Just went to get my '08 Sedan inspected here in MA and they wouldn't pass me because of my tints. The law is 35% net. My fronts are at 38% which is OK, rears are at 30%, which is causing me a problem. I think it may have been a misunderstanding when I got it tinted. I wanted the rear window to be a little bit darker, but the sides to be completely legal. I think the rear side glass may have been tinted the same as the rear window. Whatever happened, I need to fix it, and I have a couple of simple questions. I've searched like mad, but tinting is a popular subject on here and after over an hour I don't know the answers to these questions definitively:

1. What is the factory tint on the side windows? I've read 70% and 75%.
2. Are the rear windows darker from the factory on an '08 sedan? Obviously mine are, but I want to know for sure if its the tints or the glass.

Thanks!

 

IIRC the OE glass is the same all around.

 

^agree

they looked the same to me.

 

Yep, it's the same all around. Here's a photo of mine pre-tint.


The OEM glass is "green" tinted from the factory, but it should not affect the VLT measurement. (Visible light transmitted)

 

I can't imagine the rear side windows being a different amount from the factory. All I can tell you is when I got mine done I had a 38% film put on all around and everything ended up reading at 35% after the installation. I would imagine you would be able to visually tell looking at your windows if it has an 8% variation.

 

Yeah you definitely can tell 8%. I got a deal with my car and asked 25% and they tinted it 35. I picked it out right away as I entered to the dealerships parking lot. I can imagine it is lot easier side by side.

 

the rear shouldnt matter cuz the MA law only cares about the front windows, u can make the rear windows and windshield as dark as u want

 

I'm pretty sure MA law is 35% all around. Where'd you get your tints done? Did you get a receipt from them saying it was MA legal? Not sure if that would matter during inspection time, but it might help?

I got mine at Tint King and got 45% tints and they gave me a receipt stating it was legal. They measured a 38% on the meter after installation, but when I went to get my inspection last month, the shop said it registered at 34%, but they let me pass anyways.

Don't meters have some margin of error, like +/- 1 or 2%? So are you driving around with an R sticker? Can you try another place? It would suck to have to scrape off the tint in the rears.

 

Yeah the MA law is 35% all around with the exception of the front windshield of course.

http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/MA/

 

did not know that, thanks for the heads up