In Pennsylvania, the level of sun screening (window tinting) acceptable under current regulations is a minimum of 70% light transmittance. This means that 70% of light contacting the window must pass through the window. The current regulations, adopted by PennDOT in 1996, also eliminate the requirement that sun screening be checked at the time of inspection; however vehicle owners who have sun screening materials that exceed the light transmittance requirements may be stopped and cited while operating the vehicle on the highway.
The 70% minimum light transmittance requirement is applicable for all front, side and rear windows in passenger cars. Trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles do not have a requirement for rear side windows and wings or rear windows. A PennDOT Vehicle Sun Screening Fact Sheet is available at http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-sun.pdf.
If there is a concern over UV exposure, medical exemptions can be made for colorless sun screening products that filter incoming UV light via form MV-402, which can be completed by optometrists and physicians. There are no waivers for colored window tinting granted by PennDOT’s medical advisory board; there no medical conditions that would justify a waiver. The obvious problem for window tints that allow less than 70% light transmission is that tinting cannot reverse under nighttime or lower contrast situations, resulting in reduced visibility under these conditions. Reduced contrast correlates highly with accident rates. As a vision health care provider, you should stress the attributes of eye protection via sunglasses, which can be removed when ambient lighting is reduced.
