Illinois Tint Law

The bill to allow 50% film on the front doors, with 30% max film on the rear section, or a 38% film all around, or anything on the rear section and nothing on the fronts (all three options apply) has passed the house...Unanimously...vote was 117-0. Now it's on to the Senate.

Nice work, good job. Its those like you that actually care about the industry that make it worth while

Thanks. It still has to get through the Senate, and the Governor still has to sign it . Nobody ever thought we'd get this far though, and momentum is on our side.

What do you think is going to happen? Lets hope for 38% right? When does this bill get signed etc moving forward?

It would be nice to be able to put something on the fronts...............

I think the bill will pass and become law is what I THINK will happen. Senate is not in session again until April 21st. The bill will be debated there, more than likely amended a bit, then sent back to the House for final approval. A couple Senators are on board as sponsors and the Illinois EPA, State Police, and American Cancer Society are on board. Some verbiage and percentage numbers are being tweaked in the meantime to make it all a little less confusing. Part of the deal is to allow 38% all around. A bigger part of the deal is steep fines for ignorant customers and shop owners that don't follow the new rules. Out with Limo tint, in with lighter films. Learn to deal with it, and promote it. It's a good law for good shops. Lets hope it happens and if it does the hacks don't take this gift and screw it up.

This will be great if it goes into law! But why 38% all around? Either way, it'll be a nice change.

Because that is what the State Troopers agreed to. It's actually 35%. Not many companies make a true 35, it's mostly 38 from what I've seen. 35 can look pretty dark, I wish they would have said 40% personally, or just left it alone with our original proposal of 30/50%. We were all kind of shocked when they came into the room with all these acceptable choices. If this passes the last thing we need is the law enforcement community complaining the film is too dark. I also wanted to phase out limo tint starting with the model year 2010, but they decided that would be too confusing. I was pushing hard for a max of 20% on the rear section on passenger cars. Not many states that I know of allow that dark a film on the rear section while allowing film on the fronts on cars. The State Police were very generous with this, we better not blow it if it goes.

Good for you guys!


It makes me appreciate how generous our province is for tint laws..as dark as you want on all rear windows and vague restriction on the 2 fronts ..$100 or so fine to the owner of the car and nothing to the tinter...yet can you believe tinters STILL abuse it and put the 5% on the 2 fronts

That's about how it was/is here. But the continued abuse of dark films, especially on front doors has changed things. It's nuts, and makes it impossible to sell or promote film to anything but kids who want 5%. In time I bet you are going to end up in the same boat. All the abuse of dark film on the fronts by your competitors will get you there, and it ain't pretty.

I agree OT but what really pisses me off here in houston is it is not kids asking for 5% I get a few but it is adults 30-40 what the hell are these people doing in thers cars.

They need stiffer fines and if it is to dark and has a leagl sticker the fine should be doubled.

I like the sound of that..........

so will the police be carrying meters? What about vehicles already tinted? What about factory tinted vehicles like SUV's? Will they be able to put anything on the front or are they out of luck? Will there be certification stickers or papers?

I know you don't have all the answers, but these are coming to my mind.....

Yep..they need meters. MPVs get 50% on the fronts. No stickers or anything yet. Yes, it's alot of work, and no, it's not passed yet. Plenty of details to work out before it hits the Senate floor. Like I said, it will more than likely be tweaked in the Senate if approved, and possibly further if it goes back to the house. Be patient, you don't change 30 years of crap overnight ya know. Will all tinters and law enforcement be happy with whatever the result? NO. It's a compromise on both ends. If we weren't there, a bill would have passed fining installers for putting anything on the fronts. You have no idea how close that was to reality. That bill sponsor is now on board with the new bill, thank God. Don't assume anything right now.

looks like I will be kinda busy whenI am in Chicago for my parents 60th Anniversary, i am on vacation that next week and can knock out the windows on my Brothers cars pretty quick.
2 Ford Escapes (are all but the front aready coated on those ?) What film will match up best with the Factory and still be legal ?
'02 Thunderbird, (James Bond Edition)
'02 Mustang Flip Top (glass rear window on that one ?)
Also a Scion, the one that looks like a Breadbox on wheels)
38% NET will mean 50% on those windows ?

