Window tinting has become one of the parts of car aesthetics that has gained traction all over the years in the United States. This means increasing money, clientele, and innovation among other things around the industry thereby making it a responsible thing to pass legislations in this regard too.
In the case of Idaho, the first window tinting related law was enacted in 1992 with amendments and modifications being hashed and rehashed over the years.
This article then is an emblem of what has remains gist after all this time as it is that that makes the difference when it comes to compliance.
The specifics that you should expect are the general rules that surround window tinting darkness and reflection, the exemptions thereto, as well as other provisions of law which though somewhat scattered, are salient for a complete perspective of what is law and not law when it comes to window tinting in the state.
Towards the end, I share information which though not particularly related to window tinting is necessary for your practical contextualization of all the things we will have covered up to that point.
And just to be sure, you should not worry about the particulars of the car you drive. Whether it is a sedan, van, SUV, etc. today’s writing is mindful of you and so you will get answers that relate to your specific scenario.
Finally, I hope that you are already finding that my writing style is simple to understand. This extends to the points in the essay when talk about the different provisions of the law.
Unlike the lawyers who tend to lose themselves in complicated language, I appreciate the fact that not everyone that is interested in the things that I write will have gone to school.
And for that, it matters to me that I am simple in my approach.
Idaho Window Tinting Darkness Laws
Window tinting darkness is the most famous aspect of window tinting i.e. it is what most people will think about when they hear someone mention anything about tinting.
The way it works is that dark film is dressed on the window as the name suggests then. In return, the film blocks light from penetrating through it to the car.
Important to realize though is that not all tint keeps out the same level of light which is why we need to appreciate the concept of visible light transmission (VLT).
VLT refers to the percentage of light that a given tint allows into the car. The higher the VLT percentage at any particular point the more the amount of light into the car that the tint in question will allow.
A car tinted with 90% VLT therefore, is going to have much more light on the inside that one with 40% VLT. When laws are pronouncing what darkness levels are to be expected from what cars therefore, they do so in the language of VLT.
Broadly speaking, there are two factors for which law makers rely on prior to establishing the VLT percentage that they will ask of different cars.
The first one is about the cars themselves, particularly their purpose as well as structure. In the case of the latter attribute for instance, law enforcement cars are at times allowed to used low VLT levels as legislatures usually find it important to protect the identity of officers whilst on duty such that the actors whom they rub shoulders with do not follow them up in their private work.
Moreover, it is the case too that these cars are easy to monitor since they are relatively few and also have a distinct look.
The second issue that usually influences the VLT figures is the position of the windows on the car. That is right, the same car often has the different windows that are placed on it asked of different VLT standards.
The rationale here is about the fact that different windows have different functions making it a no-brainer that varying lighting is asked of them.
The windshield will always be asked of the highest standards since it is there that driver direct interacts with the road ahead which is the most important place to monitor when on the road.
That said, whether these two factors get to be considered or the degree to which they are depends on the state that one is looking at. In Idaho, only the positions of the windows matters and not the car whatsoever. Here are the details:
- Windshield: tint is only allowed for the top six inches.
- Front side windows: a minimum of 35% VLT must be allowed.
- Backside windows: a minimum of 35% VLT must be allowed.
- Rear window: a minimum of 35% VLT must be allowed.
Idaho Window Tinting Reflection Laws
Window tint reflection is the underrated part of tinting. This is not to say at all though that it is less effective. In fact, it is the case that its performance beats window tint darkness in some aspects.
You should thus always ask from a professional about which of the two ways of tinting fits your situation every time you are going to tint rather than make assumptions.
Rather than block light as it is with window tinting darkness however, tint reflection diverts the rays coming its way to somewhere else instead (like its name suggests). You will notice that this reality means that window tinting reflection calls for regulation more than anything. This is because of the adverse effects that doing otherwise is likely to cause.
It all goes back to the fact that there is no direct incentive on the part of the owner of the car under tint reflection i.e. while it is such persons to suffer the consequences of say, blurry vision when their tint is too dark and therefore they land themselves in accidents, under tint reflection it is the folks looking at the car from the outside that will have their views distorted and therefore exposed to risk when lots of light is reflected towards them.
To prevent these cases then, window tinting reflection legal provisions are couched in terms that seek to minimize how much light is reflected i.e. when the reflection figures are high, it means that the window in question would be emitting lots of light and that is not to be allowed by laws.
The final conclusions drawn will also be determinate on the two factors that were elaborated on under window tint darkness i.e. the position of the windows on a car as well as structure or purpose of the vehicle in question. In Idaho, only the windows matter just like we saw with tint darkness. Here are the specific requisite figures;
- Front side windows: a minimum of 35% VLT must be allowed.
- Backside windows: a minimum of 35% VLT must be allowed.
Other Idaho Window Tinting Laws
Window tinting darkness and reflection are always the key aspects to any tinting law and so is the case with Idaho. Having looked at them thus, you now have a fairly firm picture of what is expected of you if you are going to drive a tinted car in the said state.
Just hold on to go however, as there are still some other provisions that you should know about the state. Here we go then;
- Restriction on Colors: in Idaho, no tint colors are banned. This means that you may use any color of your preference. In this respect, Idaho is pretty liberal as usually states will at least ban red and amber.
