Martimus

He's an example of a state with confusing license plate laws, Arizona. Here we have some plates that require front license plates and other plate styles that don't. And we have about 35 different license plate styles to choose from.

TN615

I lived in Florida for 3-years, I had 5% on my Corvette and never had a problem.
I was even detained for other reasons, the tint never came up.
I have 20% on my 05 and the state limit here in Tennessee is 35%.
Still no problems.
Even with 20% you can still kind of see in at the right angle.

I am now knocking on wood.

If you ever get pulled over, drop all windows, and turn on your interior lights, then put both hands on the wheel.

Law Enforcement will notice the effort, I promise.

am1scott

Very true. Law enforcement types hate surprises, especially on traffic stops. Courtesy and consideration go a long way in many cases.
Oh and in TX the law for tint is 35% on the driver and pass windows on 87 and newer vehicles(?) no limit on rear seat and back windows or on 86 and older vehicles (?again) Texas has a front plate law on all vehicles and while I can see the benefits to a peace officer, I think the negatives outweigh the positives.

2005muzzy

Do you think this gagit would be too bulky if ya bolt it to the car. I would think you would need one of these that retracts forwards then flips up, since the opening on the bottom of the stang is too small

am1scott

Oh, like they say, "where there's a will, there's a way". I'm pretty sure I could (and probably will) come up with a way to do it and make it look good. Oh wait, I have to get the 'stang first.

kevinv-6

yeah and its funny cause most companies will still install the "illegal" tint. after they explain the tint ticket fine and that they wont offer a warranty on it.

kevinv-6

Florida has a different license plate for every charity, college, sports team, armed service, etc. more than 50 I'm sure

Conundrum

It did influence my decision to move to PA instead of NJ.

upstate

I write the laws for New York and don't know why we need a front plate. I think I'll have research look into it and perhaps introduce legislation to eliminate the front plate. I will ask the superitendant of the NYSP to give his thoughts.

CA Stang

I received a $25 ticket on my '05 for not having a front license plate. I wasn't pulled over, rather my car was given a ticket while parked at a metered spot on the street. So, now I have the front license plate on my car that I had been avoiding putting on.

outdoorstom

WHen you're detained for robbing banks, of course they'll overlook the tint!

mach1fever

well in florida you can have limo tint in the back windows... I have 15% on mine and an inch below the as-1 line... and haven't had any problems with any of my cars (knock on wood) ... As long as you don't do anything stupid they won't screw with you... Thanks god orange county doesn't require front plates or emissions testing lol.

Roger

hadanew65wanta05

Bill, I believe the Superintendant of the NYSP ( whoever he was at that time ) is the one that shot down a proposal a number of years ago, to no longer require a front plate, because having one supposedly assists police in investigations. . I'm not sure how that helps, because here in N.Y., only one dealer plate or transporter plate is issued per registration. Also, N.Y. only issued one plate back in the 50's. Don't know when or why they went to two plates. :notnice:

mustp51

Here's a kinda interesting true story involving tint of a couple of types.

I'm in Fla as well. I have 10% all the way around on my '95 and only had one issue with the cops about it. I was in a school zone, about 8:15am, where they love to hang out with their laser guns, it's amazing how many moms in mini vans and suvs haul butt through there
Well anyway, an officer had traffic stopped to let a car out that he had just finished writing up and I was the first car in line and when that other car pulled away the officer was standing on the shoulder looking staight at me. I start to go and he points his finger at me then to the lot they were using as their stanging area. So I pull in, saying to myself "what is this about, couldn't be speeding, I was stopped"

I roll the window down and hold the wheel with both hands as he walks up and asks for my info. As I give it to him, I asked "what did I do, I know I wasn't speeding". After he looks at my DL and papers, he says he needs to talk to me about my headlight covers. He walked around to the back of the car and looked it over and came back. Then he says that my smoked headlight covers are illegal and he was going to have to write me a warning for them. Said he was glad I didn't have the smoked covers on the back as well or it might have been a ticket instead of a warning :shock:. I asked him about all the other cars running with them, and he said "they will get pulled sooner or later for it".

I asked if I could just take them off right here, takes all of 30 seconds. No he says, you should of done that before you drove on my road
He comes back with my warning to sign and hits me with one last comment;
"and your lucky I don't have my Translight Meter with me, your tint is too dark, but I can't prove it". Whew, WTF did you have for breakfast?

Went the next day to the Sherrif's annex with my covers off for them to signoff on and that officer didn't say a word about my tint (had both windows down though). But it's true probably 20+% of the cars around here have illegal tint and a lot of cars, mostly trucks though, have the smoked headlight covers. I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time

V10

The front plate serves a lot of purposes:

1. It's a great reflector for laser speed guns.

2. It's helps identify you for photo radar speeding tickets.

3. Same as #2 for toll booth cameras.

4. It let's red light cameras take a front picture to get both the driver's face and a licence plate in the same shot.

5. Not having a front plate gives the cops an excuse to pull you over and at the best write up a ticket which generates revenue and at the worst find something else to fine you for.

AJC

really?! I thought WA required a front plate- :nono:

see

http://www.dol.wa.gov/vs/tr-backtabs.htm

In 2002 vehicle owners renewing their license tabs began to receive only one tab for the back license plate. However, front plates are still required on your vehicle.

Question:
Can I throw away or remove my front license plate?

