Window Tint & traveling across country via I-40 and back via I-10.

[AL-Tess]

I am planning a road trip this summer to take my dad who lives in California, back to see the relatives back on the East Coast. We are heading out via I-40 and back through I-10.
Coast to Coast so to say.

I am going to get window tinting on my new 24 Lariat soon and as soon as I mentioned ”TINTED” and “Road Trip” at my dad’s local coffee shop.…
… cue all ”The Barracks Lawyers” adding their 2 cents.

One good ol’ boy said the Highway Patrol will write you a ticket even if it is out of state in Arkansas, another gentleman told a tale of removing his tint in frustration just so he could get through Texas cause the cops couldn’t leave him alone…
Surely this is just “Good Ol’ Boys” being “Good Ol’ Boys” and all. Right?

Do I smile politely, enjoy the stories and just tint to the legal limits of my state?
OR
Do I check the window tints of EVERY STATE I am planning on traveling through and go with the strictest tints? Just to CYA?

The Maverick is registered in California.

Just curious if any of your out of state friends/relatives with darker tints visiting your state have run up against this?

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[AF Blue]

Usually tint alone doesn't get you stopped - but it is an excuse.
It's a per location/per LEO thing. Always be polite ... can't hurt.

I have driven back and forth with other vehicles having 20% tint and not once was i stopped for it.
Matter of fact i have received speeding tickets in CA when i was young and never did they hassle me about my tint. They sure could have.

You could always just wait to tint it after your trip if you are really that worried about it.
Also ... legal in one state does not equate to legal in another.

 

[Mr Pibb]

Up to you, the level of tint is probably a factor. Like Limo tint would probably draw more attention.

 

[Ryom]

You could try asking your doctor or optometrist to write you a medical excuse for tint. Bright light sensitive eyes, UV sensitive skin that burns easily, thyroid problems causing heat regulation issues, etc. Worst they can say is no. In PA you need to submit the excuse to the DoT and get a waiver, but it might be enough on its own for other states if you're just passing through.

 

[dhaskit]

My opinion;
Go ahead and get your windows tinted. Don’t sweat the small stuff like this.

Be more concerned about things like potholes the size of Volkswagons, big bumps and traffic choked down to one lane for miles and miles through Louisiana, which you won’t enjoy driving on (I-10). Unfortunately, it's the straightest shot for you.
If you are on the interstates and are sporting an out of state tag, you probably won’t be picked on anymore than a local. On the other hand, if you have a Cali tag on, are rolling around a backwater town with loud tub thumping music playing and a Cop stops you, make sure you don’t have a cloud of weed smoke coming out of your rig when you roll the windows down, looking like a Cheech & Chong movie scene. That will get you way more than a tint ticket.

Just use your head and you will be fine, my friend.

 

[A.Bursell]

You're not going to get a ticket for window tint in another state, any more than you would for driving through a 2-plate state when you are registered in a 1-plate state.

Unfounded worries.

 

[Automan21]

Tint your windows and don’t drive like a jerk and you will be fine. Some of the states your driving through get very hot and bright so they don’t really care about tint like that. Just don’t give em a reason to pull u over. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

 

[RideSolo]

I have a close relative who is a very high ranking officer in the highway patrol. We've talked about this kind of stuff a lot lately and he's told me that, especially nowadays, secondary offenses are not a cause to pull over someone. Yeah, they CAN, but usually have too much to do watching out for those who are true safety hazards. Most likely if you are spending the majority of your time on the Interstates, not driving stupid or in a way that's questionable, not impaired, or otherwise not drawing attention to yourself, you'll be fine. Around the Interstates There are always lots of out of state plates so just being an "out of stater" isn't going to make you a big magnet but being unsafe will. The other thing going in your favor is that, even w/ tinted windows, your "trucklett" will hardly look like the typical "pimpmobile." Have a great time!

 

[AL-Tess]

My opinion;
Go ahead and get your windows tinted. Don’t sweat the small stuff like this.

Be more concerned about things like potholes the size of Volkswagons, big bumps and traffic choked down to one lane for miles and miles through Louisiana, which you won’t enjoy driving on (I-10). Unfortunately, it's the straightest shot for you.
If you are on the interstates and are sporting an out of state tag, you probably won’t be picked on anymore than a local. On the other hand, if you have a Cali tag on, are rolling around a backwater town with loud tub thumping music playing and a Cop stops you, make sure you don’t have a cloud of weed smoke coming out of your rig when you roll the windows down, looking like a Cheech & Chong movie scene. That will get you way more than a tint ticket.

