Garfinkel said her friend, a professor at the University of Ottawa, was recently arrested in Hull and fined $160 for tinting windows. Quebec`s laws on automatic tinting are much less subjective. They actually offer a certain percentage of tint that your vehicle is allowed to have. When measuring with a photometer (an instrument that measures light intensity), the tint of your car window should let 70% of the light through. While I`m sure most motorists don`t have a photometer handy, rest assured that most policy deals are available. Just like in Ontario, trust a professional to install your car`s window tint so that it complies with the law. As mentioned above, automatic tinting in Quebec cannot be reflected on any window of a vehicle. Therefore, some colors of the window film are actually illegal, such as gold, silver or copper tint. In addition, other colours of glazing film are legal in the province. There are no medical exceptions for darker windows in Quebec, so follow the tint regulations and opt for excellent UV-blocking shades if you have a condition that deserves a reduction in sun exposure rather than trying a darker shade on the front side windows. Window manufacturers, sellers and installers in Quebec do not have to officially certify the colour they offer as complying with provincial window tinting laws, and drivers do not have to use stickers on their vehicles proving that their tint is legal, but since the police can check the tint at any time using handheld devices, It`s not worth it.
Getting away with illegal hues. A police officer will stop your vehicle and issue a notice to inspect the front windows of your vehicle, asking you to go to a road vehicle inspector. (The province allows a front side window tint that penetrates at least 70% light, a ratio that can be tested with a special meter that officers don`t usually have with them.) All vehicles registered in Québec follow the same rules of tint of the rear side windows that apply to all windows on the side of the vehicle behind the driver. For sedans, it can be just one pair of windows, for SUVs it can be two, and for vans or RVs, it can be multiple rows of windows. In Quebec, the tint of darkness can be applied to the side windows behind the driver`s row, and this tint must not appear reflective. Law enforcement agencies use a dye that measures the visible light transmission (VLT) of window film and glass to detect any illegal tints. The rear side windows and rear window are not subject to these rules. Cars, trucks, vans and other types of vehicles in Quebec must all follow the same rules regarding the tint of the windows on the front side windows, that is, the windows next to the driver and the passenger seat. This shade should not be darker than 70% VLT (i.e. it can only block 30% of sunlight) and should not appear reflective. Automatic window tinting laws are different in each of Canada`s 13 provinces and territories, so it`s important that you pay close attention to the specific rules and regulations for tinting vehicle windows depending on where you have your car tinted.
In Quebec, car window tint laws are relatively simple and easy to understand, but since penalties for illegal window tinting in Quebec can be quite severe, it`s a good idea to read the rules carefully. First of all, you need to understand the visible light transmission properties of window films. Visible light transmission (VLT) is exactly what it sounds like: it is the amount of visible light that a window tint lets through, and it correlates with the brightness or darkness, i.e. transparent or private, of a tinted window. The higher the ALV rating, the more light a hue lets in and the clearer and more transparent it is, while a small number of VLTs correlates with a darker viewing hue. A 95% VLT hue is almost clear, while a 5% VLT is almost impossible to see from the outside during the day. Note that even a window tint with very high VLT values, which does not give much privacy to a car, truck or other type of vehicle, can still block a lot of UV (ultraviolet) and IR (infrared) light and thus fulfill the most important task of a tint. Blocking UV light prevents fading and interior damage, while blocking infrared light keeps cabin temperatures low. On the other hand, if you want to change the look of your car and add a shade of privacy, you can do it with darker shades. However, make sure that the tint of your car window is legal in Quebec, as the police can check the darkness of the tint during a traffic stop with a compact and portable device, so you still run the risk of getting a strong illegal tint ticket in Quebec if you have an illegal window tint. The Ontario Highway Traffic Act states that the front left and right windows must not be tinted with material “that significantly obscures the interior of the motor vehicle from the outside.” IMPORTANT LINK: Detailed information on Quebec`s laws on window tint can be found on the SAAQ website.