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So how much is this citation gonna cost me?

10K views 42 replies 16 participants last post by  rexbro 
#1 ·
The story for those interested:

It was about 1:30 this morning and i was on my way home from a friends who lives 30 minutes away from me. I was cruising down Rt. 663 at 35 mph, posted speed limit of 30. I see a police car pass me going in the opposite direction and thought nothing of it. Out of no where, this cop pulls a u turn, throws on the lights, and proceeds to pull me over.

Cop comes up, gets my information off me, and asks me "Do you have any weapons, alcohol, or illegal substances in the car?" (asks me this 2x more). I respond no, there's nothing in the car (literally nothing). He goes back to the cruiser for about 15 minutes. He comes back, hands me my information and a form. Tells me that he's cutting me a break, but i need to have my tint off in 10 days, or a citation will be issued. He also showed me that my tint was too dark by shinning his flashlight through it :screwy:. I'm tired so i just take it and drive off.

To cut to the chase:

I've got 20% tint on 7 windows in the wagon. There's no way I am going to remove my tint, as this is the first time I've had any problems or been stopped in 8 months of having it on. Plus, i think its BS that he could even tell my windows were tinted driving past me in the opposing lane at 1:30 in the morning.

Any one have experience with this type of citation? Any idea how much it'll cost me?
 
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#3 ·
i have 30% on mine and never had a problem. he probably just gave you the ticket bc he felt dumb bc you didnt have any weapons, drugs, or you werent drunk.

i think my friends had to pay 100 bucks? not totally sure. they didnt take the tint off. just kept getting caught and paid the fine.
 
#5 ·
It's not even a ticket it's a fix it ticket which means that if you show the court you got the tint remoed it's like 10 bucks.
 
#7 ·
A person in the know advised me that the cops in some of the local towns are in competition to see who can give out the most DUIs. Basically they will pull you over for no reason after midnight just to see if you are drinking or have drugs. As darkmantedge pointed out this cop had to come up with some bs reason that he pulled you over because he didn't find anything. It sucks but it is happening.
 
#10 ·
Basically they will pull you over for no reason after midnight just to see if you are drinking or have drugs. As darkmantedge pointed out this cop had to come up with some bs reason that he pulled you over because he didn't find anything. It sucks but it is happening.
Agree 100%. I guess I'll just have to limit my late night driving and stay on the major roads if i need to go out.

Ballpark of $100ish
Not too bad, considering new window tint is around $200. I think i'll just pay the citation after the 10 days are up. This is my first time having a problem after all...

Thanks for the replies.
 
#8 ·
rexbro said:
A person in the know advised me that the cops in some of the local towns are in competition to see who can give out the most DUIs.
It's not so much a competition in that regard, but a DWI/DUI is a very expensive citation, so the city gets a good chunk of revenue, which would be why they want to give them out as much as possible.
 
#11 ·
From what I was told it is a competition between local police departments and there are police officers that pride themselves in giving out the most DUI citations. I also heard that it is a way to justify extra funding for evening patrols.

I'm not against keeping the drunks and druggies off the roads but I do object to pulling someone over for no reasonable cause.
 
#12 ·
Unfortantly I was pulled over for the same issue this afternoon. For the most part the police officer was only looking for a reason to pull me over, and to run my plates. THis is not my first time for being pulled over for this violation. What I have been instructed to do when pulled over is to roll all of my windows down, so the police officer can see in the vehical and insure his/her saftey. Now they can go completly over board and just issue the ticket, 9 out of 10 times you will get only a warning.

I hope this helps for future police encounters :cool:
 
#14 · (Edited)
PA Laws - FYI

SPEEDING: (not 100% on this, but like 90%)
-if you are being clocked by radar, you need to be going at least 6mph over the limit since the accuracy for most radar is +/-5mph. However, if a cop is behind you, they can pull you over for 1mph over the limit since their cars are (theoretically) completely accurate (which I think is laughable). How close they are to you and how far they follow you must play a factor, but I don't know what it is.

TINT:
http://www.dot3.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-sun.pdf

I JUST called the PA DMV and directed me to a site that basically states that you need 70% light transmittance through back windshield, front and back driver and passenger windows, as well as the "wings". (By "wings" I can only assume they mean the little windows on the doors in the back that don't open.

I was also told that this was a law since 1996. I know it was a suggestion by a non-authority to the state police as a guide while the actual law only stated you "need to be able to see in the vehicle." This is absurdly vague and I can see why they adapted the suggestion as law. As to when it was "officially" a law, who knows. The front windshield is not allowed to be tinted at all and the moon roof window can be as dark as you like.

