Window Tint Trouble! Need your opinions...

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jmz2k5

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So I'm in Georgia right now and this weekend I was looking at houses and ended up in kind of an unfamiliar area when this cop pulls me over.
Right away I knew it wasn't for speeding (due to the fact I'm moving at a slow speed trying to get a good look at the directions and houses).
Cop comes up, tells me he stopped me cuz of my tint (15%) and because I have a tinted cover over my back license plate.
Checks my windows, comes up 11%, ends up telling me he will only give me a warning BUT if he was to give me a citation, he would impound my car and take me to jail, where I would have to post bond. All because my DL is from WI and I am not following GA laws.
This just sound like a bunch of B.S. I have tried looking at the GA DOT but not much on ou-of-state drivers. I plan on changing my DL soon but not my tint (I already took the back cover off) or car registration (just paid $55 in Feb).
Do you think the cop was just BS'n about the jail-thing? Anybody heard of that in any other state?
 
By the way I forgot to mention that my lic plate was missing the '08 sticker from renewal, so it read Feb. 07 but he didn't mention it. He also missed the fact I didn't have a front license plate.
Just seemed so weird, because of little things:
1. He was wearing a baseball hat the said POLICE across the front. Just didnt seem authentic. Just never seem a cop wear a one-size-fits-all cap.
2. I gave him my old insurance card with old policy number. Ins is required in GA so I am sure he would have to check it was current. Didnt mention it.
3. I could see him in my rear view and it seemed like he was calling everything through on a cell phone, not his CV or whatever radio cops use.
4. Took forever. I am use to waiting for cops but this guy took a solid 20 minutes, I kid you not.
5. He let me go.
BIZARRE!
 
A lot of cops have bad attitudes and abuse their authority. Or he may have been having a bad day. There is a fine line between simply informing you of the consequences if he found you in violation, and threatening you with jail. The latter behavior is completely inappropriate, particularly because you were within the law. My guess is that a lot of cops are harder on out of state residents because they likely do not follow up on issues like this. If you got his badge number and name, you could write a letter to the police department describing the incident. It will probably make its way into his file.
 
ToddG said:
If you got his badge number and name, you could write a letter to the police department describing the incident. It will probably make its way into his file.
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whenever you meet a police officer ask for his business card. then if anything happens there on you can easily report it...


thats first hand experience
 
Let me try to address a couple of these points. First, you have a WI license right? WI is not a part of the Non Resident Violator Compact (along with a few other states). That means that the officer can, and by all accounts should arrest you for ANY violation...even for something as minor as window tint. That's b/c states that are members will suspend your license or hold you accountable should you decide to go back home and never pay the ticket. Since WI isn't a member GA has no guarantee that you will take care of the ticket. Go here for more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Resident_Violator_Compact


As for him wearing a ball cap that all depends on the department. There are hundreds of agencies in GA and many wear ball caps...my agency included.

As for him using a cell phone and not a radio there are lots of reasons. The main radio channel might be holding all traffic for an emergency, his portable battery might have died, NCIC could have been down at the dispatcher's terminal and he was calling it in to another another agency or terminal to check.

Your insurance status comes up on a check of your license plate so the card didn't matter and he didn't notice you were missing the front plate b/c it's not required in GA.

I don't know if he was rude or just to the point. If he was rude that's one thing, but he's absolutely right...you can be arrested and forced to post bond on any traffic offense b/c WI isn't a member of the NRVC.

Hope this cleared things up a bit. BTW, where in GA were you? I wonder what agency stopped you.
 
06,
It was Arcade Police Department (county/city?) that stopped me. I was in Barrow Co. for most of the day. From where he stopped me, I could see the Arcade Police Station!

I pass cops, highway patrol, and sheriffs on a daily basis because I'm right by a busy highway exit area and have never even thought about being stopped.

As far as the cop, it just seemed weird that he would take the time to stop me, notice not one but two things wrong, and then just say forget it. Not complaining but I guess its luck of the draw.

By the way, the two times I was stopped back in WI in the LS, the first thing the cops asked me was whos car this was, and the last time the guy asked me if I even had a driver's lic.
Guess I'll have to get use to driving with the windows down.
 