Just use your head and you will be fine, my friend.

I love my relatives but some of the roads in their little towns in the southeast …YIKES!
Rim busters!
I look more like Betty White than Snoop Dawg and the only thing that might ever be blasted out of my truck is Johnny, Kris, Waylon, Willie and maybe Tom Petty.
So hopefully I’ll be good. This summer.

 

[AL-Tess]

I have a close relative who is a very high ranking officer in the highway patrol. We've talked about this kind of stuff a lot lately and he's told me that, especially nowadays, secondary offenses are not a cause to pull over someone. Yeah, they CAN, but usually have too much to do watching out for those who are true safety hazards. Most likely if you are spending the majority of your time on the Interstates, not driving stupid or in a way that's questionable, not impaired, or otherwise not drawing attention to yourself, you'll be fine. Around the Interstates There are always lots of out of state plates so just being an "out of stater" isn't going to make you a big magnet but being unsafe will. The other thing going in your favor is that, even w/ tinted windows, your "trucklett" will hardly look like the typical "pimpmobile." Have a great time!

I come from a family of truckers .
I run and always have with the Big Rigs, If they pull off and wait out the weather, I pull off to the next truck stop And wait . They slow down, so do I.

They are my guardian angels on the road and are the best!

 

[AL-Tess]

You could try asking your doctor or optometrist to write you a medical excuse for tint. Bright light sensitive eyes, UV sensitive skin that burns easily, thyroid problems causing heat regulation issues, etc. Worst they can say is no. In PA you need to submit the excuse to the DoT and get a waiver, but it might be enough on its own for other states if you're just passing through.

I have amazing vision (for my age) but I will definitely be passing on this info to one of the ladies in my dad’s RV group. She has light sensitivity And this will help her!
Thanks for the info!

 

[TNcoupe]

Get the windows tinted and as you're driving I-40 across remember, Tennessee sucks, you never want to live here, we are full. Thanks

 

[Carlitos_92]

Generally LEOs in other states should not stop you for something like that if you're running plates from your home state. Especially something as semi-permanent as window tint. You will merely be an interstate traveler, and I assume you'll be able to prove CA residence, even if you did come across a cop having a bad day.

Vehicle contents are a different matter, and you probably know better than to transport cannabis, firearms, alcohol, or a radar detector from state-to-state. "Well it's legal in my home state" won't be an excuse for things like that.

And I agree about truckers - I do a lot of freeway driving, and I tend to (mostly) go with their flow and pay attention to what the people who drive for a living are doing. Sounds like you are in for a great trip.

 

[Starfightr]

I am planning a road trip this summer to take my dad who lives in California, back to see the relatives back on the East Coast. We are heading out via I-40 and back through I-10.
Coast to Coast so to say.

I am going to get window tinting on my new 24 Lariat soon and as soon as I mentioned ”TINTED” and “Road Trip” at my dad’s local coffee shop.…
… cue all ”The Barracks Lawyers” adding their 2 cents.

One good ol’ boy said the Highway Patrol will write you a ticket even if it is out of state in Arkansas, another gentleman told a tale of removing his tint in frustration just so he could get through Texas cause the cops couldn’t leave him alone…
Surely this is just “Good Ol’ Boys” being “Good Ol’ Boys” and all. Right?

Do I smile politely, enjoy the stories and just tint to the legal limits of my state?
OR
Do I check the window tints of EVERY STATE I am planning on traveling through and go with the strictest tints? Just to CYA?

The Maverick is registered in California.

Just curious if any of your out of state friends/relatives with darker tints visiting your state have run up against this?

I’m in Texas…originally from iowa….. didn’t really need tinting there… but got my mav tinted to legal limits here ceramic…. Sunroof too. Really helped in this heat! I was in the military and traveled quite a bit. I found show proof your in legal limits of ur state. Ur traveling, be polite & respectful. Should be just fine if stopped roll ur window down before the cop gets up there be polite. But sometimes there just assholes in life, and you run across them.

but if it’s so dark ya can’t see inside car.. ur kinda asking for it!

 

[dhaskit]

Get the windows tinted and as you're driving I-40 across remember, Tennessee sucks, you never want to live here, we are full. Thanks

TNcoupe,
Here in Central Texas we are putting signs out along the highway that say:
“Hey California. You should see Tennessee! It’s way better and we are already full in Texas.”

Central Texas is and has been a huge growth area for the past 10+ years.
I’m actually thinking about moving to your part of TN myself where property taxes and almost everything else are less expensive.

[non-thread drift statement; Yes, get your windows tinted]

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