Our local inspection stations (PA) have started to tell people who have vinyl graphics across the front of their windshields that they will not pass inspection until they take them off. It's a fairly large part of our business and I was wondering if there's any vinyl available that you can see through from the inside of the car. Thanks!
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
Gerber and probably others make a vinyl called "vision" film. It can be printed on with a thermal printer and is white. I don't know of other colors. I don't know if the answer is to see out of the vehicle as most of the windsheild labels I make are not obstructing vision OUT. I think the issue is being able to see into the vehicle. At least that's the way it seems here... especially if you are a punk kid ripping up the street. Everyone else is left alone. Placing graphics on the rear window seems to be more of an issue than on the front.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Sharon, do you know anyone with an inspection license? If I can, I'll make a few phone calls tonight to see if the law changed or if the inspection station is just stupid or trying to pull a fast one but I know you used to be able to put decals in the top part of the windshield where the tint usually is because that doesn't obstruct your view. Maybe you can try calling your local vo-tech (if they offer inspection license instruction) and they can tell you.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
been runnin into that here in fla(no inspections)but kids i do stuff for have been pulled over and told get it off.....or tow it!!!!!! the ones the cops seem to target are the ones that have a solid color vinyl layed down, then lettering on that. there is a line of the newer cars windshield cal a DT, AT or somethin like that and you can see it in the winshield. nothing can go below that mark....also down here some have been putin vinyl on the bottom of the windshield...thats a NO NO....as for pa inspections....last sticker i had when i left there(81)....I DREW IT......and got stopped and waved thru....hahahahahahahaha.
Posted by jimmy chatham (Member # 525) on :
i was told by a city police that it was against the law here in Georgia
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Anything below the ANSI line on the windshield is illegal (look for the little black line with arrow on the inside of the glass).
That's just a federal law. If a state wants to bar all lettering or graphics completely, including anything above the ANSI line, they can do so because it's within the Federal DOT Guidelines.
It depends who the customers are too.
If it's businesses you are talking about, getting lettering on their vehicles, they probably wouldn't have any problems with it.
If it's people customizing their cars, well they have no problems running illegal exhaust, illegal tail lights, illegal under-car neon tubes, illegal in-car neon, illegal strobe lights, and let's not forget about those stupid washer fluid nozzles with the blue lights in them - yep, illegal again! Tickets don't stop these guys from modifying their vehicles, they shouldn't be worried about a sticker.
Posted by Joe House (Member # 3110) on :
I have a customer's son (hot rod kid with a rep in a small town) who got pulled over and told that he couldn't have red (to match the paint on his car) on the windshield, but white would be ok. Go figure
Posted by Judy Pate (Member # 237) on :
Gee..I need to check into that Georgia law, Jimmy. Our County Police have bright a orange "LEE COUNTY" across the top of the windshields of their cars. And can you believe the county paid a newbie competitor $60 per car for complete lettering job. Judy
Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
Jeffrey - Rear window decals aren't a problem. A lot of cargo vans don't even have rear windows.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
i was going to penn state(75-78)i had a station wagon with curtains from the back doors on both sides...and the back window i had one way mirror tint, you could see out, but not in....got pulled on the interstate by state police....told to get it off, so i rolled the back window down....he said that wont work, hope you got a razor scrapper or we can call a tow truck..cause you aint drivin it...with that on the back window....had a razor scraper, and he watched me take it all off, and made sure i didn litter!!!!!
Posted by R.Jones (Member # 2795) on :
We have had the same problem with friends around here and with ours. I had a Pontiac Grand Am Gt and the back window was hard to see out of because of the angle so we put a solid decal on the top of the window where they couldn't put tint. We had it on for about a year before they told me to take it off. They said you couldn't have anything on the window that obstructs your view. I couldn't see it in my rear view mirror but had to take it off anyway. We also had to take it off one of our other cars that we put in shows. It was on the front. Good thing we have a sign shop...
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Sometimes they just don't have anything better to do I got stopped this past summer by a State Trooper just a few blocks from my house. The rear window of my camper shell had some lettering on it ( promoting vinyl lettering ) She said it had to go and that the window was tinted too dark. Oh yea she also got me for no rear bumper. I ended up getting a ticket on the bumper
Bad hair day I guess.
By the way, this truck has over 330,000 miles on it, I've had it for fourteen years and it's had the dark windows and no bumper since day one.
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe it is different in some states but my understanding is that as long as a truck has side mirrors it does not matter if you can see using the center rear view mirror. I think that this works for pickups as well. Box trucks and semis (some even have rear view mirrors) don't use a rear view mirror.
I had a taxidermist customer a couple of weeks ago who had installed a new topper on a pickup. The sides of the topper are solid with doors that open, 2 on each side. The back had a small window that was about 12"H x 38"W. He wanted me to use his logo to entirely cover the back window allowing no one to see into the topper. He did not want anyone to swipe racks and capes. I have not heard whether or not he has had any trouble but perhaps one day someone will give him some crap about it.
Posted by CJ Allan (Member # 52) on :
Ya can expect a lot more of the same now that we're all under suspicion of being terrorists.......... Gives em the excuse they need to check you, and you vehicle out.........
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I got stopped this past summer by a State Trooper just a few blocks from my house. The rear window of my camper shell had some lettering on it ( promoting vinyl lettering ) She said it had to go and that the window was tinted too dark. Oh yea she also got me for no rear bumper. I ended up getting a ticket on the bumper