Ok. So I knew my tint was too dark and I deserved the ticket (24% read on front side windows). I am sick of drawing the attention of the cops for my window tint, this is my 3rd tint ticket in 3 years.

My question is for those who have been down this tint ticket road here in VA:

If I remove the tint is it worth fighting the ticket? If I remove it, take real pictures (not digitals) with my license and registration in the close up photo of the window will that be enough proof to the judge that it's been removed?

If I go to court on the court date with proof that it's been removed and drive the car to the court will they drop it? If they drop it I'm guessing I'll still have to pay court costs? I think it's $30 fine + $61 court costs. I'm taking the tint off anyway and the court is 10 minutes from my house, it's worth driving down there on the date to get $30 taken off if it's a sure thing.

Those who have been in my shoes....I need advice..
Go!

mini rant: Don't VA state troopers have better things they could be doing, like busting speeders, instead of pulling over people who are driving 100% safely and within the speed limit for silly equipment violations? Reason #918272819 that I dislike VA.

 

dont know. FL plates rock. But i hate Virginia too! Sorry bud, and best of luck to you on the matter either way.

 

eh, if it was your first tint ticket you could probably get away with removing the tint and then going to court and providing proof you did that. A few of my friends have done that and gotten away with no fine or anything.

Also: Most VA cops have nothing better to do.

 

i've only been to court once for tint but i got it dismissed completely (no court costs). i think if you go in with proof that you removed it they'll dismiss it. heck, you may not even need proof (i didn't).

the only reason i could think of that they wouldn't dismiss it is if the judge sees that you've been ticketed 3 times for the same violation. not sure if they can see that though.

 

Might be true. But then again, might be a case to offer the judge, "I've matured and I appreciate that I must respect the law. I've removed the tint and now operate a street legal vehicle on VA motorways. ...yada, yada..."

Bottomline: If you *don't* go to court, you still pay the ticket. Go to court, and you have a chance to defend your 'upstanding' actions.

We all have to appreciate that past reading the letter of the law, we are always subject to the whims of the judge on any particular day.

Good luck either way.

- Dave

PS. I removed my own tint for a similar reason. My ticket was dismissed (along with others written by the same officer) *before* I approached the bench, however, because the courtroom was told "...the officer is no longer part of the VA State Police Force"

 

Ok. It's worth a shot. If I get an understanding judge on a good day maybe I'll get lucky.

On a side note: The officer told me that 50% is legal limit on front side windows but he said most glass is already 70% VLT. If I go to a shop and tell them I want the front windows at legal VA limit will they do it right? I have a feeling even with legal tint I'll still get pulled over because my car is light colored and the interior is small and black...giving the appearance of darker tint.

 

Are you really complaining that the cops have nothing better to do when you knew your vehicle was in violation of the tint limit?

You took a chance, you got busted. I agree taking the tint off will be the easiest way *not* to get pulled over for this again. If you want to go to the limit on the tint, I know MD has a sticker you can put on your window saying it passed inspection. Check and see if VA has something similar. The place I would find this out is at the tint shop. And yes, if you ask them to tint to the limit, they will, but you may not be happy with the results--too light, IMO

But as to "Don't VA state troopers have better things they could be doing, like busting speeders, instead of pulling over people who are driving 100% safely and within the speed limit for silly equipment violations", our cars draw attention, tinting the windows draws even more. DONT GIVE THEM A REASON TO PULL YOU OVER AND YOU WONT GET PULLED OVER.

 

Just don't show up

 

The first tint ticket I got the cop passed up a Cadillac that was going WELL above 80 mph (Considered reckless driving here in VA) to bust me for my tint. That tells me that VA state troopers either:

A. Are partial to Cadillac's and or/dislike imports

B. Would rather give easy tint tickets than cite someone who was driving recklessly and endangering other motorists.


I'm not mad about this ticket. I know I deserved it since technically it's not up to VA regulation.

However, I just feel that tint should be something a cop tickets you for IF you are pulled over for breaking a traffic law, not simply because he saw your car and felt the tint looked to be too dark. The other thing that bugs me: Why doesn't VA require safety inspections to test the tint for legal limit? I hear they do this in MD? A lot of people get tint tickets when they buy a car that is pre-tinted, not knowing it's not legal (since the safety inspection is good) and then get ticketed for it. Seems that VA knows this and it's just a way to get even more money out of us motorists (as if Personal property tax on our cars wasn't bad enough) [/end rant]

 

With the state and county budgets millions of dollars in deficit, they aren't letting people off as "complied with the law" no where near as much as they used to. Especially if this is your 3rd, you may not get off. Unless the other 2 had been dropped and aren't in your record. I was down this road last month, but it was a county cop, and I asked him if i remove it will be be dismissed, he was like doubtful. But either way I had no intention of taking it off, so I just prepayed it and hept my tint. So, if you like your tint I say you just prepay it and keep it.