Philly will soon ticket parked vehicles with illegal window tint

Vehicle owners in Philadelphia who use window tint may want to make sure their sun-screening meets state guidelines or they could receive new fines.

That's because, with a new ordinance the mayor has recently signed, vehicles parked in the city could receive fines of up to $100 if a vehicle's window tint is darker than state law allows.

State law requires vehicle windows to permit 70% of light contacting the window to pass through it.

In a statement on the new ordinance, the office of City Councilmember Mike Driscoll (D-6th dist.), who authored the legislation, said tinting that is typically installed in a vehicle by a manufacturer complies with this threshold, though, tinting done by independent installers often does not.

“Illegally tinted windows are a real threat to law-abiding Philadelphians. From a traffic safety perspective, we often rely on visual cues from other drivers in making decisions such as when to proceed through a stop sign, merge or make a turn. If I can’t see the other driver, the absence of that cue can be dangerous," ” said Driscoll in a statement. “From a law-enforcement perspective, the danger is magnified. The inability to see if an operator is complying with lawful instructions places law enforcement and the operator themselves in real danger. With excessive tinting, an innocuous action is more easily interpreted reaching for a weapon or doing something with the intent to harm.”

In a statement, Driscoll's office said that the legislation -- which passed through City Council unanimously -- was drafted "in response to police and public concerns about the proliferation of excessively tinted windows designed to prevent a vehicle operator from being identified."

The new ordinance prohibits the parking of a vehicle with a “sun screening device,” referring to a sun screening device or other material which, if used by a person driving a motor vehicle, would constitute a violation Pa. Motor Vehicle Code.

“While many who have had their windows tinted are law abiding citizens and have done so without any ill intent, we know that others have installed illegal tinting for the express purpose to avoid identification while committing crimes or engaging in inherently dangerous activities such as illegal street racing and drifting," Driscoll said in a statement. "As city officials, we will not tolerate activities that endanger those who live and work here.”

The ordinance is set to go into effect in 60 days and, those who violate the new law will face a $100 fine.