Out-of-State Window Tint Laws & stealth camping - which one?

[justsomeguy]

I plan on doing some road trips and stealth camping in my van, but each state and province seems to have different window tint laws, so which law do I follow? Or do I take the "lowest common denominator" - aka factory privacy glass? I wonder if I just put up curtains on all side windows behind the driver's seat if that would be OK? Or would it be considered like a super dark window tint?

It seems some states have different window tint laws for car and vans/SUV's (with the latter being allowed darker tint on the back windows). I know they want lighter tint so that a police office can see if there are any passengers, and what they are doing. But if I had a cargo van (which could have seating in back), it would have steel sides, so obviously no window tint law would apply. Last year I drove to Florida in a Corolla with the darker 35% tint on ALL windows (except the windshield) and maybe I was just lucky, but I did not get hassled anywhere. I drove through MI, OH, KY, TN, GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, WV, PA & NY, clearly in violation of window tint several times. But I didn't speed or drive like an idiot to attract attention to myself. Maybe that's the secret?

Currently I live near Toronto, so I have to comply with the window tint laws for the province of Ontario. But there's actually no specific law... it's up the individual police officer's discretion. So, if you have a black interior and it's at night, the same tint could look a lot darker than for someone with a light gray or beige interior, viewed in full daylight. Unofficially, the "law" is 35% window tint (meaning at least 35% of light can pass through). When I lived in Montreal, the province of Quebec allowed only 70% window tint on front windows, and I think you could use any darkness on the back windows. If I move out west to British Columbia, NO tint is allowed on the front driver and passenger windows (along with a few US states). I suppose right now my van is compliant no matter where I go, as it's got the factory "privacy glass" which is probably a 50% tint on all windows, except for the front windows which have no tint.

But, if I don't move out west to BC, I will be moving to the Niagara Peninsula (Canadian side, in Ontario), so I will be very close to Niagara Falls, NY and Buffalo, NY and will likely go there often in my Astro. New York state allows any darkness on the back windows, but only 70% on the front windows. But in Ontario, where my van is registered, I could put the darker 35% tint on my front windows (the "unofficial law"). And let's say I drive to New Jersey... NO tint is allowed on the front windows.

I don't want to attract attention of the cops, especially if I'm stealth camping (hence the reason I want the darkest possible window tint). If I kept my factory tint only, but put curtains on the side and back windows, is that counted as dark window tint? I suppose I could open the curtains when driving and close them when parked, but that would become a hassle to do a few times per day if I'm on a 6 or 8 week road trip. Plus I'd like to keep prying eyes out of my van when I park it and leave it unattended. I wonder if a cop would pull me over, but then realize I'm from out of state and that I'm compliant for the area my van is registered in, but not the state I'm driving through?

See the pic of my van below - notice how you can see through the factory "privacy glass" on the rear windows? If you want to check tint laws for a specific state, try either of these sites:

http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/ny (just change the state at the end of the URL to view another state)

http://www.tri-statewindowtint.com/us-s ... -laws.html

[Jasen]

I think if your in line with the state/province laws the vehicle is registered in, your fine. I don't see it any different then me driving through a state the requires a state inspection sticker.

[paintdrying]

No, no. If you register in one state and cross into the next state they can ticket you. The laws are different from state to state but it sounds like you will be fine. Not attracting attention to yourself is key. I would not do the curtain thing, attracts to much attention.
If you get pulled over just do not scare the cop, make sure he can see your hands, do not reach for anything when looking at him. If you need to grab something look away. Common sense stuff. I would not worry about it. I had a skin condition that required my windows to be tinted, as per doctors orders. Never had a problem anyway... Drove across America with totally blacked out back windows and never had a problem

[chevymaher]

I am glad I don't live where some of you all do. The laws are ridiculous. You can drive a panel van with no windows and it perfectly legal, put up curtains and your pulled over. Ain't there somebody selling crack somewhere them idiots can mess with.

Anyway my moms second van was a custom. It had dark windows, curtains The table that can be made into a bed in the back. She drove it coast to coast camping and what not. She never got pulled over. So just not looking guilty helps some.

