1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Illinois raises Front Window Tint fine from $25 to $250....

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by freshmtt, Jul 1, 2008.

  1. freshmtt

    freshmtt Dachshund Addict

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2008
    532
    4
    5
    Location:
    Chicago Suburbs
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    OK, For all of PC members that are here in Illinois. I just saw this on NBC local 10pm news last night. They had a small blurb on the news stating that Illinois has now raised the front tint window fine from $25 to $250. This was aired just as they were talking about the Cook County sales tax going up to 10.25% on July 1st and this info about the Window Tint fine was immediately after that segment. I believe the effective date for this window tint fine was also today, July 1st.

    So, I think we will see a huge influx of people getting stopped and ticketed. The state needs money, the economy obviously in in shambles and now they are going to do anything they can to get revenue. I see tons of cars with all 4 windows and back tinted even though it is illegal in Illinois to tint the front side windows. I think the cops did not care much before about stopping people because it was only a $25 fine, but now that they bumped it up to $250 I bet they will be stopping people left and right.. Time to rake in some money.

    My husband just went to the tint shop this morning and had the front side tint removed on his car. He just had them tinted a few weeks ago, and had them done with 20%, it was very dark in my opinion and I told him so.

    I'm glad I did not get mine tinted yet, I was going to do 35% on the front sides, but now I am not going to do this and just get the back sides and the hatchback tinted up in Madison during Hybridfest.
     
  2. Rest

    Rest Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2005
    1,210
    53
    2
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    How any state would allow front window tint is beyond me. So many people can't drive as it is and now they are going to try driving at night with all their windows tinted up....makes no sense.

    Many also forget about Police Officer safety. If they can't see into the vehicle that is a dangerous situation for them.
     
  3. Wots

    Wots Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2007
    46
    9
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    This is all I could find.

    So off come my front tints.

    Now I get to contend with the "street beggers" again.


    June 30, 2008

    City May Raise Fine on Tinted Windows (Chicago I assume)


    City Council's police and fire committee has proposed raising the fine for illegal tinted front windows to $250. It's currently $25, and given that the police issued 30,000 tickets last year for tinted windows, the higher fines could mean big bucks for the City. Tinted front windows (and windshields) are illegal because they pose a safety risk for police officers who need to be able to see into a car if they pull someone over. Also, geeze louise, 30,000 cars have illegal tinted windows? That number seems astronomically high to us.
    Chicagoist: City May Raise Fine on Tinted Windows
     
  4. Devil's Advocate

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2005
    922
    13
    1
    Location:
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    You voted em in!
     
  5. freshmtt

    freshmtt Dachshund Addict

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2008
    532
    4
    5
    Location:
    Chicago Suburbs
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Well not me,, I don't live in the city proper, just the suburbs, but don't you know,, in Chicago the the politicans vote themselves in,, you know, vote and vote often,, that is the motto in the city of Chicago, heck even the dead are voting in Chicago :rolleyes:
     
  6. freshmtt

    freshmtt Dachshund Addict

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2008
    532
    4
    5
    Location:
    Chicago Suburbs
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Thanks for finding this, I was looking all morning and even emailed Channel 5 news to see if they could give more info. Didn't hear back from them.
     
  7. Wots

    Wots Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2007
    46
    9
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    No problem :thumb:




    The thing that really !#@$% * me off is that the politicians and the elitists will still have there tinted limos`(all around). Along with their bodyguards.

    I know quite a few Chicago cops and 75% of them have front tints.

    If this was such a safety concern for the police why is it that only five states have a no front window tint law? Welcome to TintLaws.com


    Tints also help keep the car a lot cooler.

    Just as with these intersection “safety camerasâ€. Its just another ploy to get more cash out of the hard working public.(plus or minus 1/10 of a second can determine if you get a “ticketâ€)

    I cant wait to retire an get out of this cesspool Chicago. :eek:hwell:
     
  8. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    9,810
    464
    0
    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    bah, front window tint isn't dangerous. it's bureaucracy at its finest.
     
  9. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2007
    5,051
    483
    97
    Location:
    Flushing, NY
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    If I were a Cook County resident, or shopped there often, I'd be more upset about that 10.25% sales tax. Must be the highest or one of the highest sales tax in the country. So regressive. They should have increased the income tax rate of corporations and the wealthy.
     