It's !llegal to put anything on the front doors in Illinois. Hopefully that will change, but for now, depending on your area...expect problems with film on the front doors. Again, there is NO NEW LAW YET! I hope you aren't going to come in to Chicago, throw some dark film around and leave because that would suck. If you put light film on the fronts, they might not have many problems. It's basically a mess now, like it's always been here. People driving with dark film and not having problems, and Grandpa going to Walmart to buy Velcro shoes getting cracked with 50% all around. It's insane.

I just want to add that believe me...I know how difficult it is to talk people out of dark film. The economy sucks, you get a guy in your shop pressing you to tint it dark or he's walking down the street. Do you pay your bills, or let him go? I don't have ANY answers for this dilemma, NONE. I also seen first hand the cops point of view, which makes all of this pretty complicated. Hopefully the bill will be so complicated nobody will be able to figure it out. Really, all we can do is try to somehow get the word out to "Lighten Up" to both the dealers and public. I found out there are other states with good laws that are under the microscope now also. I think it's a little unfair sometimes the way the industry is viewed. Yeah, there are knuckleheads who don't even attempt to sway people in the right direction, but the majority I think/hope are decent hard working people who are constantly pressured by both sides of the fence...customers, and the law. Kinda sucks.

Reread my post, I asked if 50% would be what it takes to make it legal.
IF it is passed as 38%, that is what would go on.
Nowhere did I say I was going to install dark film on the cars.
I will up there late in Sept, if it has passed by then, I will go ahead and do them.
At the very least, see about 50% on all but the front if the new law has not passed by then, since the T-Bird is one of only 700 built, (James Bond
Edition) to reduce interior fading.

Cool. I just wanted to make the point perfectly clear, but it didn't sound like you would go in that direction, and that's a good thing. It's just such a big deal here after 30 years of nonsense, I think you can understand my apprehension of tinters or anyone screwing it up. It won't be perfect, but it would be such a huge improvement, and open up the market to the mainstream public....I hope. When you come in, look me up and we'll have a couple beers or whatever.

What parrt of Chicago you in ?
My Brother is in a Burb by Ohare Airport, can't recall it offhand.

I'm about 15 minutes Northwest of O'Hare. Sounds like I'm close to your brother. Keep in touch, we'll go have a beer or something. Lots of good Sports Bars around with good food.

PM me and I'll let you know what town they are located, see if that is near you ?

I got your PM, and yeah..your brother is about 5-10 minutes from me. And you are probably 5 minutes from my niece, and Aunts and Uncles in Dallas no doubt.

i called to check the status of my window tint plates and was told i was denied because photophobia was not a valid reason to have tinted front windows. they said because i can just wear sun glasses. anyway, i got into it with her. but, that is something else. she knew about the new tint law that was going to be approved (finger crossed). she said it should be decided on at the end of may before they break for session. hopefully the 35% on the front windows goes through. i have been tracking this.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus...mp;SessionID=76

Photophobia? Fear of light?

That's a new one on me.

fear of light is what I thought when I first heard that term, but I looked it up online and it was a bit more than being that simple.... "Photophobia is a symptom of excessive sensitivity to light and the aversion to sunlight or well-lit places. In ordinary medical terms it is not a morbid fear, but an experience of discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photophobia

Ahh, gotcha.

It should be called photitis instead.

hmm...maybe that termiology will sway their minds on my plates? the new law will be quicker than getting the plates.

well, I wanted to update this thread. It is looking like we are going to get a new law for Illinois for certain. It is going to a third reading in the senate. I spoke to a guy from our Sec of State Police because a Drivers Testing Facility had told someone and then told me that "it is !llegal to have tint on vehicles". The fact came down to the Testing is not supposed to be done in a vehicle that has tinted windows....some sort of safety thing.... so while I was talking to this SOS Police I said something about getting a new law and he told me that "it ain't gonna happen. That is what the legislators are telling us." I can't see it NOT going through with the senate having amended it and now it is up for a third reading!! so, if anyone is interested here is a link to the status... http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus...sion=&GA=96

I really do see this law going into effect. It will be nice being able to tint all the side windows and the rear. I have been keeping my eye on it. I will have my car in the shop the first day the law passes. Hopefully they will decide on it before they let out for summer recess at the end of May.

Reading they bill are they saying they are going to allow 35% or 50% on the front windows? I looks like 35%.

Oldtinter said that it was supposed to be film percentages, but what I read it will be glass as the officer will not be able to measure the film alone. Unless they change the wording or come up with a chart for them then it will be lighter film.

