As the car industry tilts more and more towards aesthetics over and above functionality, one of the things that have gain unprecedented popularity is tinting.
The challenge of course, is that whenever many people are engaged with the same thing it is easy that things will go wrong should there be no caution taken. It is for this rationale then, that tinting regulation law comes in place.
In Maryland, the first legislation of this nature was passed in 1995 with modifications to it being passed over the years. You should not worry about the said developments as this article is a representation of the outstanding aspects of each of them that you should know.
The specifics covered traverse the broad aspects of tinting laws as applying to Maryland (tint darkness and reflection), other important clauses (e.g. in relation to enforcement), as well as insights on practical aspects of tinting generally.
As I go through the analysis, I have been mindful to compare the different laws to their equivalent elsewhere in the country as I hope that that will help provide you with some context in terms of how to judge the state’s approach to tinting law vis-à-vis what the case is like elsewhere.
And as always, I have written in language that is plain and very simple to understand. It is my view that the law cannot just be for lawyers as its effects extend very broadly to the lives of day-to-day people. There is therefore no reason as to why the lay person should not know what they are expected of without first needing to consult with someone that went to law school.
Maryland Window Tinting Darkness Laws
Window tinting darkness law regulates the aspect of tinting that is most famous i.e. when people hear about tint, the first thing that comes to their minds is tint darkness. And the way it works, is by literally blocking some percentage of the light that comes its way from passing through it and therefore the windows too.
Not all tint of this nature blocks the same proportion of lighting though. To appreciate this, it is salient that we talk about the concept of Visible Light Transmission– also VLT. VLT refers to the percentage of the light that is coming towards the window that actually passes through.
It is measured in percentage with the highest figures indicating more light being allowed in a vehicle. Occupants of car whose tinting is 90% VLT will thus have more light on the inside than if they were to sit in a car that has a VLT of 40%.
When coming up with laws therefore, legislators are going to have the standards under darkness couched around VLT language. In order to do this though, two factors are usually at play i.e. the kind of car that one is looking at and then the position of different windows on the said car.
In regards to the first factor, we can look at law enforcement vehicles in order to illustrate the point. In some states, these cars are allowed considerably less amounts of VLT figures if compared to the other cars the reason being that because officers are going to be involved with malicious character at a rate that is more than usual, it is salient that their identities are protected for the sake of the privacy of their private life.
Additionally, there is a guarantee here that because the said cars are considerably few, it is easy to track them down should there be issues of this allowance being abused.
As for the position of windows on the car, different windows are allowed different VLT percentages depending on their unique roles.
The windshield thus, is usually allowed the least amounts given that it provides the point of direct interaction with the road upfront to the person behind the steering wheel.
Now, there are concerns over how the appearance of a car with different VLT across the windows is not a nice one and for that, my response is that you can always tint the windows with the figure expected of the most restricted window.
Not all states are going to follow the two factors however. Some only work with one, others both, and then there are those which like Maryland, adopt both. Below are the particulars for Maryland.
- Sedans
Windshield: tint is only allowed for the top five inches of the screen.
Front side windows: a maximum of 35% VLT must be used.
Backside windows: a maximum of 35% VLT must be used.
Rear window: a maximum of 35% VLT must be used.
- SUVs and Vans
Windshield: tint is only allowed for the top five inches of the screen.
Front side windows: a maximum of 35% VLT must be used.
Backside windows: there are no restrictions whatsoever i.e. tint as low as 0% VLT can be used.
Rear window: there are no restrictions whatsoever i.e. tint as low as 0% VLT can be used.
Maryland Window Tinting Laws
Window tint reflection law then regulates the less famous part to of tinting i.e. not many people will think about tint reflection when they are told about tint. Important to underscore though, is the fact that this does not mean that tint reflection works.
If at all, there are several instances in which without a doubt, tint reflection beats tint darkness. I would therefore encourage you to always seek professional advice in relation to which of the options to take whenever you intend to tint a car.
Tint reflection works by deflecting part of the light coming its way just like its name suggests. It too is measured in percentages with the major difference being that we are looking this time round at how much of the light in question is being reflected.
The higher the figures, the more the tint in question is going to reflect light. Lawmakers often want to keep those numbers as low as possible.
Note that the nature of tint reflection means that regulation is more important thereunder even more than under tinting darkness. This is the case because whereas the persons that are exposed to risk occasioning from bad practices under the latter bracket are the vehicle owners themselves (meaning that they will know better not to increase such likelihood), tables turn to have innocent persons become the affected ones with tint reflection.
Consider the issue sight distortion; bad tinting darkness is going to blur the vision of the driver inside whereas tint reflection is instead going to confuse the persons looking at the vehicle on which it is used from the outside thanks to too much light being projected on them.
As for the influencing factors, the two discussed under tinting darkness apply here too i.e. the type of car that one is looking at and then the positions of different windows.
Only the last one applies in Maryland meaning that it does not matter whether one drives a sedan or SUZ. Below are the particulars.
- Front side windows: metallic and mirrored appearance is not allowed.
- Backside windows: metallic and mirrored appearance is not allowed.
