Welcome Pennsylvania State and Local Police Officers

Thanks for visiting. If you're here you must be curious about the window tint laws in Pennsylvania.

We're provided quick links to all the actual laws and other documentation about this confusing issue to allow you to make intelligent choices if someone in your department shows you a memo that says that tint under 70% is illegal, gives you a meter, and asks you to take time from your sworn duties to enforce this silly rule.

Here you can read the applicable Statute, the PA CODE, and the FMVSS205. We hope you will point this information out to others and discuss the issues with those who try to misinform you that any tinting below 70% is prohibited.

You will see that, as long as window tint is 'permitted by FMVSS205', it is not prohibited by either the PA STATUTE or the PA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 67 - CHAPTER 175.67 (d)(4)

Certainly there is ILLEGAL TINT - Please stop and cite these vehicles when you see them!

However, there is also LEGAL TINT.

Here's a quick reference chart that shows the various laws regulating tint in PA.

We're confident that you can decide whether to protect and enforce the rule of Statutes, Laws, Federal Safety Standards, and State Inspection Regulations, or Safety Bulletins, Newspaper Articles, and misinformed instructors.

YES

These are the LAWs that say such tinting is legal.

 NO

These are the apparent 'authorities' cited by some PA Police that tint less than 70% is illegal.

TITLE 75 of PA STATUTES - 4524 (e)(1) - This is the LAW passed by our legislators and it does NOT prohibit tint unless it "does not permit a person to see or view the inside of the vehicle through the windshield, side wing or side window of the vehicle." SAFETY BULLETIN - This was sent to Inspection Stations years ago. It has lots of capital letters and asterisks and makes safety recommendations.
PA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 67 - CHAPTER 175.67 (d)(4) - These rules and regulations were written to clarify the laws. The PA Code only prohibits tint "unless otherwise permitted by FMVSS No. 205." OCT 1996 - Another SAFETY BULLETIN for Inspections Stations to share with their customers. It includes a new TABLE X.
A Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, FMVSS No. 205 clearly permits tint below 70%. Read it! After all, most States require conformance with FMVSS205, but still permit tinting as low as 25%. The neat New TABLE X included with the above Safety Bulletin. Don't get it confused with the original Table X that is part of the Inspection Requirements.
In either case The PA CODE (see d 4) specifically excludes any tint "permitted by FMVSS No. 205" from the requirements of Table X.
PA INSPECTION REGULATIONS - PA Inspection Regulation do not prohibit tint below 70%. Inspection Station cannot reject a vehicle with legal tint. The PA Bulletin is a legal newspaper. Here they discuss various recent changes to the PA CODE, none of which prohibit tint permitted by FMVSS205.
Most of the other States explicitly allow transmittances as low as 25%, yet still require conformance with FMVSS205. Certainly they aren't ALL wrong in their interpretation of FMVSS205. Who needs all the laws and regulations on the left anyway? Some officers just "enforce Table X," although it's not clear which Table X they're refering to.

Since all the PA Statutes or Regulations permit tinting below 70%, then it IS NOT ILLEGAL.

Even the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, speaking on behalf of the Secretary of Transportation, agrees that nothing in the PA STATUTE, the PA CODE, or the INSPECTION REGULATIONS prohibits tint, but that it is only . . .
"... the Department's interpretation that FMVSS 205...only allows window tinting that permits 70% or more light to transmit through the window."

Please help inform your instructors, supervisors, and associates about the actual Law!

Who knows what motivates them? Maybe the lost revenue since the speed limit was raised. Maybe they just don't like doing actual police work. But now you know, and we know; so please, help let them know.

Please show your local Tint Czar the letter from Kurt J. Myers, Director - Bureau of Motor Vehicles where he states, on behalf of Bradley L. Mallory, Secretary of Transportation that . . .

Did your department receive these instructions? Do you have any other instructions from the Secretary of Transportation telling you to only enforce laws against certain groups of people? Is that normal department policy?

We're confident that most officers take their oath to uphold the law seriously and will choose to do so in this case.

The information at this site is provided to ensure FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE PA STATUTES, REGULATIONS, and Federal Safety Standards, both by vehicle owners and by law enforcement personnel.

All Citizens are encouraged to abide by all applicable Laws and to cooperate fully with law enforcement personnel at all times.

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