The way it is falling is 35% all around, or 30% rear and 50% front. If factory tint on rear then 50% front..... Or you can do ANY darkness rear and NOTHING on the front....same as now.

I hope for film darkness and some sort of chart for the LEO's to go by or a change of the wording to make it fit....

It's film, not net. It passed the Senate about 3 hours ago. Just deal with the gift, and don't raise a ruckus about details, as that could blow this thing up. We don't need tinters freaking, and questioning everything. That was part of the reason for a low profile. It will all work out once signed, which looks like a solid bet right now. It will be a little confusing at first for all concerned, but flooding the legislators with questions right now....not good. You just have to trust that there's a reason that is a bad idea. A low profile is by far the best way right now.

either way I am very excited OT....

A lot of people are. I had a chance to watch it live on the net, I wanted to go down in person, but have been busy. My local Senator(Matt Murphy) who was kind enough to take the bill in Senate, really did a nice job with it on the Senate floor. He is contemplating running for governor....Every tinter in Illinois needs to know what he did. Suzi Bassi (my local state House rep)was the the one who worked with me on the original bill, I can't begin to tell you how hard she worked on it. These two really came through for all of us. So did the State Police and FOP. Good guys who are counting on us tinters to NOT screw this up. There were many more people that were important in helping...too many to mention here. Now we need the Governor to sign it.

It passed both houses. It is now up the governor.

Has anybody noticed that the bill that will make installing film on the driver and passenger window !llegal was sent to the Governor on June 17? Yet the bill that will allow front window tint was passed by the Senate on May 30 and still hasn't been sent to the Governor. Suzanne Bassi supports both bills also.

wow, seriously? you have the law code?

This is the bill that will make installing front window film !llegal. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus...ID=76&GA=96

Theirs also a page on Cartype that shows updates of the law. http://www.cartype.com/pages/246/illinois_window_tinting_law

It's all under control. Unless a bunch of car freaks start making noise about it. A low profile is the way to go. Try to not get a bunch of people wound up about it right now. Trust me, it's not in our best interest. Even if the bill is signed, it's up to the shop owners to abide by it and not push it. It's been said to me in no uncertain terms that this new law will and can be taken away alot faster than the 6-8 months of hard work it's taken to get it this far. Shop owners better learn the word NO in a hurry to customers that want to push the envelope, or we will be back to square one quicker than you can say dumbazz tinters. If the law enforcement community sees improvement in cars lightening up their tint, everyone will win here. Otherwise...........

6/26 sent to the govenor

I already have people coming in with wrong information on the law.....one a couple days ago thought is was 25% all around and that it was ALREADY in effect!!

and then there is the stupid House Bill "Facebook" page.....give me a break

It's messy and complicated, no doubt. It's also much ado about nothing. 35% film on a car is not a big deal to probably about 95% of the officers out there. After todays fiasco, I'd say there's a chance the governor could veto the stupid thing. My hope is he just won't touch it or take any action at all on it, in which case it automatically becomes law on August 26th. Can't go into detail here, but there was a bit of a setback today to say the least.

OT im proud of you stepping up doing this and dealing all the BS involved, im hoping and sure it will all fall thru and make sure you get recognition and credit for your efforts in our industry. Us tinters lack unity, although it begins with the manufacturer/distributor side cause they just want to push film. But they ought to be more careful on who they sell film to, that way it will weed out the h@cks in our industry.

Keep it up

Thanks Raffy. There are quite a few people working pretty hard for the cause. I have to mention Llumar again as the manufacturer who has been completely involved every step of the way. There's also been strong support from Midwest Marketing(Madico) here. And lots of regular Joes, and good cops and on and on. It's been like David vs. Goliath....lets hope Goliath don't duck at the last second, because that rock is right there.

Have you heard anything more about this law going into effect?

It appears it's going to be last minute. That's the opinion of those that are closest to the situation. He has less than 2 weeks to decide, or it becomes law by default. I dread the media reaction either way. You know it will be skewed and filled with nonsense, or based on false information. A bunch of people discussing something they know nothing, or very little about, like most "news" reports.

anything new going on with this? One more day till it goes into law right?

current status is an "amendatory veto" by the governor that changed some of the wording on the MPV section. His letter is available online and states that with that change he will be happy to sign the bill! Veto session is on for mid October.....so until then we are still where we were. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus...mp;SessionID=76 and if you want to stay up to date even better check out this Facebook page.... http://www.facebook.com/ILHB3325?v=wall&viewas=0