Window tinting is without a doubt one of the most outstanding car parts that have come into the spotlight as the car industry moves away from basic functionality towards the looks and luxury.
Not to mention of course that there are added advantages arising from tinting too. It is thus notwithstanding that countries across the world been more and more interested in regulating this industry.
This has been true in the United States of America though the authority is delegated to state authorities.
Kansas has not been left behind in this regard. In fact, its first legislation in this direction was passed in 1987.
A number of things have been modified from the said time but you should not worry nonetheless since this article is mindful of the same and so the picture that it presents is one that is up to date i.e. I drop the provisions that have ever since been abandoned and pay attention to those passed along the way.
The specifics include the broad branches of window tinting i.e. window tinting and window darkness. From there, I share about other provisions that are important too if one a complete picture is going to be portrayed, those on enforcement and exemptions for example.
The article concludes with insights that are not exactly legal but crucial for a deeper appreciation of whatever will have been covered at that point.
You will also realize that every now and then, my analysis compares the laws discussed with those of other states in the country; it is my hope that this will help you appreciate how much considerate or otherwise Kansas law is in a the situation being tackled.
And as always, I yet want to emphasize that the articles on this site are written in very simple language not least this one. While the topic being discussed is a legal one therefore, you do not have your lawyer read this essay for you as it does not presume that all my audience has gone through law school.
Kansas Window Tinting Darkness Laws
Window tinting darkness is the more famous of the two broad branches of tinting i.e. when most people hear about tinting, it is window tinting darkness that they will think about.
Tinting darkness does its thing by literally blocking the light that comes its way from entering the car onto which the film in question is placed.
Important to note though, is that not all tint falling in this category will block the same amount of lighting. To appreciate this, we need to define the concept of Visible Light Transmission also VLT which is basically the measurement in which window tint darkness is appropriated. VLT represents the proportion of the light coming towards a window that enters the car and it is quantified in percentages.
The higher the VLT figures, the more there is light that a given window will allow into a car. As a matter of illustration, a window tint film whose darkness is 90% VLT permits much more light into vehicles that will use it than those that adopt one that is 40% VLT.
Legislators thus, determine how much tint darkness is to be allowed on which car by providing the VLT percentages to be used.
Generally, there are two factors that influence the decisions that law makers will eventually settle upon the first one being the type of car that one is looking at.
This basically entails the structure of the car, and then its purpose. Let’s look at an example from the second category. In some cases, law enforcement vehicles will be allowed to use more VLT percentages than what is normally allowed for other road users the rationale being protection of police officers from the nefarious character that they often have to chase through the concealment of their identity.
These cars are also relatively few though, so there is a low risk of abuse since they are easy to track down.
The second factor is about the position of the windows on the car. Whereas windows may belong to the same vehicle it would be a mistake to allocate them the same VLT percentages as their roles are different.
A notorious example that you will almost see reflected in almost every law that you look at is windshields. Law makers are very careful not to allow low VLT percentages for these windows or any reduction in VLT at all sometimes given the fact that it is through windshields that drivers get to interact with the most important part of the road i.e. the front.
These factors notwithstanding however, it is not always the case that all states follow both. Sometimes they consider just one, or even none. In the sake of Kansas, only the positions of the windows hinder the VLT percentages allowed. Here are the specifics;
- Windshield: tint is only allowed above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.
- 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.
Kansas Window Tinting Reflection Laws
Window tinting reflection is the least famous of tinting then i.e. not many people will think about it whenever topics of tinting come up. This should not get you thinking however, that it does not work.
If anything, there are areas in which it beats tint reflection. I would therefore recommend that you ask a professional first about your unique situation whenever you choose to do some tinting about whether to go the way of tint darkness or otherwise, rather than going with the bandwagon.
Like its name suggests, tint reflection goes about its thing by deflecting portions of lighting that come its way.
Tint reflection is measured in percentages too with high figures being of concern to regulators since they would be reflecting a lot of light thereby causing disruptions for the people on whom the rays land.
This issue makes legislating more important under window tint reflection more than under tint darkness.
This is largely because, any bad tinting practices under the latter category would be more likely to affect the persons driving the car e.g. if too much darkness causes unclear viewing thereby causing them to land into an accident.
Under tint reflection however, the individuals to be directly impacted are often innocent third parties i.e. the folks that view the light being reflected from the outside of the car.
It is they who are likely to be made uncomfortable and even have their lives placed at risk thereby making it that car owners have very little incentive to do what should be otherwise expected of them.
In order to arrive at the reflection percentages to be allowed and not allowed under window tinting reflection, law makers still follow the factors discussed under window tinting darkness, that is, the car type in question and then the window positions.
Again, it is not always the case that all states follow both of them. In the case of Kansas, only the second is considered. We now look at the real terms;
- Front side windows: the tint used should not be metallic or have mirrored appearance.
