Waupun Police Department Discuss Window Tint Laws

(Waupun) The Waupun Police Department is highlighting Wisconsin window tint laws. Deputy Chief Ted Sullivan says front and rear-side windows must allow more than 50-percent of light in. He notes that there are ways for law enforcement to test the windows to make sure they fall within state laws.  

“There are tint meters that we have that we will have the officers carry within the squad cars,” says Sullivan. “If they end up initiating a traffic stop for what they perceive to be a tint violation…they would utilize the tint meter which is essentially something that will be placed on the window that will measure that percentage of light transmittance.”  

Sullivan adds that window tinting has been a growing problem. 

“There are folks that tint from the bottom up which is completely illegal…there’s called an AS-1 line which is located approximately eight-inches down the windshield…so, there’s a line on each windshield from the manufacturer that a persons not allowed to tint below that line,” says Sullivan. “So, anything above that line or up to that line is a legal tint…we’ve seen it where it’s tinted up from the bottom…six-inches approximately and down below that eight-inch line to ten-inches where essentially a narrow view window…any of that is going to be illegal.”        

Sullivan says the citation for an illegal tint is $175.30 and two demerit points against your license.