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Is Your Automotive Window Film Street Legal?


tinted car window

The International Window Film Association Offers Health and Safety Tips For Vehicles With Window Film

WASHINGTON -- April 22, 2015: The International Window Film Association (IWFA) recommends being familiar with local laws that govern vehicle window films or ‘tint’, before it is installed. Window films installed on cars and trucks offer multiple benefits, such as protection from harmful Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, to glare reduction and cooler interior temperatures.

“Any quality window film, whether it’s clear or has a tint, will block up to 99 percent of UVA rays”

On their website, the nonprofit organization offers a free guide that helps explain state allowable limits for the shade level of window films and cautions against ignoring the rules.

“As we get into warmer weather and vehicle owners want to reduce the impact of the sun by having window film installed, it is important to stay within the law to avoid legal issues,” said Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA. Factory installed vehicle side and rear window glass may not prevent the sun’s harmful rays from coming into the vehicle. “Any quality window film, whether it’s clear or has a tint, will block up to 99 percent of UVA rays,” he added.

Most laws on vehicle window tinting are concerned with the levels of "light transmittance" and "luminous reflectance" the safety glass allows. In other words, states regulate how much light penetrates the glass and how much visibility the glass allows. If the windows on a vehicle are darkened to such a degree that light transmittance is below what is allowed, then the owner may be issued a citation.

Window films offer a number of benefits including reduced fading and cracking of upholstery, better air conditioning efficiency and improved vision and safety. In an accident, window film may help hold shattered window glass in windows in place rather than projecting all those small glass particles into the car, potentially inflicting lacerations and eye injuries.