Hey y'all,

I am looking to get the new truck tinted next week. I know that legal tint in Texas is 25% and that during inspections they check tint level on vehicles. However the shop I was quoted at only has 20 or 35% tint.

My question is how closely do shops in Texas actually monitor your tint when you take a vehicle in for inspection? Will I regret getting 20% once I move there? Or will I be able to get away with being a little under legal during inspections?

Thanks,
-Barrett

 

I'd just get 25% from a different shop and not worry about it.

It depends entirely on who you go to, cause every inspector is different. 20% would probably be alright, but for 5%, just do it right. 3M is the best anyway, and they have 25% IIRC. San Antonio doesn't have emissions testing, like all the counties around Hou and Dallas, so they might not be as picky, but you never know.

 

They just simply do not make 25% tint

5, 20, 35, 50 are your choices. They are all in increments of 15.


I think running 20% up front and 5% on the rears will be a sharp contrast and will visually appear to be lighter in the front.

Thats what I did on Fiddy and ive never had an issue with the law while driving around or once I was pulled over for something else

 

I happened to look at the tint on a 2013 Silverado that got test driven this morning, before he asked, and it was 25%. They make it. Maybe not everyone does, but some companies do.

20% wouldn't get you pulled over, that's not a concern, but for inspecting it could. And Pat doesn't have that issue

 

Theres also quite a bit of discrepancy in language as well. Film and light emittance are two different things.

Fiddy had 20F and 5R but actual light measured emittance is 15%F and 1%R

25% measured could easily be 35% film over factory tempered/smoked glass

 

Absolutely. And Suntek makes "18%" lol. Quite a few vehicles have 18% stickers on the rear privacy glass from factory.

 

True factory tint is between the layers of the glass

 

I'm not overly worried about being pulled over... I drove with tint on the windshield of my old truck without an issue which makes me think 5% wouldn't be a problem. It's inspections I am more worried about.

The shop I normally go with is quoting me $60 for normal tint and $100 for Ceramic... any opinions on that stuff? I really just don't want to try and reduce the amount of heat that I'll be stepping into at any time. Does ceramic tint really do any justice to the additional costs?

I could also wait till I am out there (2 weeks) and look for a shop in town as another option...

 

My cousin did ceramic on his house, and dealerships are using ceramic on the new cars with the massive glass roofs to cut down on heat transfer

 

I recently had Huper Optik 35% ceramic tint installed on my wife's new Audi. What little heat and sun we have been getting, it definitely seems to be helping with the heat. The only downside is that there is a little bit of a blue hue when looking from inside to outside. It is not always noticeable, but it is there.

 

Yup, and I love that it is!

Barrett, I have 5% on top of all factory tint (nothing on windshield), and am approaching 1 year without being pulled over. I do have my windows down almost all the time and am cautious with it when around cops, but still. Maybe get it inspected here, then tint it so it isn't an issue for at least 1 year? Haha

 

My problem isn't riding around with it- it's inspections. I just read that I have to be inspected within 30 days of moving there... So I'm going with being legal. Found a shop next to linex who has 30% ceramic tint. Getting it done right now.

 

Doing it legal saves a lot of hassle

 

True story.

 

Sound good! Best posts some pics