Whenever we talk about window tinting, there is going to be friction. On the one hand, you have a car owner who for reasons of their taste or otherwise wants their car to appear in a particular way and yet you also have everybody else who this choice could negatively affect.
For this, states across USA have taken to striking a balance between what should be done with car tinting and how it should.
Illinois came to this party rather late with her first legislation in this area being passed in 2009 but it is no exception nonetheless. Moving fast forward to today, there have been modifications and additions along the way including as recent as 2004. This article then is an amalgamation of the coherent picture that a car owner is expected to follow in light of these developments.
Specifically, I will share the details pertaining to window tinting darkness, window tinting reflection, and then the exemptions to these two categories. This should be good enough to give you an insight into all that you will need to know about the law.
On top of this, we will traverse too the not so legal aspects which are nonetheless crucial for the contextualizing of the knowledge gathered up to that point.
And as always, I never want to make your work complicated so I have endeavored to adopt very simple language in my writing knowing that I am not just writing to folks who went to law school.
Illinois Window Tinting Darkness Laws
Window tinting darkness is the more famous of two broad branches of tinting i.e. it is what comes to the mind of most people when they hear of tinting. The way it works is that windows are covered with film that is dark thereby blocking light rays from reaching the occupants of a car.
Salient to note is that different dark tint blocks light to varying degrees. This is explained by the phenomenon of Visible Light Transmission also VLT. VLT refers to the percentage of the light that comes towards a window that will be allowed in. A high VLT figure means that the tint in question allows a lot of light and the reverse is true.
This would mean thus, that a window with 90% VLT would allow more light into the car than one which is 40% VLT. In regulating window tint darkness thus, legislators will spell out what VLT amounts are to be used where.
There are two major determinants of the figures which eventually get to be reflected in the law. The first one is about the car that one is looking at particularly in relation to its structure as well as the purpose for which it is employed.
To take the latter scenario, law enforcement vehicles tend to be allowed to use less VLT percentages given the unique work that they get involved with. It is important for instance to protect the identity of police and investigative officers whilst on duty for the sake of protecting their private life.
Moreover, vehicles belonging to these departments of government are not that many so it is not hard to keep an eye on them so as to ensure that their waiver is not abused.
The second factor influencing the VLT percentages adopted is the position of the windows on a vehicle. While windows may be attached to the car, it is also the case that they serve different roles.
It would be absurd therefore, to have a law that demands the same lighting for all. Legislatures are often especially protective of the windshield since it is the place that a driver gets to see the objects that are ahead of them i.e. in the direction where he or she is headed. Some people tend to loath the idea of a car having different filming because how that makes it look.
If you are one of them, then I would suggest to you to adopt the VLT standard that is asked of the most restrictive window for the others too.
Now, it is not always the case that legislators in every state consider both these factors though it is true for Illinois. Let us dive into the specifics;
- Sedans
Windshield: tint is allowed only for the top six inches.
Front side windows: a minimum of 35% VLT must be used.
Backside windows: a minimum of 35% VLT must be used.
Rear window: a minimum of 35% VLT must be used.
- SUVs and vans
Windshield: tint is allowed only for the top six inches.
Front side windows: a minimum of 50% VLT must be used.
Backside windows: there are no restrictions on the VLT percentage to be used.
Rear window: there are no restrictions on the VLT percentage to be used.
Illinois Window Tinting Reflection Laws
Window tinting reflection is the part of window tinting that most people do not know about. To be sure, this does not mean that it does not work. Far from it actually.
If anything, window tinting reflection is better than tint darkness in some aspects. So rather than judge it by its uncommon use, I would suggest that you inquire first from a professional about which of the two options fit your case best whenever you decide to tint a car.
Tint reflection does its thing by diverting light rays coming its way to some other place. If you are keen enough, you will realize that this way of doing things means that regulation is most needed in these cases than say under tint darkness.
This is because if anything occasions from bad practices in the latter case e.g. distortions when driving, the car owners are going to be directly affected when say, an accident happens. With window tint reflection however, it is more peril on the side of innocent third parties i.e. the folks viewing the car from the outside. This means that drivers have no direct incentive to behave.
