Fairfield County: The Battleground of Connecticut vs New York Window Tints

Pay attention to the tinted windows of other vehicles as you drive in Fairfield County, you'll notice that vehicles with New York license plates have tinted windows that appear to be darker than a vehicle with a Connecticut license plate.

I noticed that recently as I was driving through Danbury, every vehicle that passed by where I couldn't see inside the vehicle had a New York license plate. I did some research, and I found a slight difference between Connecticut and New York's tint laws..

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According to ct.gov, 'Any vehicle with an after-market (or after-factory) applied to the window needs to get the tint tested in order to receive a tint compliance sticker. This sticker must be affixed to the window by the DMV. When tested, windows need to have an allowable light transmission of no less than 35%, plus or minus 3%, to get a sticker.' According to ny.gov, windshield and front side windows must allow 30% of light to pass through. There's your difference.

If your vehicle is equipped with rear view mirrors on both sides of your vehicle in Connecticut and New York, both state's tint laws do not apply to your rear window.

That's the secret combination to a truly darkened vehicle it seems. If 35% of light can pass through the sides, but your rear window blocks twice as much allowable light, it becomes extremely difficult to see the back passenger compartment. I always thought it was the aura of everyone from the Bronx darkening the interior of a car with New york plates, it's that extra 5%.