Contacting your local police department for the county`s tinted window policy can help ensure you are following the rules at all times. How to tint car windows. For D-I-Y, learn how to tint car windows yourself. All other windows can be tinted to any degree of darkness. The tint of Maryland`s windows is measured by visible light transmission, or VLT. While the law is clear, the application of window tint in Maryland can leave room for interpretation, depending on the county. Window tint violations are on the SERO (Safety Equipment Repair Order) defect list. A SERO may be issued by a Maryland State Police soldier or other law enforcement officer. It requires the owner to have the defect repaired within 10 days. There must also be a repair certificate, which must be submitted to the Maryland State Police Motor Vehicle Safety Enforcement Division (ASED) within 30 days.
All windows with an additional tint must have a light transmission of at least 35%. Car owners with health conditions that require sun protection are exempt from tint restrictions. Once the vehicle is stopped by a police officer, the owner must provide a written certificate explaining the medical necessity of tinted windows for the owner. It must also come from a licensed physician in Maryland. Assuming your car is registered in Maryland and complies with window tint laws, everything should be fine. In Maryland, the amount of window tint varies depending on the type of car. These vehicles are limited to 35% tint on their front and side windows. It is prohibited to tint the additional glass after the manufacturer has been prohibited on the windshield of a vehicle below the AS1 line or 5 inches from the top of the windshield, whichever is lower.
However, since this will almost certainly result in your arrest for tincture violation, you must have documents proving the medical exemption in the car at all times. As mentioned earlier, Maryland`s windshield hue rules for vans, trucks, and SUVs are identical to those for cars, with a 35% non-reflective VLT tint allowed up to the AS-1 line of the windshield. Other windows each have specific regulations, so we`ll go through them step by step. In Maryland, the front side windows of larger vehicles can have a tint of up to 35% VLT, and this tint does not need to be reflective and not metallic. The rear side windows of a larger vehicle in Maryland can be covered in darkness, including a shade of complete privacy that completely blocks the view of the vehicle. This allows complete anonymity of passengers in the vehicle and also ensures maximum heat reduction and UV blockage. Again, only a non-reflective window tint can be used on the rear windows. When it comes to the rear windshield of vans, SUVs, and trucks, Maryland law also allows for the dark application of non-reflective window tint, but note that the rear brake light shining through the rear window cannot be covered in tint, so make sure your Maryland window tint installer (or yourself for a DIY window tint application) cuts the tint, to completely reveal the rear brake light on the window. Not all states follow the same laws on window tint, so if you`re vacationing in a tinted car, keep in mind. In Maryland, this is the percentage of light that can pass through both tinted film and window glass. The lower the percentage, the darker the shade.
To avoid being crushed, make sure your glass tint meets Maryland`s legal standard. Exceptions to the law are certain limousines, ambulances, buses and hearses. Other exceptions are church-owned vehicles, all official government vehicles, vehicles with tinted windows installed by the manufacturer prior to purchase. The Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles may exempt certain vehicles driven by owners with medical conditions that require windows that allow less light. A color ticket in Maryland can cost between $50 and $1,000. The higher the price, the stronger the hue. The severity of the hue determines how long it takes for the ticket to be removed from your file. The percentage of light that a window tint film lets through your car`s windows is called VLT (Visible Light Transmission). Each state has different legally permitted limits. The amount of blue in Maryland for passenger cars is accurate.
On the other hand, the regulations on multi-purpose vehicles allow for more liberal amounts. This can be confusing when looking at insurance forms or other written documents about your own cars. Adding a tint of car windows to your vehicle is the most cost-effective way to make the car safer for you as a driver and protect the interior of your vehicle from the ravages caused by sun damage. Automatic window tinting makes it easier for you to see the road by reducing glare from the sun and headlights, blocking warm infrared light that can heat and break down materials in the car, and dangerous ultraviolet light that causes faded and cracked interiors. Vehicle window tinting rules in Maryland allow for significant window darkening, which is added to most windows in a private vehicle, allowing you to achieve the desired level of privacy, style, and sun protection. But any tint found outside of Maryland`s laws on window tint can result in strictly enforced penalties, so you`ll need to fully understand Maryland`s self-tinting rules to make sure you`re not quoted. Because different types of vehicles in Maryland have different hue laws, we`ll look at Maryland`s hue laws and the state`s hue laws for larger vehicles (e.g., SUVs, trucks, and vans) in separate sections. Read on to learn more about Maryland`s window hue laws, but first, a brief explanation of the terms: VLT is short for “visible light transmission” and basically means how much light a window lets through, also known as window dark. The higher the number of VLTs, the brighter and more transparent the window, and so on the contrary, a 99% VLT is essentially clear, while a 1% VLT is so dark that all but the brightest absolute lights are blocked and cannot be seen through.
Make sure any car window tint in Maryland complies with state VLT rules, as police and inspectors can use equipment to test the VLT on site and issue tickets at any time if a violation of the tint law is detected. Maryland`s auto window tint laws were first passed in 1995, and in the meantime they`ve changed from time to time and are always subject to future updates, so it`s a good idea to stay up to date on regulations. There are several rules beyond the simple VLT assessments and thinking restrictions you need to follow in Maryland. One is simple: if you have a tinted rear window in any way, two side mirrors in good condition are required. (This is, of course, a standard for any reasonable driver, but still remarkable in terms of hue.) In Maryland, as in many states, you are prohibited from using red, amber, or yellow window hues or shades or shades nearby. All other window hue colors are allowed. Any window tint sold and/or installed in Maryland must come from a window manufacturer who certifies that the film they sell complies with Maryland laws, so check with your installer or retailer (for DIY car window tint) to make sure they use an approved tint. And while stickers proving the legality of window tint aren`t required on tinted glass in Maryland, authorities still recommend using these window film stickers to prove your tint is legitimate. Maryland`s tinting laws allow for special medical tint exceptions for window tint if a person can prove they need a darker shade than is usually allowed due to health conditions. Consult your doctor if you wish to apply for an exemption and keep proof of your Maryland color protection exemption along with other important documents from your vehicle.
Maryland`s color laws, which vary from state to state, state that the net percentage of VLT cannot be greater than 35%. No sedan, SUV or van may have mirror-tinted or reflective front or rear side windows. To fix a SERO tinted window, have the color of your car changed within ten days. They can be manufactured in any garage or repair shop. You can also install the newly tinted windows yourself. Once the vehicle is repaired, you must take the SERO to an inspection station authorized by the Maryland State Police to certify and inspect the windows.