MODIFIED EXHAUST:
http://www.dot3.state.pa.us/pdotforms/vehicle_code/chapter45.pdf
Pennsylvania Code
Pennsylvania Code

I found ALL KINDS of specifics on measuring exhaust noise...and decided it's something I really have to research. There's no chance in Hades that a cop will properly do this inspection. However, I found there is an acceptable "field inspection" but have no details to what that is. Luckily, modified exhaust tickets don't seem too popular in PA, to my knowledge.

SIDE NOTE
: It is frowned upon to have a tinted license plate cover and will pull you over for it. Technically, I believe even clear covers are illegal since you are not allowed to have ANYTHING covering your plate.

I plan on creating a post with details covering all of this as soon as I gather all of the information. (I'm just lazy/busy) :rolleyes:
 
#15 ·
Tint is illegal on the front two windows here in CA. Any tint is illegal. However in NV (because of the heat) any tint is legal so check your local laws. If the ticket was written as a "fix it" ticket, then you have the option of complying or paying an elevated fine. I had 30% on the front of my old truck and never was pulled over for it (in 6 years) but always worried I would be. As such I didn't tint the front windows in my WRX, but instead did the back 3 to 20%. No big deal.

I guess you have to ask yourself this question:

Whats worse.. Removing tint 1x and paying a $30 processing fee, or Paying an elevated fine of ~$150 several separate times because "damn the man I'll do what I want!"?

Personally I'd strip it off, piss and moan about it and fight my battles elsewhere. BTW this is coming from someone who has been to traffic court (more than once) to fight (and won 2/3x) based on principle. What I learned was that its hard to win against a stacked deck.

Heres food for thought:
The judge whom is presiding over your ticket in traffic court, is paid indirectly from the revenue generated by your citation. I believe that is the definition of a conflict of interests. In the end I learned it just wasn't worth the stress and aggravation it causes me. Choose your battles.
 
#21 ·
I know where i am from in California its considered a fix-it and is a 10 dollar fine. Ive never had one but i asked a cop about it. Its funny all of my windows are tinted and i know the front ones are def passed legal limit (im unsure about the percentage, it came with the car when i bought it.) and i never get bothered about it..
I also think its funny when cops ask you if you have anything in the car, now why the hell would you tell them, they need consent or probable cause to even search your car. Or at least thats how it is in California..
 
#23 ·
lol yeah i heard that but i was unsure of it..
Well i guess the po in my area dont care to much about it then, ive been driving my car for about 8 months and i haven't been bothered =)
I got pulled over for registration like a week ago, and the cop didn't even mention it..
 
#29 ·
would you of rather gotten a ticket for speeding + the points or the bs ticket for your tint ?

i think the cop cut you a break so be happy
 
#31 · (Edited)
...I was going 35 in a 30. There was no way he could have given me a speeding ticket considering he was traveling the opposite direction that I was. :confused:

The only thing i had complained about is the manner in which the cop pulled me over (he thought i had something illegal in my car) and the manner in which he showed me that my window tint was too dark. I simply posted this thread to see how much the citation would cost me as the officer gave me no indication.
 
#30 ·
A five over speeding ticket is a fine but no points in PA. I think the fine is around 90$.
In many cases a judge will reduce a speeding ticket to a five over if you fight the ticket in court. Just make sure you are really nice to the cop and don't bs him if you do get pulled over.
 
#33 ·
You're right. I could be wrong, but I believe that in PA the minimum moving violation fine -total- is something like $93.50 or some strange number close to that. The actual minimum is like $25 or something but then they charge you for possible ambulance jeopardy (or something along those lines) as well as several other charges like that. And from my experience, it's the cop that usually approaches you prior to the start of the trial to make a deal with you....plead guilty and he'll reduce the fine and amount of points, but never below 3. ...Don't quote me on that, though. :p
 
#34 ·
Another thing in PA is that the local police don't typically use radar. They use VASCAR instead. The state police do use radar but it sounds like it wasn't a state cop.
So if it was a local cop he probably didn't have grounds to issue a speeding ticket considering that he was traveling in the opposite direction at night.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Two other speed detection devices used by PA local police are ENRADD (Electronic Non RAdar Detection Device) and ESP (Excessive Speed Preventer).
I have seen the ENRADD set up in Solebury township (Bucks county) a few times. Watch for white brackets on either side of the road - they are usually obscured by the vegetation along the roadway. I think ESP is two rubber hoses across the road - I haven't seen that around here.
 
#39 ·
"often eliminating the need to pursue the target vehicle."

Why wouldnt they need to pursue a vehicle if it was speeding?



If cops were smart, they'd start making a device to put on new cars and when the cop touches a button, the vehicles engine could be cut off and stopped within seconds. This would eliminate pursuits saving tons of lives.
 
#42 ·
unban. for thinking SAFETY FIRST! :rotfl:
 
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