NC Inspection Tint

[Flint Rockbone]

Does anyone have a guy in the Charlotte area that will look the other way on dark tint for the annual inspection?

[mctigue3]

Originally Posted by Flint Rockbone

Does anyone have a guy in the Charlotte area that will look the other way on dark tint for the annual inspection?

I’m in NC, not charlotte though. I would check with your window tinter. They’ve always provided a place for me to go.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Good luck.... not many "LTOW" guys around anymore. I need one for a different reason and have come up dry

[RoundelM3]

So here's the thing - all NC State Troopers carry that little gadget the inspection stations use to measure window tint, and if you get pulled over, they'll check it and a citation will be issued.

When I first moved to NC from TX, I had 30% tint on both of our cars and of course failed inspection first time around for that reason. I went to the local State Police office and asked about an exemption (since it was only 5% difference) and a trooper and I went outside so I could point out my car in the parking lot. He looked at it from 50 feet away and said he could tell it was too dark. Had to then get both cars re-tinted, although it wasn't nearly as big a deal as I originally thought. Since then I've changed cars a few times and always gone with the high-quality "legal" tint that still looks good.

Another thing I recently discovered is that you can have your front windshield tinted with 70% film (no "rainbow" effect) which helps block UV and heat. Did this on wife's X3 and it's made a huge difference in hot weather/direct sunlight driving comfort.

[cbsoucie44]

I've heard that you can get a doctors note / optometrist note that you need window tint haha
NC has been really cracking down on tint. Im glad my f82 just has stock tint and I dont have to deal with it once a year anymore!

[cotmfk]

Originally Posted by RoundelM3

So here's the thing - all NC State Troopers carry that little gadget the inspection stations use to measure window tint, and if you get pulled over, they'll check it and a citation will be issued.

When I first moved to NC from TX, I had 30% tint on both of our cars and of course failed inspection first time around for that reason. I went to the local State Police office and asked about an exemption (since it was only 5% difference) and a trooper and I went outside so I could point out my car in the parking lot. He looked at it from 50 feet away and said he could tell it was too dark. Had to then get both cars re-tinted, although it wasn't nearly as big a deal as I originally thought. Since then I've changed cars a few times and always gone with the high-quality "legal" tint that still looks good.

Another thing I recently discovered is that you can have your front windshield tinted with 70% film (no "rainbow" effect) which helps block UV and heat. Did this on wife's X3 and it's made a huge difference in hot weather/direct sunlight driving comfort.

I did the windshield tint on my M3 (living in Florida). I did the lightest (most light transmission) possible, but it still blocks 87% of the heat. It does make a big difference, and it's not noticeable.

[cotmfk]

Originally Posted by cbsoucie44

I've heard that you can get a doctors note / optometrist note that you need window tint haha
NC has been really cracking down on tint. Im glad my f82 just has stock tint and I dont have to deal with it once a year anymore!

I had this - legally - as I have had skin cancer in the past. Most states will have a form that your optometrist or dermatologist can fill out so that you can get deeper tint than what is the normal legal limit in that particular state. It still doesn't allow you to get whatever tint you want, but it is helpful.