(P.A. 84-429, S. 36.)

Cited. 30 CA 263, 266. Connecticut Window Tint Law

Sec. 14-99g. Definitions.
Tinted or reflectorized windows. 
Obstruction of view prohibited. 
Exceptions. 
Sale or delivery of motor vehicles having tinted or reflectorized 
   windows prohibited. 
Stickers required. 
Penalty.
Window tinting businesses.  
Regulations. 

(a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

     (1)   "Light transmission" means the ratio of the amount of 
           total light, expressed in percentages, which is allowed to pass 
           through a product or material including the glazing to the 
           amount of total light falling on the product or material and 
           the glazing.

     (2)   "Luminous reflectance" means the ratio of the amount 
           of total light, expressed in percentages, which is reflected 
           outward by a product or material to the amount of total light 
           falling on the product or material.

     (3)   "Manufacturer" means 

          (A) a person who engages in the manufacturing or assembling of sun 
              screening products or materials designed to be used in 
              conjunction with vehicle glazing materials, or 

          (B) a person who fabricates, laminates or tempers the glazing 
              material incorporating the capacity to reflect or to reduce 
              the transmittance of light during the manufacturing process.

(b) No person may operate any motor vehicle which has any object or material 
    placed, displayed, installed, affixed or applied in or on such vehicle 
    in a manner so as to obstruct or reduce the operator's clear and full 
    view of the road through the front windshield or the side or rear windows, 
    except as provided in subsection (c) of this section. No person may 
    place, install, affix or apply any transparent material on the front 
    windshield or the side or rear windows of any motor vehicle if such 
    material alters the color or reduces the light transmittance of such 
    windshield or side or rear windows, except as provided in 
    subsection (c) of this section. Any person required for medical reasons 
    to be shielded from direct rays of the sun or any person operating 
    a motor vehicle belonging to such person or in which such person 
    is a usual passenger shall be exempt from the provisions of this 
    subsection. Applications for such exemption based upon such medical 
    reason shall be made in writing to the commissioner and shall be 
    supported by the written documentation of a physician or optometrist 
    licensed to practice in this state.

(c) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to:

     (1)   Front side wing vents and windows  which are not mirror-like in 
           appearance and have a substance or material in conjunction with 
           glazing material that has a total light transmission of not less 
           than thirty-five per cent plus or minus three per cent and a 
           luminous reflectance of twenty-seven per cent plus or minus 
           three per cent;

     (2)   Rearview mirrors;

     (3)   Adjustable nontransparent sun visors which are mounted forward 
           of the side windows and are not attached to the glass;

     (4)   Signs, stickers or other materials which are displayed in a 
           seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest 
           removed from the driver or signs, stickers or other materials 
           which are displayed in a five-inch square in the lower corner 
           of the windshield nearest the driver;

     (5)   The  right and left side windows behind the driver and the 
           rearmost window which shall not be mirror-like in appearance, 
           having a substance or material in conjunction with glazing  
           material that has a total light transmission of not less than 
           thirty-five per cent plus or minus three per cent and a luminous 
           reflectance of twenty-one per cent to plus or minus three per cent;

     (6)   The windows behind the driver on any truck, motor bus, trailer, 
           mobile manufactured home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle, as 
           defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, 
           Section 571.3, as amended from time to time, which is registered 
           other than as a passenger motor vehicle, provided said vehicle 
           is equipped with outside mirrors on the left and right-hand sides, 
           which are so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the 
           highway for a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rear 
           of such motor vehicle;

     (7)   Direction, destination or termination signs upon a passenger 
           common carrier motor vehicle, provided the signs do not interfere 
           with the driver's clear view of approaching traffic;

     (8)   Rear window wiper motors;

     (9)   Rear trunk lid handle or hinges;

     (10)  The  rearmost window or windows, provided the motor vehicle is 
           equipped with outside mirrors on the left and right-hand sides 
           of the vehicle which are so located as to reflect to the driver 
           a view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred 
           feet to the rear of such motor vehicle;

     (11)  Transparent material which is installed, affixed or applied 
           to the topmost portion of the windshield, provided:

           (A) The bottom edge of the material is at least twenty-nine 
               inches above the undepressed driver's seat when measured 
               from a point five inches in front of the bottom of the 
               backrest with the driver's seat in its rearmost and lowermost 
               position with the vehicle on a level surface and 

           (B) the material is not red or amber in color; or

     (12)  Any sticker or certificate required to be affixed or applied 
           to any window pursuant to federal or state statute or any municipal 
           ordinance.

