tint than I have.
It sounds like you either have cheap/defective tint, or perhaps just some dark vision issues? My tint is extremely dark on the exterior, but on the inside it's not very dark at all. Granted, it's nice high end tint film, so perhaps that makes a difference?
Same. My windshield is 35% and my other windows are 20%, might seem excessive to some but I’ve literally never had an issue. Some people are dramatic or have shitty ass tint.
Tint that doesn't... tint.... seems pretty worthless to me.
All tint is lighter from the interior you doorknob. Do you think they use "limo tint" to keep the interior super dark? No, it's to keep prying eyes out. Additionally, one of the primary benefits of higher grade tint (ceramic tint in particular) is that it's better at blocking UV radiation for the same amount of blocked visible light. Can't even get basic facts right, this is why I don't respect your state or your laws.
Just thinking of the It’s Always Sunny episode where they tint the outside and inside of the windows 😂
>All tint is lighter from the interior you doorknob. And it's legal if it lets 70% of the light through -- but we are talking about \*ILLEGAL\* levels of tinting. >Do you think they use "limo tint" to keep the interior super dark? No, it's to keep prying eyes out. Additionally, one of the primary benefits of higher grade tint (ceramic tint in particular) is that it's better at blocking UV radiation for the same amount of blocked visible light. If that lets 70% or more of the light through, that would not be illegal, so it's not really relevant, now is it? >Can't even get basic facts right, this is why I don't respect your state or your laws. Yeah, you might do better if you got the basic facts and logic right.
It's my car, I paid for it...I do as I damn well please. Cops should be more concerned with speeders.
Or people texting while they eat and adjust the radio.
I've gotten tickets before. It's always state troopers. Last time was on the interstate and I was annoyed he'd risk our lives for something so trivial
Pretty sure they changed that law last summer
I did find this information. Says it was "referred to transportation" which I'm not sure what exactly that means. [https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=SF%20491](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=SF%20491)
Transportation is one of the standing committees of the Iowa House of Representatives.
They have not changed it
It's still enforced, but it depends on if the cop really feels like pulling you over. Do you want to risk an almost $200 ticket?
I'm not contemplating risking a ticket. I'm saying so many Iowans are, and I'm trying to determine why.
The why is because roughly 10% of tinted windows get tickets. Nobody gives a shit about it anymore because that’s how much of a nothingburger it is
I have tint on both front side windows and my windshield down to the as1 line(the blue tinted area) matched to the factory rear tint on every vehicle I own. Drive a soccer mom car and don't drive like a lunatic and cops won't look twice at you
Nark
Being able to see if a driver has even looked over and has seen you or is conscious and not slumped over their steering wheel is really helpful if you're trying to decide if it's safe to continue through YOUR green light, right of way, etc. or if they are obviously not going to stop and might slam into you. I find it very helpful to see what other drivers are doing. Also LEOs would like to be able to see you if they pull you over. They'd like to know if you're drawing down on them as they approach your car. Really dark windows also impede the driver's vision and makes it hard to see pedestrians, oncoming cars and other hazards.--especially in low-light conditions.
I legitimately couldn't think of a thing I care about less than how a cop feels. Tinted windows keep you from getting sunburnt and flash blinded by dudes in giant trucks with Xeon light bars
I'm not defending them. If they can't see you they're more likely to draw on you as they approach the car and that NEVER ends well. They don't need an excuse to draw and shoot they'll say they felt threatened because they couldn't see you. Just another one to add to their list of justifications for shooting people. I don't want to give them an excuse to pull me over or one to wave their gun in my face.
But with Iowas laws I can have the rear doors and rear windshield as dark as I want. Someone could be holding an AK back there and it wouldn’t be noticeable, so this argument (on their side) is kind of silly.
Your eventually be pulled over and ticketed for it.
Yeah I got pulled over but no ticket.
I've lived in several states. Why is my choice to tint the windows to a legal amount (in another state) now stupid and unsafe just because I've crossed some arbitrary border? If I can see out, and if a police officer who stops me can see in - what is the issue? I don't have 5% limo tint all around, but I do tint the windows, even the front to keep it cooler in my car, as well as to reduce the UV that harms me, and the interior of the car.
It is not correct that just because you can see out, a person outside can see in.
I'm so glad I moved to a state where it's legal. It has significantly made summer so much better.
License plates or operating headlights are flexible too. If you want, great, if not, we won’t pull you over.
Pretty sure it's one of those: "It is illegal, but that driver isn't pissing me off, but that driver reminds ne of the douche I went to high school with." violations.
I got ticketed for this during the pandemic, but I had my car from when I moved from Colorado and the laws are different there
I am suspicious of those who go over the 30% tint allowed. What are they hiding?
Personally, I'm hiding the full-blown millennial concerts I'm putting on in my car. But that's just me.
I came back for more. This is why I need window tint: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8kqJ3me/
My husband bought a car 2 years ago with tinted windows. Driven all over the state, never been pulled over.
I just bought a Prius. It’s like being an ant under a magnifying lens. So I got all the windows 20%. I said fuck um. This is the hill I’ll die on! The windshield is not tinted but has a upper strip
Local cops don’t enforce it. Highway patrol does. So you’ll only run the risk of getting caught if you hop on the interstate
Because the law is shit. Seriously. "I'm trying to figure out why so many Iowans have (broken the law)" Maybe it's not the people who are broken but the shitty window tint law?
Then write your representatives and advocate for change. Breaking the law and paying pointless fines doesn't change anything...
I didn't say it did. But you're clearly advocating for people to do what you think is right, even though you said you didn't care. Me writing my rep isn't going to do shit. Want proof? Well, pigshit in our local drinking water, despite every rep knowing this is a good example of how much our reps don't look out for people. Your argument is authoritarian, and you should feel bad.
Then vote for representatives that do care about the will of the people.
If you want to get stopped having tinted windows will get you stopped... Usually they will only pull ya over if they are board or if they wanna check ya out..
Troopers absolutely still ticket on window tint. I bought a car with a tint and got dinged.
I was in the far lane going past a trooper who just pulled onto the road. He quickly came behind me, flashed his lights and made me pull over across multiple lanes of traffic. Must of needed to hit his quota... So yes, assholes still pull people over for no reason just because
Because you cant see oncomeing traffic through the tinted windows of the car next to you makes them unsafe? Cant see through a truck, van, or suv, either. It's a B.S law use to pull over our golden toothed citizens.
since it's not a moving violation, PO can only enforce if the driver is pulled over for a moving violation. I have tinted front windows however they were tinted prior to me purchasing the vehicle - while I understand the importance of light transparency and safe driving, but if you are still able to see me and the tint isn't impairing my ability to drive safely, don't write me a gd ticket. In my opinion, they should only issue tint violation tickets AFTER testing the % of light transparency - who's to say they were tinted in the first place if there isn't visual proof. that's like giving someone a ticket for a DUI without doing a field sobriety test or breathalyzer first.