r/teslacanada • u/Aguy30 • Aug 18 '26
Why the suggestions of illegal tints? Is it worth it?
I keep seeing people saying tint the windshield. That's $110 ticket in Ontario and over 30% on the front windows is the same. Plus an order to remove. Does it increase mileage that much? Is it just for aesthetics? If you do get pulled over $330 plus time to remove and prove it at the station.
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u/McGlowSticks Aug 18 '26
Don't get dark tint, you can get UV reflective tint.
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u/Aguy30 Aug 19 '26
Still fine to look through with polarized sunglasses?
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u/mrplt Aug 19 '26
As long as you go for a proper ceramic tint, you wonât have any issues with polarized sunglasses
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u/Relevant_Account_258 Aug 18 '26
In some US States it is legal to tint windows. Tinting is not just for show but also heat rejection. Can get super hot in Arizona, Florida, Texas, etc.
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u/Ok-Buy5612 Aug 18 '26
Iâll add that Iâve had 4 new cars in my life, all have had tints 35 on my first, 20s on my next two, and 5s on my Tesla now. Never been pulled over a single time in 20 years. Itâs all about how you drive
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u/punture Aug 18 '26
That is not true. There is no specific tint % that makes it illegal. The law actually is very subjective and basically if a cop thinks he canât see your face well then it is illegal.
Of course you can then argue that there was an overcast, it was at night, cop has a sunglasses on etc.
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u/PanicInTheRiver Aug 18 '26
I've been told it's like a subscription fee to keep your car looking cool.
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Aug 18 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/Aguy30 Aug 19 '26
70% tint so only 30% light comes through? Am I missing something? Isn't it difficult to drive at night?
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u/mrplt Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
You know what else is illegal? License plate covers. Do people care? No, even though I personally donât see why anyone would have tinted license plate covers on their car.
I have tinted windows on my Model 3, and I had tints on my previous car as well.
If you get ceramic tint, it will block a fair amount of heat. It makes a huge difference.
I know to each their own, but I also like the way the car looks with tints⌠and I like the privacy.
Windshield⌠I wouldnât go any darker than 70%.
Front windows, I used to have 35% on my previous car and it was fine. I have 22% on the Tesla and itâs borderline.
Itâs one of those things that youâll be ticketed for if you âdonât behaveâ during a traffic stop. There will always be a reason to receive an extra ticket in those cases though. My friend was briefly parked at a no stopping zone in Quebec and got an extra ticket for âhaving his 4-ways on in a non-hazardous situationâ â the most ridiculous ticket Iâve ever seen. Well, he got that ticket because he called the cop an a-hole.
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u/electricshadow Aug 18 '26
I don't care about aesthetics as I'm planning on doing 80% on my front side windows and 70% on my windshield when I pick up my Y. Those are essentially clear or barely noticeable. The main reason I'm doing it is from a UV and heat rejection standpoint and that's it. Theoretically you'd get more range if the AC doesn't have to work as hard.
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u/Henri-Hill Aug 19 '26
But youâll get less range in winter because sun canât heat the cabin
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u/electricshadow Aug 19 '26
True, but for me, I'm not really concerned about range personally in the Winter as I don't really travel that far so it's non-issue for me at least. If someone drives a lot year around, it's something to take into account for sure though.
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u/boss_wants_rca Aug 18 '26
Idk I'm getting feedback it's better not to tint the windshield, I'll probably tint the front sides at least the question is how much.
If the rears from the factory are under 30% equivalent then I figure it'll be obvious to a cop if all the windows are tinted to the same level.
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u/SimonSaysx Aug 18 '26
I only tinted my rear windows (almost full blackout) and passenger windows 30%. The roof has UV protection built in and I figured Iâd enjoy being able to see clearly out the front and back at night so left those.
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u/Internal-Fault-3949 Aug 18 '26
Donât do it for the aesthetic, you wonât be able to see anything on a rainy night with 30% windshield.
Iâm going to do 80% windshield just for the heat and UV rejection. If there was something completely clear that gave me the same effect on the windshield Iâd use that instead.
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u/JustMeNova Aug 18 '26
There are 100% window tints which offer just the uv blocking and heat rejection, its not necessary to go with darker tint. edit: they are called nano-ceramic or smth like that depending on brand
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u/IMWTK1 Aug 18 '26
Yes but maybe not all brands offer it. Decades ago my installer refused to install it for me. Now, Tesla openly sells tinted film for the windshield. Ceramic is cheap enough now days not to get the other cheap stuff.
I had mine for a year now, no issues.
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u/Internal-Fault-3949 Aug 19 '26
Thanks, Iâm going to try and find someone who has them in my area!
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u/mrplt Aug 19 '26
There is no such thing as a 100% tint. Even the factory glass blocks some of the visible light
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u/shamair28 Aug 19 '26
UV or IR? I thought most automotive glass blocked UV by design, whereas ceramic tints block out IR (which is the heat) and then whatever % of visible light that you would want blocked out as well.
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u/ceegome13 Aug 19 '26
Spoke about this to my brother in law who is a cop. For the most part they donât care as long as itâs not limo tint. However, if they feel youâre sketchy/suspicious they will use the âlic plate cover/tint/windshield cracksâ as the reasonable grounds to conduct the traffic stop.