- Backside windows: the tint used should not be metallic or have mirrored appearance.
Other Kansas Window Tinting Laws
With window tint reflection settled and tint darkness, you can consider yourself as having the thrust of what makes Kansas window tint regulations.
Keep with me for a little more while though because there are other provisions that are so important that not knowing them leaves you half empty.
To be sure though, I am not under this section attempting to tell you everything there is under Kansas tinting laws.
First of all, I would not do that because it is not necessary but also what difference would it made for you reading this article or the real laws yourself?
- Restrictions on colors: Kansas restricts the usage of the colors of red, yellow, and amber in tinting cars. While there are states that do not have any restrictions on colors, it is fair to say that this requirement is moderate. Many local governments will at ban red and amber.
The rationale here would be that these colors are too shouting and so, they are likely to cause the distortions discussed above under tint reflection if at all they are used.
- Dual side mirrors: in Kansas, drivers are expected to install two side mirrors on each side of the sides of their cars whenever they have used tint for their rear mirror. This imposition is relatively moderate too though there are states that ask for it only when a driver has used 0% VLT for the rear window.
In whichever angle one may view the provision though, it is fair to say that its intentions are noble. When the rear window is interfered with by tint, it becomes more difficult for them to see through it and establish the situation of the road behind the car. Side mirrors come in thus, in replacement.
- Certificates and stickers: Kansas does not ask manufacturers to issue certificates for the buyers of tint. Certificates in the tinting industry refer to documentation issued by manufactures attesting to the fact that the tint in question complies with the applicable state law. They become especially important when it comes to matters of accountability e.g. when the police pulls a driver over, finds that their VLT percentages are illegal, and are now trying to establish on whom the fault lies.
Stickers play pretty much the same role as certificates with the major difference being portability. This is the case because rather than having to carry documentation in a car in the case of certificates, stickers simplify things for the driver since they can be attached on the windows once and for all. Like with certificates, Kansas does not insist that stickers are issued to drivers.
Despite the non-mandatory nature of stickers and certificates however, I would strongly encourage you to at least one of them if you can. It helps avoid unnecessary friction with law enforcement should you ever find yourself in an uncomfortable scenario.
- Medical exemptions: medical exemptions refer to cases in which persons who are unable to comply to the general VLT or reflection percentages as discussed before due to intervening health conditions are allowed special consideration by the law. Common examples of conditions that are excused hereunder include issues to do with skin and eye diseases. In Kansas however, no exemptions of this nature exist whatsoever.
This is quite surprising and to say the least, very restrictive as the concept of exemptions is rather recognized by most of the states in the United States. Moreover, the few states that do not allow for the exceptions will unlike Kansas have their VLT percentages as low as 20%.
If at all you live in Kansas though, and you are unlucky to be suffering an ailment which would have been excused should you have been a driver in another state, then not all hope is lost as there are means to still work within the law whilst tending to your health too.
For folks with skin issues, you can always wear sunscreen or clothes that cover the whole of your body whilst those with eye defects can take to putting on sunglasses.
- Penalties: window tint violations are considered civil cases. This means that one cannot be taken to jail over committing one. This is usually the approach taken by most states though there are those that have the option of imprisonment which may be served on top of paying the money or just when the person whose actions contradicted the law cannot pay the stipulated sum.
To be more specific, these offenses are taken to be Class C misdemeanors with a fine $96 being the money to be paid in an eventuality of violation. This money is fairly lenient if compared with laws elsewhere. Note too, that it is not likely that you will be asked to pay the money if at all you are a first time offender.
Others
Having looked at the laws, we now turn to practical knowledge. I trust that you will need to know a few more things beyond what the law says if you are going to make an intelligent decision that you will not regret many months down the road. This section in particular, looks at the advantages of tinting cars.
Knowing that there are benefits that everyone knows e.g. ensuring privacy, I have selected the ones that are less popular and yet equally important if not more.
- Enhancing television experience: for folks whom TV is a part of the car experience e.g. if you are carrying kids with you, then tinting is not something you should overlook as it ensures that the display on your television is clear by keeping light from getting to it.
- Cooling: now, tinting does not only keep out light rays but also heat too. The net effect of this is that your car does not get heated say when you are parked under the sun. In the end, you will find that driving in the car becomes more comfortable.
An added advantage here is that one will find themselves saving energy as they will no longer need to use air conditioning for example.
Kansas State Info
Kansas is one of the fifty states that make up the United States of America. It is located in the Midwestern region to be specific and it gets its name from the traditional Kansa tribe which inhibited the area. The translation of the name would be “people of the south” also “people of the wind”.
The state spans approximately 213,000 km sq. Its capital is Topeka. Other cities in Kansas include; Kansas City, Prairie Village, Independence, Olathe, El Dorado, and Merriam.