A palm-sized FMVSS sticker on the driver’s door jamb
announces your vehicle’s legal identity, and that tiny line of text decides
whether every side window must stay at 70 percent
visible-light-transmission or only the two beside the driver. Sedans, wagons,
and many crossovers wear the “Passenger Car” tag; miss it, and a wrap shop
might install film that looked legal on your buddy’s SUV but drops your sedan
into instant-fail territory the moment an inspector clamps the meter.
Factory side glass usually measures around 75 percent VLT.
Pair it with a “light” 50 percent smoke film and the combined reading plunges
to the mid-30s—well below the threshold. Smart installers meter bare glass,
show you the numbers, and document the reading before they cut film. They also
tuck the mandatory legality sticker between tint and glass, because inspectors
are instructed to fail perfect-looking installations if that stamp is missing.
Skip those steps and the price tag escalates fast: $150 for
the first ticket, $500 for the next, removal labor, a repeat inspection fee,
and—if Assembly Bill A4026 clears committee—a suspended registration after
strike three. Add lost work hours and the shortcut costs more than a full
ceramic upgrade ever would.
Ready to pass inspection the first time?
Read the full article → https://medium.com/@tintshoprocer/2025-new-york-tint-law-checklist-vlt-med-ex-waivers-and-the-inspection-photo-rule-227b7ff4d2af