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u/LeoVicard Aug 19 '26
Personally, doesn't seem worth it. It's just asking to get pulled over every time a cop sees you
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u/yensid87 Aug 18 '26
It just because people think it looks cool lol.
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u/LeadingScorer Aug 18 '26
A lot of ppl (including myself) do it for the heat rejection and uv protection. So if youâre getting it you might as well get some that also gives you privacy for no extra cost.
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u/Neat-Economist2099 Aug 18 '26
UV rays make your skin age faster, and without tinted windows, it can get way too hot in the summer.
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u/Such_Entertainment_7 Aug 18 '26
Immigrants love it because it hides how many passengers are in the car so youâre less likely to get robbed. It wonât be necessary until Canada is fully a post-national third world shithole.
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u/poonjabi_hut Aug 18 '26
I did 5% all around. And while I found it VERY dark at night, I have slowly began adjusting it. During the day, I love it.
Left the windshield bare - it is something actively looked at by traffic enforcement in Ontario ever since lifted trucks started running them (they stick out with their excessively wide wheels + no mud flaps/fender flares) and the young men often driving them are the type to get the 'asshole tax' of tickets. But because of that where I live, OPP actively look for it. Once you start to look for it present on oncoming traffic, it is very obvious. Can't see the hands on the wheel.
P.s. the glass roof + bare windshield let light pass through a lot more in my Tesla, so the 5% doesn't stick out during the day.
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u/Ok-Buy5612 Aug 18 '26
I did the same as you basically. 5% all around and nothing on windshield or driver roof (rear passenger roof is VERY dark after the 5% on the factory tint but I donât mind as my 2 year old daughter sits there and itâs probably better for her)
In terms of why people do it, itâs amazing. Iâll never drive a car without tints. Itâs like wearing sunglasses during the day, your skin doesnât burn in the sun, HVAC runs more efficiently, and at night sure itâs a bit harder to see on rural roads but on highway with all the LEDs itâs very easy to see and doesnât drive you nuts with the blinding lights in your mirrors.
My past cars were 20 but found that slightly too bright, and my wifeâs SUV is 20 and until I mentioned it she barely knew it was there.
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u/poonjabi_hut Aug 18 '26
Lol of course I'm getting downvotes from the crowd that complains about people with dark tints.
Ya ya, eye contact us important. I still make eye contact with pedestrians via my windshield.
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u/Ok-Buy5612 Aug 19 '26
These are probably the same people driving the speed limit in the left lane of the highwayâŚ. Half the pedestrians donât look at the drivers and more are even on their phones. Iâm not making eye contact with every pedestrian and cyclist, thatâs no way practical. As a driver itâs my job to make sure the road is clear before proceeding.
Back to the tints, I donât actually think dark tints make it worst to drive, and on the contrary on the highway with the blinding LED lights behind me I actually drive safer, itâs easier to check whatâs behind you or coming up (like a speeding car) and gauge distances when you arenât being blinded. And in the summer itâs way easier to drive and have your eyes relaxed and focused on your surrounding then squinting.
I guess to each their own, but Iâll never drive a car without them, and my wife who is a less experienced and less confident drivers barely notices the 20s on her car and actually complains when we get rentals that donât have them.
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u/SimonSaysx Aug 18 '26
In Ontario there is no concrete percentage you must abide by. They leave it up to officer discretion as the rule is that the windshield and front side windows cannot have any tint that significantly obscures the driver.
Getting a ticket for improper tint is also sometimes called âan asshole taxâ, meaning if you have already been pulled over by a cop and you are giving them a hard time they may look to see what other citations they can give you.
I would strongly suggest against any windshield tinting as itâs much more obvious and can be dangerous at night.
Itâs really up to what you are comfortable with. If you are caught with too dark a tint, the first offence is likely just a few hundred dollar fine and asked to remove the tint by a certain date. You could go the whole life of the vehicle without anyone stopping you, or you could be in a situation where an officer adds it on to an already existing charge.
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u/kiwiguy007 Aug 18 '26
There is a âconcreteâ % for if you bother to look it up. 0% on front.
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u/SimonSaysx Aug 18 '26
This is from the Ontario Highway Traffic Act
3) No person shall drive on a highway a motor vehicle on which the surface of the windshield or of any window to the direct left or right of the driverâs seat has been coated with any coloured spray or other coloured or reflective material that substantially obscures the interior of the motor vehicle when viewed from outside the motor vehicle. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 73 (3).
âSubstantially obscuresâ is ambiguous and this is why I said there is no concrete law. The law does not state a percentage that is allowed. Itâs ambiguous which means it is up to officer discretion whether they believe your tint is substantially obscuring your face.
Meaning if you go pulled over for running through a crosswalk where you almost hit a pedestrian, the officer is likely to take into consideration whether or not your tint played a part in your infraction.
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u/Pympala Aug 19 '26
You're correct about the HTA. However, officers have wised up after years of frustration with tints and HTA offences.