In order to arrive at the standard that is to be set in the law, legislators ask how much light a given window is going to reflect. In this setting, the more amount of light that it gives off, the more chances of causing a menace to other road users arise. As much as possible thus, laws will require that very minimal light is reflected off the car windows.
Additionally, the factors explored under window tinting darkness will accrue under tinting reflection i.e. the type and structure of car in question and then the different windows that are attached to it.
Again, different states will determine whether to factor in both these attributes, pick either, or completely disregard both of them. Illinois only factors in the positions of the windows and so, whether you are driving a sedan or an SUV, the same standard applies. Here are the specifics;
- Front side windows: the windows must be completely non-reflective.
- Backside windows: the windows must be completely non-reflective.
Other Illinois Window Tinting Regulations
Now that we have explored window tinting darkness and reflection laws in Illinois that is quite remarkable progress so far since the two form the bedrock of any such legislation.
There remains however, a couple more provisions that we should know about too if we are going to understand the holistic picture.
Just to be sure, I am not under this section seeking to reproduce everything there is (you simply do not need it) in this law but rather those aspect that bring nuance and depth to what has been covered already.
- Restriction on colors: in Illinois, one may paint their windows with any colors they wish. This is astonishingly liberal not only because they are states that ban all colors save black but also because the moderate ones often tend two ban at least two or three shades that they consider to be extremely shouting. Common examples here include red and amber.
It looks then that perhaps Illinois is confident that the requirements under tint reflection are in themselves enough to correct for the otherwise excesses that would have been born by colored tinting.
- Side mirrors: if a car owner tints their rear window, then Illinois mandates that they install side mirrors on either side of their vehicle. This provision is pretty restrictive since most moderate laws elsewhere only adopt this requirement only in cases where 0% VLT is used. One notes that the only situation that is possible in Illinois is with SUVs.
Nonetheless, the requirement is not a bad one. Its aim is to ensure that the person in the driver’s seat is able to keep up with the objects coming behind the car more clearly thereby mitigating for the risks that would otherwise arise.
- Certificates and Stickers: certificates in the sense of window tinting are documents issued by manufacturers in attestation to the fact that the tint film bought by a consumer from them complies with the applicable state laws. They become important in cases of accountability e.g. when a driver is pulled over for violating tint regulations, they can show a certificate to show that they were misled by the manufacturers. Illinois does not make this requirement mandatory.
For their case, stickers play a related role with the major difference being that they can be attached to the car. Having a sticker would mean that a driver does not have to worry about losing paperwork. Again, Illinois, does not make it mandatory that folks who tint their cars attach the stickers along.
Now, whereas the state does not mandate certificates and stickers, it would be a good thing to at least have one of them on you so as to avoid unnecessary inconveniences.
- Tint variance: this aspect of tinting regulations regards the difference from the requisite standard reflection or VLT requirements for which a driver will be excused from penalties that otherwise face those found to be contradicting the law. In Illinois, that number stands at 5%.
Note however, that law enforcement often demands that the individuals that wish to benefit from this bracket demonstrate good faith i.e. that they did not blatantly abuse the low knowing that they would seek recourse under this cover.
- Medical exemption: the state accepts individuals who because of issues to do with their health find that they cannot work with the general VLT or reflection standards to use tint that falls outside them. This is something that widely applies in most state laws regarding tinting. Usually, these conditions arise from cases of skin and eye complications e.g. lupus and albinism.
- Penalties: window tint law violations are considered class C misdemeanors in Illinois and they are usually met with punishment of fines. The real amount usually ranges from $50-$500 with the specifics of the situation going back to the case that one is looking at. Repeat offenders for instance are certain to attract heavier fines than those caught in the wrong for the first time.
Actually, you might simply be warned and asked to remove the tint which has been found to violate state law if you are a first time offender. This explains why in Bellville as a case in point, there has been no single ticket issued in the last two and a half years. Generally then, Illinois enforcement of window tinting regulations has been lenient so you should not worry much about it.