The reason in such settings usually has something to do with the fact that some colors are so distorting that their usage on the road would not be a good idea. It does seem though, that the Idaho legislature trusts that this can be corrected for by the requirements under tint reflection.
- Side mirrors: Idaho mandates the adoption of side mirrors for vehicles that have their rear windows tinted. On this one, the state sits at the extreme end of restrictiveness since the laws that often ask for this will require that it is done in situations where these windows are tinted with 0% VLT.
Nonetheless, side mirrors do not cost anyone honest anything much. If at all the requirement is only meant to ensure continued interaction with the parts of the road behind the car hence enhancing security.
- Certificates and stickers: certificates in tinting language refer to documentation that is issued by the manufacturers of tint to the folks who purchase their products attesting to the fact that the same comply with the laws of the state in question. They become especially important in enforcement e.g. when pulled over, a driver can present a certificate to police to show that they were misled by the manufacturers. In Idaho, there are no requirements for certificates there by making the relatable provisions surprisingly liberal.
Idaho still does not mandate stickers either. These are smaller than certificates though they effectively serve the same purpose. Additionally, they can be attached to a vehicle’s windows thereby simplifying the complications of keeping paperwork.
Now, whereas, it is a good thing that Idaho does not insist on drivers keeping certificates or stickers, it would be a good thing to carry at least one of them with you whenever on the road if that is something you can. It helps avoid unnecessary inconveniences.
- Tint Variance: variance refers to the bracket under which police agrees to let you go even when your VLT percentage figure fall below what is the general requisite. In Idaho, variance is accepted only up to 3% which is a figure that is moderate if compared to other states i.e. there are those that will not allow any variance, and then those that go as high as 6%.
It is important to note though that in practice, one often has to demonstrate that they did not blatantly violate the general provisions knowing that they could count on the variance excuse. An example of a common acceptable instance that will be allowed is if the concerned vehicle was tinted in a different state.
- Medical exemption: Idaho allows for people with health issues that make it impossible for them to work within the general VLT numbers to apply for a special permission to tint their vehicles in a less restricted way. It is now generally accepted that medical situations resulting from among other things, eye complications or skin issues can give arise to the need to be exposed to minimal light.
In order for one to benefit under Idaho law however, they must obtain certification from a medic in relation to their problem. Once it is proven that their claim is legitimate, they may have their windshield tinted to as low as 70% VLT and the other windows 20% VLT. The compromise on windshield lighting is almost unprecedented as most states usually never allow tinting of the same even in cases of medical needs.
- Penalties: Any window tinting law violations in Idaho are considered infractions. This means that they would be civil cases hence no jail terms whatsoever are to be met by the folks that are noncompliant.
Instead, the heaviest penalties would be costly fines or negative implications for one’s insurance rates and driver’s license in the extreme case.
Notice that meeting any of these does not matter if you do not remove the tint that was adjudged upon as illegal.
Police will still stop you and possibly meet on you harsher consequences because they will view your conduct as being rebellious given that you would have been notified prior of why you are in wrong.
Enforcement officers are reluctant to impose any penalties though for drivers who are first time offenders.
They will usually only issue fix-it orders meaning that you should replace the window tint found to be violating the law.
Others
We now turn to a couple of facts which though not legal per se, I trust that you will find that they are helpful.
Especially when the time finally comes for you to decide whether you want to proceed with tinting or not all the way through to the point when are wondering what kind of tint to actually purchase.
- Cost: the cost of tinting is dependent on a number of factors including the quality, the size of the windows, the car in question among other things. We will use here a case of a sedan though, to help give you an idea of how much you will need to spend.
If you are looking at classic film, then on average you will have to part with roughly $150. Ceramic tint is even more expensive i.e. $400. If you have the money though, it is very much worth it since it is long lasting.
- Subtle benefits: forget about privacy for one second, there way more uses of tinting than most people realize. One of the most intriguing ones is reduction of car energy consumption. This arises from the fact that one finds that a tinted car will be mostly cool as very limited heat is allowed in. The result of this is that functionalities such as air conditioning will hardly be used.
Idaho State Info
Idaho is located in the North West part of the United States of America neighboring with among others, Washington, Utah, Oregon, and Nevada. Sitting on approximately 216,000 km sq, the state is the fourteenth largest throughout the country and seventh least when it comes to population density,
The Capital of Idaho is Boise. It is also the biggest city in the entire state. There are certainly other cities though, and they include; Montpelier, Hayden, Gem, Bingham, Payette, Ada, Teton, and Jerome.
Cities in Idaho: Boise, Idaho Falls, Nampa, Pocatello, Meridian, Caldwell, Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Twin Falls, Lewiston, Post Falls, Rexburg, Moscow, Eagle, Kuna, Mountain Home, Chubbuck, Ammon, Hayden, Blackfoot, Garden City, Jerome, Burley, Hailey, Payette, Sandpoint, Rathdrum, Emmett, Star, Rupert, Middleton, Weiser, Preston, Fruitland, American Falls, Shelley, Buhl, Rigby, Gooding, St. Anthony, Kimberly, Orofino, Grangeville, Salmon, Heyburn, Soda Springs, McCall, Wendell, Ketchum, Homedale, Montpelier
Counties in Idaho: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Boundary, Butte, Camas, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Shoshone, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley, Washington