  10. Wots

    Wots Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2007
    46
    9
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    And this applies to everyone, right? :hail:






    Chicago alderman proposes larger fine for tinted windows
    (http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1033316,070108tint.article)
    July 1, 2008
    By Mark Konkol, Sun-Times News Group
    The Chicago City Council's police and fire committee on Monday forwarded to the full council a proposal to boost the fine for vehicles with tinted front windows from $25 to $250.
    Ald. Michael Zalewski (23rd) said police officers who live in his ward told him they've noticed more vehicles with tinted front windows, which is illegal and a safety concern for officers during traffic stops.
    "Officers can't see in the front seat, the passenger side or the back seat," Zalewski said. "Since the fine was only $25, nobody paid attention to it. With so much (street violence) going on out there, I thought it was a good idea to do something. The way to get people to pay attention is by hitting the pocketbook.''
    Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said curbing a car with tinted windows is a "high-risk" stop that potentially places officers in greater danger.
    "Tinted windows are against the law anyway, so perhaps this will be a greater deterrent," she said of the higher fine. "When an officer sees a vehicle with tinted windows, that's possibly an indicator that can lead one to believe someone inside the vehicle might have a weapon or there is possibly criminal activity involved."
    Last year, Chicago police wrote roughly 30,000 tickets for illegally tinted windows. If approved by the city council next week, the increased fine could bring in about $7 million in additional revenue to the city next year.
     
  11. sunshine62704

    sunshine62704 New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2008
    22
    0
    3
    Location:
    Illinois
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    We live in Springfield & have 3 cars that have tinted windows. My husband is photophobic (eyes extremely sensitive to light). We were stopped twice in 1 week last month. The first cop said the Dr.'s letters he carries are no longer good & we would have to apply for 'WT' plates. We finally found the form on the Sec. of State web site, downloaded it & took it to his eye Dr. to complete & sign. We then went to the Sec. of State office, paid the $29 fee for the new plates. When our plates have to be renewed we will pay the regular plate fee but will also have to get the Dr. to sign a new form each time. But now we are legal in the great state of Illinois! There are several medical reasons that are valid for having the front windows tinted.
     
  12. Wots

    Wots Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2007
    46
    9
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    For all of the "lucky" state of Illnois peeps, here is the site for 'Tinted Window Certification'


    Tinted Windows
     
  13. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Obviously, $25.00 wasn't enough of a deterrent to convince people to follow the law.
     
  14. alanh

    alanh Active Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2007
    1,175
    99
    0
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    I don't know about IL, but I've never seen a limo here with blacked out front (driver) windows, just the side and back.
     
  15. mingoglia

    mingoglia Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2007
    846
    10
    0
    Location:
    Gilbert, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I've had a vehicle with the front tinted. But really it was so slight you literally had to look at the same exact vehicle side by side to know it was tinted. The main reason for me was the 99.98% UV protection. It made a huge difference in the summer time here in AZ and it wasn't noticeable at night. I think you should be able to tint it, after all, it's legal to drive with sun glasses on. Now if the tint is too dark to safely drive at night then that's a judgment call and IMO the judgment call should only be made if the person was in fact pulled over during the night time.

    With all that being said I'll probably never tint another windshield. ;) With all the rock chips and sand storm here in AZ we go through windshields very very frequently and the cost to tint my front windshield was as much as the rest of the vehicle. I was told this was due to having to use one large piece of tint and form it to fit the curved windshield correctly.

    Mike
     
  16. Wots

    Wots Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2007
    46
    9
    0
    Location:
    chicago
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Well, it took three and half months but I finally got my WT plates. Thanks sunshine62704 for the good info.
    Think maybe I should get darker tints now ; )
     
  17. strieby

    strieby Priusman

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2007
    76
    3
    20
    Location:
    Bakersfield, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    So far in California we only get a $10 fix it ticket when stopped. I have had my front tinted ... not limo tint but a bit lighter for years and have never been stopped. I expect some day they will raise the fee also. It is just a matter of time. With the state asking for a 7 billion dollar loan from the government they will be looking for ways to get some easy money. And that seems to be a no-brainer.
     
  18. subarutoo

    subarutoo New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2006
    1,213
    23
    0
    Location:
    Chatsworth, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    I see fully blacked out cars all day in LA. I don't think the cops even notice. I've even seen cop cars fully blacked out, especially unmarked ones. I'm not a fan of the gangsta look. I think blacked out tints cheapen the look of the car, but that's just me. How lucky do you feel?
     
  19. outsider

    outsider Prius Rookie

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2008
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    RWC
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    dont be discouraged on getting your windows tinted, you dont have to go extremely dark in order to benefit from blocking heat, uv, and sometimes glare rejection with what we call ceramic films. by default any clear glass out there is already between 83-71% (would have to meter) so adding any film you would have to multiply .71 x whatever you end up choosing. You can also just tint the rear section of the car darker and the driver and passenger side windows you can install clear uv film that is made by anymajor film manufacturer out there. You wont be blocking heat or glare, but you at least block UV rays coiming in thru the window which is what causes skin cancer over in time, or interiors fading or cracking.
    two cents
     
  20. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2003
    1,763
    6
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Is this another law that includes out-of-state drivers, so if I happen to need to drive through Chicago I'll get a ticket?

    Last I heard, Georgia was planning on ticketing everybody with too-dark tint...