Window tinting may not be as legal as it seems

By By Mike Mostaffa (Contact)

Thursday, January 26, 2006

When John Armel, Lenexa senior, drives his black 1997 Toyota Camry through the streets of Lawrence, he feels almost invisible. And with the jet-black tint that covers all of his windows, he pretty much is invisible to the other drivers on the road.

While Armel’s windows provide his ride with privacy, solar protection and a certain visual appeal, they also are illegal in the state of Kansas.

Armel decided to have his windows tinted at a local shop last year to block sun rays and provide privacy while he drives.

“If I’m in a car that does not have tinted windows I feel weird, like everyone is looking at me,” Armel said.

A Kansas statute states that no vehicle can have a window tint of less than 35 percent. A window with 35 percent tint has the ability to block 65 percent of visible light.

Armel’s driver’s and passenger’s side windows are covered with 20 percent tint, while the back and rear windows are covered with 5 percent tint. That means 80 percent of light is blocked in the front side windows and 95 percent is blocked in the back.

Tom Patel, owner of University Audio, 2319 Louisiana, has provided window-tinting services for 22 years. While Patel said he and his employees abide by state laws, most of the customers who come in want an illegal tint.

“About two-thirds of everyone that comes in asks for a tint that is darker then 35 percent,” he said.

Window tint laws differ from state to state. The state the driver’s vehicle is registered in is the law the driver has to follow, said Sgt. Dan Ward, Lawrence Police Department spokesman.

Lawrence police use a meter that, when held to a window, measures the percent of tint, Ward said.

While the Lawrence Police Department and police across the state have the ability to check the percentage of tint in windows, that has not stopped drivers like Armel from illegally tinting their windows.

Armel said he was much more worried about getting a speeding ticket than receiving a citation for his illegal windows.

“I’ve been pulled over three times since I’ve got my windows tinted, and each time the officer never mentioned anything about it,” he said.

— Edited by Frank Tankard

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