Moreover, the law has been evolving in this direction even further. Early in 2024 for instance, legislators voted to deny police officers the authority of stopping vehicles with stuff hanging by the rear window moving forward. When suspected of using too much tint, the officers usually ask you to stop before examining the vehicle with hand tools known as tint meters.
Others
Having explored the law, it is key to appreciate to that the provisions talked about do not operate in a vacuum. A lot goes back to how the reality on the ground looks like.
As such, we are going to look at some realities on the ground that you might want to be alive too when making the final decision regarding whether to go on and tint the car and how to do it exactly.
- Too much tinting is a barrier to communication: everyone that has done a little bit of driving knows that a lot of it is reliant on interactions with other road users. This could be the pedestrians, motorists, and other car driver too.
Whereas, most of this can be done without having to direct look at a person’s face e.g. through indicator lights as well as hooting, some of it requires that the person on the outside sees your face. It becomes a problem then when they cannot because you are buried by the tint.
- The role of tinting in proving responsibility in accidents: there are two kinds of accidents on the road generally speaking. Those for which responsibility falls back to the driver e.g. if they were drunk at the time and then cases where the situation was beyond them. The former incidents attract harsher punishment say in form of compensation. If it can be proved then that the tint you used was illegal and that it led to the eventualities being looked at by the court, you will be set to face hefty consequences.
- Be ready to pay insurance: all vehicle modifications have to be considered when paying insurance as the general rule is that they increase the risks of the vehicle getting involved in events that would require the insurance company to step in. As we have seen already, this is true for tinting too.
Illinois State Info
Illinois is located in the Midwestern United States. It occupies roughly 149,000 km sq making it to be at the middle of the list of states rankings by size i.e. 25th largest.
The state’s economy is run by a host of commercial activities not least agriculture and as well as the extraction of minerals such as coal. Illinois’ capital is Springfield. Other cities there include; Joliet, Oak Park, Palatine, Carol Stream, DeKalb, and Northbrook.
Cities in Illinois: Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Springfield, Peoria, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero, Champain, Bloomington, Decatur, Arlington Heights, Evanston, Schaumburg, Bolingbrook, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plaines, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, Berwyn, Mount Prospect, Wheaton, Normal, Hoffman Estates, Oak Park, Downers Grove, Glenview, Belleville, Elmhurst, DeKalb, Moline, Lombard, Buffalo Grove, Urbana, Bartlett, Crystal Lake, Quincy, Streamwood, Carol Stream, Romeovile, Plainfield, Rock Island, Hanover Park, Carpentersville, Wheeling, Park Ridge, Calumet City, Addison, Glendale Heights, Pekin, Northbrook, Elk Grove Village, Danville, St. Charles, Woodridge, North Chicago
Counties in Illinois: Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, Winnebago, St. Clair, Madison, Champaign, Sangamon, Peoria, McLean, Rock Island, Tazewell, Kendall, LaSalle, Kankakee, Macon, DeKalb, Vermilion, Adams, Williamson, Jackson, Whiteside, Boone, Coles, Ogle, Knox, Henry, Grundy, Macoupin, Stephenson, Franklin, Marion, Livingston, Jefferson, Woodford, Clinton, Fulton, Lee, Morgan, Bureau, Christian, Effingham, Randolph, Monroe, McDonough, Logan, Montgomery, Iroquis, Saline, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Shelby, Perry, Fayette, Douglas, Crawford, Hancock, Edgar, Union, Bond, Warren, Lawrence, Wayne, Piatt, DeWitt, Mercer, Pike, Clark, Richland, Massac, Carroll, Moultrie, Washington, Mason, White, Ford, Greene, Clay, Cass, Menard, Marshall, Johnson, Wabash, Cumberland, Jasper, Hamilton, Alexander, Schuyler, Henderson, Brown, Edwards, Pulaski, Putnam, Stark, Gallatin, Scott, Calhoun, Pope, Hardin