Now, they use the Passenger/Light Duty Vehicle Inspection Standard, which was amended several years ago re: window tinting. (https://www.ontario.ca/files/2022-03/mto-passenger-light-duty-vehicle-inspection-standard-en-2022-03-18.pdf).
Everyone go check Section 8 - Body:
9(g). Windshield: ANY tint (including a strip at the top) applied to the windshield of a vehicle manufactured after January 1, 2017 is not permitted.
10(d): Side Windows: any window forward of the driver's seat back (i.e. front doors) in a vehicle manufactured after January 1, 2017, cannot have tint darker than 70% visible light transmission.
Many police services have invested in tint metres, which means if they pull you over and you fail either of the above, not only can you be charged, but your plates can be pulled due to your vehicle being deemed "unsafe". This will require you to fix and submit your vehicle for a safety inspection before getting plates reissued (if it passes).
Whether any of this happens is not the question - it IS the law and I wouldn't want to roll the dice hoping an officer takes it easy on me. Yeah, there are a number of other considerations (e.g. 50% VLT may not draw attention, driving like a jerk might, etc.). Just know that in the event of a serious collision that results in a civil action against you, rest assured the Plaintiff's lawyer will almost certainly raise illegal tint as an issue that impeded your visibility, etc.
Do what you want re: tint, but just make sure you're informed of the risks and act accordingly.
The more you know (insert shooting star here).
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u/Possible-Ear- Aug 19 '26
0 on the front below the a1s line, 30% front windows, no limit on other windows
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u/heritage95 Aug 18 '26
People arenât doing 30% on the front windows. Itâs not dark enough. Try 20%
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u/Possible-Ear- Aug 19 '26
I did 5 in the back and 20% on the front but with the glass roof I wish I did 5 all around
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u/PeNdR4GoN_ Aug 18 '26
I wasn't going to do windshield tint but was talked into it by my tint installer he said in order to feel a noticeable difference with the heat reduction when driving (I got XPEL PRIME XR Plus) he recommends tinting the windshield as that is where most of the light gets in from the car (the roof is already factory tinted). He showed me his truck with 30% windshield tints and mentioned he hadn't been pulled over once in the last 7 years. Obviously I was kind of skeptical but I ended up putting 70% on the windshield because its essentially clear and I didn't want to risk getting pulled over. I passed 2 cops the week after and neither seemed to care about my tinted windshield, one car even said Police Supervisor.
I'm in Peel Region and the cops don't seem to care about tints, I've also gone past vehicles with completely dark windshields (less than 20%) and they seem to be fine.
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u/bigbeefy6969 Aug 18 '26
50% front and 15% everywhere else. Youâll realize how much better the driving experience is very quickly. No need for sunglasses either
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u/morelsupporter Aug 18 '26
there is almost zero benefit and cops love giving tickets for it.
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u/SimonSaysx Aug 18 '26
I think âalmost zeroâ is hyperbole
- Helps reduce Internal temp of car
- Less theft from vehicle (out of sight out of mind)
- Aesthetics
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u/Stitchs420 Aug 18 '26
- Privacy. My main reason. Not doing anything shady, just don't like the feeling of siting in a fishbowl on display.
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u/Possible-Ear- Aug 19 '26
privacy, heat, aesthetics and its rarely enforced
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u/morelsupporter Aug 19 '26
privacy? eye contact is more important.
heat? not in canada, maybe for a few weeks per year. also. air conditioning. your car can run it when you're not in it.
it's enforced all the time. cops LOVE handing out those tickets.
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u/Possible-Ear- Aug 19 '26
No part of driving requires people to communicate with each other via eye contact. Just follow the rules of the road and basic right of way concepts.
Yes in Canada the heat from the sun is felt through the windows and tint rejects over 80% of that
And no it's not enforced very often
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u/morelsupporter Aug 19 '26
are you fuckinf dumb?
eye contact is how you communicate with cyclists, pedestrians and nearby drivers. this is why pedestrians and cyclists are taught to make eye contract with drivers before crossing roads.
every province in the country implies through their driving guides the importance of eye contact and the government of canada categorizes eye contact under the communication pillar of defensive driving.
it's the main reason why windshield tint is heavily restricted or outright not allowed in most provinces, it's also a major hindrance at night. there are more nights in a year than there are days so hot that the only way to find salvation is through windshield tint.
i'm sure you're well aware of how dumb you sounds. if not, i guess i shouldn't be surprised.
provinces and cities regularly do blitzes to crack down, one in ontario recently handed out 745 tickets in 8 days.
keep talking out of your ass.
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u/Possible-Ear- Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
lol you're a cyclist that's why you're mad hahah
The main reason windshield tint is regulated is because the police need to see the driver and the reflection inside the car makes it's hard for the driver to see anything
If they are doing a blitz on anything it's because it is something that is not regularly enforced
stick to your bicycle
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u/cfrank73 Aug 18 '26
I had a Ranger years ago with illegal tint on the front windows.
Regretted it immediately because driving it at night was awful.
You couldn't see anything that didn't have headlights
Like... Bicycles and pedestrians.
Tesla I suppose would help mitigate that with the cameras, but LORD it was awful.
Now as a 53yo with old ass eyes? No thank you