Window tint as dark as my van has is illegal in the next state. If it dark enough they can't see faces, it is illegal. You can't even tell there somebody in the back on mine unless the sun shining in from the other side of the van. Then you just see a outline.
I have had people from there ask if I ever get pulled over when I am there. Never have. I guess they see the Halo above my head and let me pass.

[justsomeguy]

Hmmm.... tough choice. At first, I though that as long as the tint was compliant in the province/state where the van is registered, I'd be OK. Kind of a gray area. And even still, a rookie cop could see me driving through a state that does not allow such dark tint, and pull me over for that, thinking that if I'm in that state, I must be complaint with their tint laws. Once a cop has his/her mind made up, it's hard to convince them otherwise. I was once stopped at a roadside spot check in Ontario (driving a car registered in Quebec). The cops were looking for drunk drivers. He thought I was in violation of not having a front license plate, and no sticker on the back plate. I had a hard time convincing him the Quebec does not use front license plates nor do they use stickers on the back plates. He finally let me go when I showed him the regulation that was printed on the back of my registration. So, same thing could happen with window tint a misinformed cop trying to assert his/her authority.

I'm a pretty easy going driver. I do not drive aggressively, and I (usually) drive at the speed limit. I think as long as I don't drive like an idiot and draw attention to myself, that will go a long way. Unless there's a cop who's bored and wants to pull me over for my window tint. Maybe I should just make my tint compliant to New York state's tint law, since I will probably drive through there often if I move to the Niagara Peninsula. That would be 70% tint on the front driver and passenger window (so d@mn light, hardly seems worth tinting, so maybe I'd skip those) and then as dark as I want on all the back windows. Considering there's already factory privacy tint on the windows, it should be really dark if I used 5% limo tint. I might not even need curtains, which would be great, because curtains would be hassle to keep opening and closing each time I park. Of course, if I tint the windows this way, I'm taking a chance whenever I drive through a state that does not allow that kind of tint.

[Jasen]

Get some black self adhesive vinyl and put it on the windows while your driving, it's no different then no windows or painted windows, they can't see in, no one can see out, which is what I understand about the reasoning behind the dark tint, a bad guy with a gun can see them, but they can't see the bad guy.

[TDMobile]

I always figured that if you painted all the windows except the passenger and driver fronts and windshield, no one could say a thing to you about it. panel vans have none but those three windows, and if you transport expensive stuff (like a ton of tools, or diamonds, or whatever), you should be entitled to the same protection that a panel van/box truck/semi truck allows. Curtains, I can understand could be a hazard, but dark tint won't hurt anyone - it's fixed on the window, it actually adds protection in the event of an accident (shards of glass don't fly through the cabin - they stick to the vinyl tint) and no matter how dark TINT is, you can still see how many occupants unless they're laying down. If you have people laying down in your van while you drive, you might have bigger problems than how dark your tint is to worry about

[88astroLT]

Your back windows look more like 20%
50% is much lighter. I would use 35% tint on my front windows as you can see the inside from the outside not to terribly hard. 20% is just fine for my back windows.

[justsomeguy]

I thought of using black adhesive vinyl, but I'd still like to be able to see out the windows. Not so much when I'm driving (I'm used to driving trucks, vans, buses, etc with little to no rear visibility), although the extra visibility for lane changes and backing up is nice. And for when I put the seats back in and carry passengers - nice for them to see out the windows. But I'd also like to be able to see out the window if I'm stealth camping in the back of the van. During daylight hours, it lets in more light. Even with dark tint, I can still see out the windows - day or night. Then again, if I had a cargo Astro van, with no side or back windows, it would be the same as having the black vinyl on my windows. Maybe if it's cheap enough, I could put the black vinyl on the windows for the 6 to 8 week road trip and then peel it off when I get back.

I'm not really sure what tint the factory privacy glass is. It could be 20% but on a sunny day, you can see right into the van, with quite a bit of detail. And at night, if the dome lights are on, you can also see quite clearly into the van. I've had a few cars with dark tint on the back windows, and it seemed like they blocked out a lot more than these factory tinted windows privacy glass.