Answer:
No. Front license plates are still required on all motor vehicles (except motorcycles and mopeds).

mach1fever

Where abouts in FL are you from... Everyone here in orlando has tint... I think 20% is legal... About a year or two ago they had a big crackdown on headlight covers lol... Guess they finally got around to you lol....

mustp51

Tampa, and this happened about a year ago! Coincidence?
Looks like it's 28% max for Fla. I have 10% all around. I had no problems before that incident, and have had none since

After the warning, I basically knew the covers and tint were illegal already, I did some looking into the Fla statutes regarding his comments about the tint and covers, this is what I found. This info is from the Fla statutes and constitution page.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index....0316/ch0316.htm

For anyone who is interested, I'm sure you can lookup the same info for your own states statutes.
I just cut the important parts out for here, there is more info on the site.
Remember, these are Florida laws. I'm sure they are different in every state.


316.220 Headlamps on motor vehicles.--

(1) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with at least two headlamps with at least one on each side of the front of the motor vehicle, which headlamps shall comply with the requirements and limitations set forth in this chapter, and shall show a white light. An object, material, or covering that alters the headlamp's light color may not be placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied over a headlamp.
------

316.221 Taillamps.--

(1) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a combination of vehicles, shall be equipped with at least two taillamps mounted on the rear, which, when lighted as required in s. 316.217, shall emit a red light plainly visible from a distance of 1,000 feet to the rear, except that passenger cars and pickup trucks manufactured or assembled prior to January 1, 1972, which were originally equipped with only one taillamp shall have at least one taillamp. On a combination of vehicles, only the taillamps on the rearmost vehicle need actually be seen from the distance specified. On vehicles equipped with more than one taillamp, the lamps shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable. An object, material, or covering that alters the taillamp's visibility from 1,000 feet may not be placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied over a taillamp.
------

316.2951 Motor vehicle windows; definitions.--Whenever used in ss. 316.2951-316.2957, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms have the following meanings:

(3) "Reflectance" means the ratio of the amount of total light, expressed in a percentage, which is reflected outward by the product or material to the amount of total light falling on the product or material.

(4) "Sunscreening material" means a product or material, including film, glazing, and perforated sunscreening, which, when applied to the windshield or windows of a motor vehicle, reduces the effects of the sun with respect to light reflectance or transmittance.

(5) "Transmittance" means the ratio of the amount of total light, expressed in a percentage, which is allowed to pass through the product or material, including glazing, to the amount of total light falling on the product or material and the glazing.

------

316.2952 Windshields; requirements; restrictions.--

(2) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street with any sign, sunscreening material, product, or covering attached to, or located in or upon, the windshield, except the following:

(a) A certificate or other paper required to be displayed by law.

() Sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield, so long as such material is transparent and does not encroach upon the driver's direct forward viewing area as more particularly described and defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 205 as the AS/1 portion of the windshield.
-----

316.2953 Side windows; restrictions on sunscreening material.--A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street on which vehicle the side wings and side windows on either side forward of or adjacent to the operator's seat are composed of, covered by, or treated with any sunscreening material or other product or covering which has the effect of making the window nontransparent or which would alter the window's color, increase its reflectivity, or reduce its light transmittance, except as expressly permitted by this section. A sunscreening material is authorized for such windows if, when applied to and tested on the glass of such windows on the specific motor vehicle, the material has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than 25 percent as measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at least 28 percent in the visible light range. A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.
-----

316.2954 Windows behind the driver; restrictions on sunscreening material.--

(1) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street on which vehicle any windows behind the driver are composed of, covered by, or treated with any sunscreening material, or other product or material which has the effect of making the window nontransparent or which would alter the window's color, increase its reflectivity, or reduce its light transmittance, except as specified below:

(a) Sunscreening material consisting of film which, when applied to and tested on the rear window glass of the specific motor vehicle, has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than 35 percent as measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at least 15 percent in the visible light range; however, sunscreening material which, when applied to and tested on the rear window glass of the specific motor vehicle, has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than 35 percent as measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at least 6 percent in the visible light range may be used on multipurpose passenger vehicles.

() Perforated sunscreening material which, when tested in conjunction with existing glazing or film material, has a total reflectance of visible light of not more than 35 percent and a light transmittance of no less than 30 percent. For those products or materials having different levels of reflectance, the highest reflectance from the product or material will be measured by dividing the area into 16 equal sections and averaging the overall reflectance. The measured reflectance of any of those sections may not exceed 50 percent.

© Louvered materials, if the installation of the materials does not reduce driver visibility by more than 50 percent.

(2) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway, road, or street, on which vehicle the rear window is composed of, covered by, or treated with any material which has the effect of making the window nontransparent, unless the vehicle is equipped with side mirrors on both sides that meet the requirements of s. 316.294.

(3) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.
-----

316.2956 Violation of provisions relating to windshields, windows, and sunscreening material; penalties.--

(1) Any person who operates a motor vehicle on which, after June 20, 1984, material was installed in violation of ss. 316.2951-316.2954 commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.

(2) The replacement or repair of any material legally installed is not a violation of ss. 316.2951-316.2954.

(3) Any person who sells or installs sunscreening material in violation of any provision of ss. 316.2951-316.2955 is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

Does this mean that every auto store I go into that sells the 2.5%, 5%, 10%, etc window film is guilty, installers most definitly if they do the dark

mach1fever

LOL either way I am not legal lol

Samurai

6. If I am heading to a crime and the suspect is leaving in a vehicle and we have a full or partial plate I am more likely to be passing him/her as she is heading the opposite direction, as they leave the scene. I use the front plate for ID'ing stolen cars too...especially at stop lights when we are head to head.

The troopers mainly use it as a reflective target for laser...but since we don't do much self initiated traffic enforcement in our department I have yet to use it as a target (I have yet to write a speeding ticket in over 2 years). Also I have never wrote window tint or front plate tickets, seems petty in our city.

Also I don't go around going "Hmmm, how can I make the city some money"...once again petty.

Take care,

James