(d)   On and after July 1,  1996, no person shall sell, offer for sale or 
      deliver in the state any motor vehicle having a windshield or any 
      window which exceeds the standards relative to light transmission 
      and luminous reflectance specified in this section.     

(e)   Each motor vehicle manufactured and sold on and after January 1, 1994, 
      having a window which has been tinted or darkened with any tinted 
      material after factory delivery shall have affixed to the lower left 
      corner of each such window a sticker legible from outside the vehicle 
      which indicates the sticker registration number, a certification of 
      compliance with the provisions of this section, and such other 
      information as the commissioner of motor vehicles deems appropriate. 
      The sticker shall be of a type which is pressure-sensitive, 
      self-destructive upon removal, and shall not exceed one square inch 
      in size. Prior to shipping or making any such material available in 
      this state, for installation in a motor vehicle, the manufacturer 
      shall apply to the commissioner of motor vehicles for approval and 
      registration of its tinted material and the sticker which is to be 
      used in the identification and certification of compliance with the 
      light transmission and reflectance standards established  under this 
      section. The commissioner shall not approve any tinted material or 
      sticker unless the manufacturer demonstrates that the material and 
      sticker comply with the provisions of this section. The manufactured
      relative to light transmission and luminous reflectance specified in
      this section.     

(f)   Any person who violates any provision of subsections (b) to (e), 
      inclusive, of this section shall be deemed to have committed an 
      infraction for each offense. Any person who violates any provision 
      of subsection (b) of this section shall remove such object or material 
      which obstructs his clear and full view of the road and report within 
      sixty days to the police department which issued the infractions 
      complaint to present his vehicle for inspection and to demonstrate 
      compliance with the provisions of this section. If such person 
      fails to report to such police department and is cited for a subsequent 
      violation of this section, his vehicle shall be impounded after
      notice and opportunity for hearing.     

(g)   Any person owning a vehicle having a window which has been tinted or 
      darkened with any tinted material after factory delivery, shall 
      present such vehicle to the department of motor vehicles, by 
      July 1,  1996, to receive a sticker for any tinted or darkened window 
      to indicate such tinting or darkening is in compliance with this 
      section. Any person operating a motor vehicle, on or after 
      July 1,  1996, in violation of this subsection shall be deemed to 
      have committed an infraction.    

(h)   The provisions of subsections (b) to (g), inclusive, shall not apply 
      to any motor vehicle in livery service, as defined in section 13b-101.     

(i)   On or after October 1, 1993, each person, firm or corporation which 
      engages in the business of tinting windows of motor vehicles or in 
      the retail sale or installation of tinted material for such windows 
      shall post conspicuously and at all times display at each service 
      counter in its establishment a sign which shall

     (1) state the permissible standards relative to light transmission 
         and luminous reflectance specified in this section in block 
         letters not less than three inches in height, 

     (2) specify penalties for a violation of this section and 

     (3) include actual tinted materials as examples.     

(j)   Each person, firm or corporation which engages in the business of 
      tinting windows of motor vehicles and which performs such work 
      from a mobile facility shall provide a written statement to the 
      purchaser which shall state the permissible standards relative to 
      light transmission and luminous reflectance specified in this section 
      and the penalties for a violation of this section.     

(k)   The commissioner of motor vehicles shall adopt regulations, in 
      accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the 
      provisions of this section. 


(P.A. 84-277; P.A. 90-210, S. 1; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-9, S. 3, 4; P.A. 93-135, S. 1, 2.) 

History: P.A. 90-210 added Subsecs. (d) to (i), inclusive, re tinted glass; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-9 amended Subsec. (g) to postpone implementation of sticker requirement from July 1, 1992, to July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-135 amended Subdivs. (1) and (5) of Subsec. (c) to modify the exceptions relative to light transmittance, added new Subdiv. (6) and renumbered remaining Subdivs., extended the cutoff dates in Subsec. (d) from July 1, 1992, to July 1, 1996, in Subsec. (e) from January 1, 1991, to January 1, 1994, in Subsec. (g) from July 1, 1993, to July 1, 1996, and inserted new Subsecs. (i) and (j) re notice to consumers of standards re light transmission and reflectance and relettering former Subsec. (i) as (k), effective July 1, 1993.


Return to My Homepage



Send comments to Brad
Last Updated : Feb 25, 1997