Other Maryland Window Tinting Laws
Where we stand at now, we have pretty much covered the foundational aspects of tinting laws in Maryland. Wait to look away though because there are still provisions for which if you do not get to know, there are high chances that you are still going to find yourself violating them and therefore get into trouble with the state machinery. These are the one that this section sets out to cover.
Obviously, I don’t intend here to cover everything that there is. First because it is simply not possible for the space we have, but it is also not necessary either.
- Certificates and stickers: in Maryland, it is incumbent on manufacturers to certify their film. Certification in tinting language means that manufacturers issue documentation that affirms that the tint in question conforms to the standards set in the laws applicable. This is important especially in situations of violations where responsibility has to be determined regarding who did what. If you were to be pulled over for too dark tint for instance, you could argue your case by showing your certificates from which it could be deduced that it was the issuer that misled you instead.
Stickers serve more or less the same purpose as certificates with the major difference being that they are portable. Rather than worry about carrying paperwork wherever one goes thus, a sticker would be placed on a car window once and for all. Maryland leaves the option of stickers optional.
Here we can say that Maryland’s take here is moderate i.e. there are states that mandate both the usage of stickers and certificates on the one hand, and then those that ask neither requirements.
- Side mirrors: Maryland mandates the installation of side mirrors on either side of the car should a driver decide to tint their rear window with 0% VLT (if one correlates this with the discussion under tint darkness, you realize that we are talking here about SUVs and vans). This requirement is common to find so the state is certainly in the majority on this point. That said, there are a few other states that do not mandate this requirement.
The rationale for side mirrors goes back to the fact that the rear is the point that a driver is otherwise supposed to keeps tabs with the happenings behind the car. By blocking it then, it becomes important to have the same replaced. Allowing for this tinting then, but also the side mirrors, states are trying to allow as much comfort as possible for their citizenry without having to compromise safety. It sounds like a fair equilibrium if you asked me.
- Restrictions on Color: Maryland bans the usage of red, yellow, and amber when tinting car windows. Relating this to the situation of other states, one would conclude that Maryland is just short of being in the mainstream approach to this issue by only one color (yellow). Most states thus, usually ban the usage of red and amber in tinting vehicles. A considerable number too do not limit any color usage at all.
States like Maryland disallow tint of certain colors because they view them as being very shouting thereby creating a greater possibility for distortions when light shines on them.
- Medical exemption: the state allows for medical exemption for certain groups of people. This approach is hinged in the well appreciated idea of there being persons whom because of their health conditions it is impossible for them to follow the general requirements under tint darkness or reflection without having their health compromised. Usually, these cases involve cases to do with eye complications or skin issues. Common examples here are lupus and albinism.
Note that it is not enough that you are legitimately suffering from any of these ailments. It is important to that you follow the procedure of obtaining special permission in Maryland. It involves obtaining certification from a qualified medical practitioner attesting to your medical condition after which you can make an application to the state police whilst attaching the said certificate. The agency’s Automotive Safety Enforcement Division will then review your request and get back if they find that it merits their criteria with an approval. You can do the application yourself though there are also experts that specialize in this area.
Most states have official ways in which special allowance for medical cases is allowed with the only difference from Maryland being the specifics of how to go about it. This is the case because there is a need to shelter this process from disingenuous characters who may want to take advantage of it.
Okay then, everything legal is said and done up to this point. In my experience though, things never stop there in the real world i.e. prior to making the decision of whether to go on and tint your car or not and then which tint to exactly work with if you elect that you will be tinting the said vehicle the queries in your mind are going to be settled with the aid of some more information.
I thought I should help you with that too then so you do not have to trouble yourself with searching the internet some more. Here we go.
- Unique advantages: most people only tend to associate tinting with the benefit of privacy. Besides it however, there are many more advantages some of which I would argue are even more important. Consider the issue of health for example. And I am not talking about here about the scenarios discussed under medical exemptions but rather people that are perfectly fine. We know that by reduced exposure to UV light for example, reduces the risk of skin cancer by significant proportions.
Tinting also reduces energy consumption for vehicles majorly by keeping the inside cool meaning that air conditioning would not be needed as much.
- How long tint lasts: this issue is entirely dependent on the circumstances at hand. Some of the intervening factors include not least, the quality of the tint used, the environment in which you drive, tint maintenance, as well as the professionalism involved during installation. A balance of these will have your tint last between five and ten years.
This is how the factors mentioned play out. For maintenance, one has to do cleaning with non-abrasive tools. Natural conditions that are harshest to tint are too much sunshine and temperatures. Installation experts help correct for easy peeling and bubbling.
Maryland State Info
The state is located in the mid-Atlantic region bordering among others, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia. Uniquely, Maryland has three nicknames that is, Chesapeake Bay State, Old Line State, and Free State. Historically, Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the US Constitution so yes, it was quite ahead in the game.
The Free State sits on roughly 32,000 km sq with its largest state being Baltimore. The capital is Annapolis. Other cities in Maryland include; Oxford, St. Michaels, Hanover, Hyattsville, Fredrick, and Chevy Chase.