From a police officer's standpoint, the current level of tint is good - a cop could see in easily, especially with a flashlight or if I'm under a street light when it's dark. If I tint the windows darker, I don't think this would still be possible. Kind of what I want really, not that I'm up to criminal activity and want to hide something, I just want privacy when stealth camping and so people can't see what stuff I have inside. I'd even be willing to leave the front windows clear and untinted. There will not be any passengers in the back, although when I put the seats back in, I may occasionally have passengers. This tint dilemma kind of makes me wish I had a cargo van! (although a passenger van may blend in better in many cases, where a cargo van may look suspicious or out of place).

[Jasen]

My thinking as clingy stuff so you could pull it off when you get to your camp sight.

[chevymaher]

Jeeze where do you live? If a cargo van looks suspicious and is grounds for being pulled over. Who is the governor there Hitler? Scariest thing to me is your so numb to totalitarian police tactics your taking it in stride. It is a free country, they are losing site of that. Move far away.
It is legal in 50 states and most foreign countries. Now that is suspicious and grounds to be harassed. Some thing is wrong with this picture.

[justsomeguy]

Jeeze where do you live? If a cargo van looks suspicious and is grounds for being pulled over. Who is the governor there Hitler? Scariest thing to me is your so numb to totalitarian police tactics your taking it in stride. It is a free country, they are losing site of that. Move far away.
It is legal in 50 states and most foreign countries. Now that is suspicious and grounds to be harassed. Some thing is wrong with this picture.

Haha, no... what I meant was the "white cargo van" syndrome - people often think of that as a pedophile van. And also, when you're stealth camping, a lot of people use a cargo van converted to a stealth camper (not a window van, unless it's actually a conversion van, which looks more obvious). So if you're parked in a place where it's frowned upon to sleep in your van (like in a parking lot in the suburbs visitor parking at an apartment, in a hotel parking lot, or on a residential street where everyone knows the cars that are normally there), a cargo van may stick out more.

A passenger mini van with windows tends to blend in better and may not be suspected of being used for camping in an urban area. A passenger van with windows can probably blend in better. When I had a cargo van, I once got pulled over for having done nothing wrong, other than the cop was suspicious why I was driving a cargo van around at night in a residential area. I had a part time job delivering newspapers to houses and stores at that time (about 15 years ago).

Jasen, I'll look into the clingey vinyl stuff. I wonder how it would hold up long term? I don't really look forward to peeling it off and putting it back on every day though. If anything I would keep it off while driving and put it on the windows at night so people can't see me. Sometimes I could be in a legitimate camp ground, but sometimes I like to save money and park in a parking lot in an urban area, or in a hotel parking lot. I just don't want people to look inside and see me, and in some places, you can get a ticket for doing that.

[chevymaher]

Got cha. Mom been traveling. They got rest areas with stores and McDonalds, public showers. She was texting me about them. That may be a good spot to go.

[tedanderson]

I have limo tint on all of my windows which I know to be HIGHLY illegal. But in the last couple of times that I've been pulled over for other violations, the cop never said anything about the tint.

In fact the only time that I was ever bothered about my tinted windows was when I was in neighboring Virginia at the 7-11 when a motorcycle cop pulled in behind me and parked in the next space. As I was making my way inside, he started looking through the windshield and the driver's door. When I came out I asked him what was going on. He said, "Good grief! That tint is awfully dark! Is that 5%? You better do something about that or else the police might give you a ticket!" Then he hopped on his bike and rode off.


But anyway, I've met people who told me that they were able to keep their tint being that the car was registered in Florida or some other sunny state and if they ever got a ticket, they could always successfully get adjudication by mail.

[Jasen]

Here some of the people that have fallen on hard times skip the whole van camping/living and go straight to the Winnebago. Just up the street from my old place was light industrial, there were 5-6 motor homes or P/U campers parked on the side of the road every night with people living in them. They were clean and considerate, just had a bad turn in life, so I never had a problem with their form of survival, but the police sure did.

[tedanderson]

They were clean and considerate, just had a bad turn in life, so I never had a problem with their form of survival, but the police sure did.

I guess that's why the 'occupy' protesters were were allowed to stay here as long as they did.. because the park was always clean and they didn't bother anyone.

