HANAPEPE — What can you do with $287? That is the fine for having an illegal tint on an automobile as stated in the citation book used by Kaua‘i Police Department officers. Kaua‘i Police Sgt. Vicki Fonoimoana, district commander for
HANAPEPE — What can you do with $287?
That is the fine for having an illegal tint on an automobile as stated in the citation book used by Kaua‘i Police Department officers.
Kaua‘i Police Sgt. Vicki Fonoimoana, district commander for the Waimea substation, and several KPD officers started a free vehicle tint inspection Monday. She said officers will be back at the Hanapepe Armory parking lot from noon to 2 p.m. today, Thursday and Friday to offer the inspections.
“There are so many different types of window tints on the market which has caused confusion as to what’s legal and what’s not,” said Acting Assistant Chief Ale Quibilan of the Patrol Services Bureau in a county release. “Our intention is to educate residents on this matter and hopefully, those who need to change their tint in order to comply with the law and be able to pass a vehicle safety inspection will take the opportunity to do so.”
Fonoimoana said the public is encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to find out whether their tinted car windows meet the legal requirements as set forth in Hawai‘i Revised Statutes.
That law, 291-21.5 (a), covers the regulation of motor vehicle sun screening devices and the penalty for non-compliance. A county summary of the law says the following is illegal:
∫ Window tint on the windshield that is below the AS1 line of the windshield. If there is no AS1 line and the tint is more than four inches below the top of the windshield as measured from the middle of the windshield, it is illegal.
∫ For vans, minivans, trucks or buses, there is no regulation for tint behind the front driver and passenger windows as long as the vehicle is equipped with two outside rear view mirrors.
∫ The front driver and passenger side windows cannot be below 35 percent, plus or minus six percent. Exceptions include vehicles that do not have windows, such as delivery vans.
∫ For passenger cars, all windows except the windshield cannot be below 35 percent, plus or minus six percent.
Fonoimoana said the free vehicle tint inspections are being done in preparation for the hands-free mobile technology devices law, or cell phone ban, which takes effect Sunday.
“If someone is stopped for the cell phone law, the officer can enforce the tint law as well,” Fonoimoana said.
This was recently demonstrated during a “Click It or Ticket” campaign on Rice Street where KPD officers were pulling cars over for not only the lack of wearing a seat belt while operating a motor vehicle, but for tint and reconstruction non-compliance as well.
Fonoimoana also pointed out some of the other lesser-known aspects of the tint law which prohibits the placement of stickers on the windshields, save for a small space on the lower driver’s side of the windshield.
Another aspect of the tint law prohibits the use of covered license plate shields, clear or tinted.
“They may sell them in the stores, but the car’s owner is liable,” she said. “Similarly, if a used car is purchased with illegal tint, the liability lies with the new owner, not the dealer where the car was purchased.”
She suggested that before any tint is applied, people should have their windows inspected because almost all of the cars sold today come with some sort of tinting applied by the manufacturer. Those tints help the consumer by keeping the cars cooler than if it had no tinting. It also aids the driver by screening out some of the harsh sunlight.
“You may go into a store and see a tint advertised as ‘legal,’ but when you add that to the existing manufacturer’s tint, it may not conform to the requirements,” she said. “We cannot tell the stores what to sell, or not sell, but when someone buys a product, we can tell them if it’s legal or not.”
During the inspection, the Waimea substation officers were using a tint measuring meter which was calibrated before measuring each window to ensure accuracy. These are the same meters used at safety check inspection stations.
Under the provisions of HRS 291-21.5, any person who violates this section shall be fined not less than $250 or more than $500 for each separate offense if the person is the owner of the motor vehicle which is in violation.
Fonoimoana said people bringing their cars in for tint inspections will not be cited for violations.
“This is to help educate the public,” Fonoimoana said of the temporary grace period.
In addition to this tint inspection week, a representative from the Hanalei substation will be doing a presentation on safety issues June 9 at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center, according to the county spokesperson. During this presentation, the KPD representative will also touch on vehicle tint and skateboarding laws.
