New Jersey Window Tint Laws - Just an FYI for all interested

[Stangman Jonathan]

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


* Use this for clean discussion, no flaming, or cursing.


HOW DARK CAN WINDOW TINT BE IN NEW JERSEY?

New Jersey Tint Law Enacted: 2003


Darkness of tint is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%). In New Jersey, this percentage refers to percentage of visible light allowed in through the combination of film and the window.

Windshield - No tint is allowed on the windshield.
Front Side Windows - No tint can be applied legally to this window.
Back Side Windows - Any darkness can be used.
Rear Window - Any darkness can be used.



HOW REFLECTIVE CAN THE TINT BE IN NEW JERSEY?

Similar to sunglass lenses, some tinting film contain metallic elements that help in reflecting incoming light and reducing the glare and heat generated by visible light.

Front Side Windows: No metallic or mirrored appearance.
Back Side Windows: No metallic or mirrored appearance.


OTHER NEW JERSEY RULES AND REGULATIONS

• Restricted Colors No colors of tint are explicitly banned.
  
• Side Mirrors Dual side mirrors are required if back window is tinted.
  
• Certificate Requirements Manufacturers of film do NOT need to certify the film they sell in the state.
  
• Sticker Requirements No sticker to identify legal tinting is required.
  
• Medical Exemption State allows medical exemptions for special tint. For more details about the specific terms of the exemption, consult your state law.

Six reasons why people tint their windows: http://www.tintcenter.com/articles/bt_benefits.html

Whether or not you follow the NJ Tint Laws is not the responsibility of NJStangers or it's members. We merely offer our suggestions.

Change Tint Law Petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/566/186/078/

[RobtRoma]

To backup what Jonathan posted, below are excerpts from the New Jersey Administrative Code (NJAC) that define what inspection stations are permitted to allow:

NEW JERSEY ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
.. TITLE 13 LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY
....CHAPTER 20 ENFORCEMENT SERVICE
......SUBCHAPTER 33 INSPECTION STANDARDS AND TEST PROCEDURES TO BE USED BY LICENSED PRIVATE INSPECTION FACILITIES
........N.J.A.C. 13:20-33.7 Glazing; Class I and I1 licensees

(d) A motor vehicle, other than a police vehicle or a motor vehicle for which a medical exemption certificate has been issued by the Motor Vehicle Commission in accordance with N.J.S.A. 39:3-75.1 et seq., shall not be certified which has tinted spray or plastic material added to previously approved glazing in the front windshield or windows, vents, wings, deflectors, or side shields to the immediate right or left of the driver, because such condition changes the vision and light transmission properties of the glazing in areas where driver visibility shall not be obscured or obstructed; provided, however, tinted spray or plastic material may be applied to previously approved glazing in the front windshield if such spray or material extends no lower than six inches from the top of the front windshield or such spray or material does not extend below the AS-1 marking on the front windshield.

(g) Any motor vehicle may have the rear window and/or side windows to the rear of the driver tinted or covered in some manner so as to partially obscure the driver‘s vision and any motor vehicle registered for commercial purposes and constructed on a truck chassis (including noncommercial trucks registered pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:3-8.1) may have the rear window and/or side windows to the rear of the driver painted, tinted, or constructed in some manner so as to obstruct or obscure the driver‘s vision, provided that the motor vehicle is equipped with an exterior mirror on each side of the motor vehicle. If glazing material remains in any of the window openings specified in this subsection, the approval markings shall be visible.

(h) A motor vehicle shall not be certified which has mirror-type material on any window

I'm reading this to say the following:

Front window: The window must remain factory clear except a 6" tinted strip at the top of the window is permitted. Degree of tint is not defined.

Side windows to either side of the driver: No tint permitted.

Side windows behind driver: Tint permitted if vehicle has side mirrors on each side. Degree of tint not defined but "black-out" not permitted unless it's a commercial vehicle.

Rear window: Tint permitted if vehicle has side mirrors on each side. Degree of tint not defined but "black-out" not permitted unless it's a commercial vehicle.

Now... These codes are for the private inspection stations. In doing some quick research, I found a bunch of people that were ticketed for tint that stated they were in violation of statute 39:3-75 Safety Glass. To me, this statute is very vague, but seems to state that tint beyond what is permitted by state inspection can only be installed for medical reasons.

I also saw one person post that the officer tried to cite him with a violation of this statute: 39:3-74 Windshields must be unobstructed and equipped with cleaners. The officer argued that the tint was an obstruction but the driver argued it wasn't because he could see through it. The officer ended up giving the guy a ticket for the GPS mounted to his windshield citing this statute.

When I was researching this, one of the tint sites had a disclaimer that the tint info they had was per the NJ State Code and that individual municipalities may have additional codes regarding tint. They advised that you check with your town prior to installing any tint.

For reference, here is a link to a PDF that lists NJ traffic violations and their fines: listing of traffic violations.

Here is the statute for Mirrors (for anyone interested): 39:3-71. Mirrors