[paintdrying]

Seattle was always a safe haven for rv living. Lines on vans and rv all around green lake and such. About four years ago they pushed them all up past 125th and Roosevelt. Closer to you Jason. I was know among the homeless as the guy that sealed the water leaks

[justsomeguy]

A Winnebago or pickup with a camper shell would certainly be more comfortable and have nicer amenities, but they stand out more. I saw a YouTube video (which was from a Los Angeles TV station I think) and they were talking about the homeless population and how some streets were popular places for them to stay. They went up and down a few of them, and all you saw were old motorhomes, cargo and conversion vans with raised tops, pickups with camper shells and even the occasional tow-behind camper. It was quite obvious they were living there. And paying $20 a night for a campground spot gets pretty expensive after a while, so most people just look for someplace to park for free most of the time.

I actually thought about buying a small motorhome or Class B motorhome (van based). But unless I'm using it 6 months out of the year, or all year, it's not worth it. I might use it for 6 to 8 weeks out of the year. A lot of people who have them just use them 2 weeks out of the year and they stay parked in their driveway 11 and a half months of the year. At least with my Astro, if I make stuff that can be removed when I get back, it will be a passenger van again. And when I need it to be a camper again, I take the seats out and put the camping stuff in there. A friend of mine made a nice camper out of an old shorty school bus, but it was hardly discrete, especially with untinted windows and he painted the body electric blue and put stickers all over it.

A passenger mini van is not typically the kind of vehicle people live out of. But some people do, some even live out of compact cars or SUV's with less headroom, even long term. Just go on YouTube and search "vandwelling" and you'll see how many people live out of full size cargo vans and VW Westfalias full time, for months or even years. A popular choice for vandwellers (whether by choice because they want to travel on the cheap or because they fell on hard times) is a full size cargo van. They're roomier, even without a raised top. But unless you park in a commercial area, it might stick out. Cops and bylaw officers know what to look for. In many areas, it's illegal to camp in an urban area or live in your car. So the less conspicuous you are, the better.

This winter, depending on other circumstances, I might go south for the winter and be a "snowbird" for a couple of months. Every few nights I'll probably stop at a camp ground to grab a shower, or get a day pass at gym, or grab a shower at a truck stop. But I'd like to do it on the cheap and stay in my van parked somewhere for free - a parking lot, BLM land, truck stop, etc. Some places nobody will care and I'll be just one of many, but in other places, they will care. It might be really far to go somewhere else, so I'll have to find a safe spot where I can blend in like a 24 hour supermarket, hotel parking lot, residential street, visitor parking at an apartment, etc. A nondescript Chevy Astro passenger van should fit in nicely without drawing attention, except for out of state plates.

That's why I want the dark tinted windows, so I can sleep in the van and nobody would suspect I'm in there. Even if they look in, they won't be able to see anything, especially at night. I think as long as I don't tint my front windows, or just stick to a very light tint, I can tint the back really dark, since most states and provinces seem to be OK with tinting back windows on a van or SUV. I could put up a curtain between the two front seats and with the other windows being tinted, it should be nice and stealth. And while driving in a respectable manner, not attract any attention from the police. And in the event that I do get stopped for the tint, hopefully I can explain that it's legal for Ontario, where my van is registered, and where my drivers license is from.

[TDMobile]

Along with the dark tint, I would also consider some cheap pull-down style shades, obviously black being the preferable color, but with limo tint, it wont really matter. That way, if you want to use a little battery powered push light, you'll be further stealth!! You can roll them up while driving, and pull down for sneaky/sleepy time

[justsomeguy]

Along with the dark tint, I would also consider some cheap pull-down style shades, obviously black being the preferable color, but with limo tint, it wont really matter. That way, if you want to use a little battery powered push light, you'll be further stealth!! You can roll them up while driving, and pull down for sneaky/sleepy time

Yeah, that's a good idea. I was actually just looking at some of those today on a website for RV supplies. Some of those shades are expensive - $89 to $149, depending on size. Or $249 for shades with a remote control. I have 6 windows to cover, so that could get pricey. Maybe I'll see if I can adapt some household window shades. I'm not sure what the difference is... maybe not as durable? But I bet they're a whole lot cheaper!