06AtlantaLS said:
Let me try to address a couple of these points. First, you have a WI license right? WI is not a part of the Non Resident Violator Compact (along with a few other states). That means that the officer can, and by all accounts should arrest you for ANY violation...even for something as minor as window tint. That's b/c states that are members will suspend your license or hold you accountable should you decide to go back home and never pay the ticket. Since WI isn't a member GA has no guarantee that you will take care of the ticket. Go here for more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Resident_Violator_Compact


As for him wearing a ball cap that all depends on the department. There are hundreds of agencies in GA and many wear ball caps...my agency included.

As for him using a cell phone and not a radio there are lots of reasons. The main radio channel might be holding all traffic for an emergency, his portable battery might have died, NCIC could have been down at the dispatcher's terminal and he was calling it in to another another agency or terminal to check.

Your insurance status comes up on a check of your license plate so the card didn't matter and he didn't notice you were missing the front plate b/c it's not required in GA.

I don't know if he was rude or just to the point. If he was rude that's one thing, but he's absolutely right...you can be arrested and forced to post bond on any traffic offense b/c WI isn't a member of the NRVC.

Hope this cleared things up a bit. BTW, where in GA were you? I wonder what agency stopped you.
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Good info... However, out of state auto's are generally exempt from state specific laws regarding said auto's. So to say he could arrest you and put you in jail because of your tint is a bit over stepping his bounds. Only auto's registered in the state must meet state laws (only exception to this is safety).

However, it sounds like you've moved to GA. He could absolutely arrest you if you're a resident of GA and driving a car, owned by you which has registration, insurance and plates for a different state. Once you change your state of residence you must change everything else. Essentially that would mean you are driving an unregistered, uninsured auto.
 
Oh, if you'd like more info, contact your DMV/secretary of state office and ask if out of state auto's must comply with with GA tint laws. Either way, given your lack of registration tag, I think you got off pretty lucky.
 
NateRW21 said:
Good info... However, out of state auto's are generally exempt from state specific laws regarding said auto's. So to say he could arrest you and put you in jail because of your tint is a bit over stepping his bounds. Only auto's registered in the state must meet state laws (only exception to this is safety).
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Not true in Georgia!
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/16/1602.asp
 
I know I have 30 days to change it over and right now, with the move and house-hunting, I want to wait to see what co. I end up in.
By the way cop never asked if I was traveling, passing thru or a resident.
Just wondering now if I remove my front tint, will my car look out of wack? Even if I put on the required 30% or whatever, IMO the difference will be really noticeable.
Since we are on this police topic, have you guys heard of anyone getting a citation/warning because of a radar detector? Do many of you guys use them?
 
jmz2k5 said:
I know I have 30 days to change it over and right now, with the move and house-hunting, I want to wait to see what co. I end up in.
By the way cop never asked if I was traveling, passing thru or a resident.
Just wondering now if I remove my front tint, will my car look out of wack? Even if I put on the required 30% or whatever, IMO the difference will be really noticeable.
Since we are on this police topic, have you guys heard of anyone getting a citation/warning because of a radar detector? Do many of you guys use them?
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Depends on the state, but yes it is possible. I know either one of the VA's it's illegal.
 
GA lost a DUI case based on window tint from an out of state driver b/c they argued that out of state drivers weren't subject to violations like that. GA removed it's tint law for almost a year or so and then re-applied it now that it DOES apply to everyone.
 
Just asked around and was told by that window tint IS punishable, even for out of state drivers.
Uncle told me same thing happened in his 04 Sierra. Truck was impounded, he was fined and ended up paying around $500 after it was all said and done.

Reason I asked about the radar detector is that when I was coming down, I stopped at a rest stop and some older guy with a CTS from Florida I started talking about cars, weather, etc. He noticed my radar on my windshield and asked me why I used a radar detector? I pointed out the obvious (speeding/cops) and he told me it was pretty pointless since speed limits are higher in the south, plus I could be FINED for having one.

I don't mean to sound clueless but I just don't want to be caught off-guard if I get pulled over again.
 
Hmmm news to me on the tint.

Anyway as for that radar detector... I could be wrong but for passenger cars, I'm pretty sure USE is what you can be fined for. Not possession. Come into a state that does not allow use, put it in your trunk.
 
Yep, the tint stuff is true. You CAN have a radar det in GA and use it all you want. They're not illegal here.
 
when you purchase a radar detector it should tell you which states it's illegal to use it in such as VA somewhere in the package. That tint law is new to me i'm glad I live in SC. They don't really stress you here about tints but they do require you have a sticker on your window from the shop stating it is legal and the percentage applied
 
Here's some advice: don't move there!. sounds like the cop(s) are on a power trip.
 
Hmmmm, wouldn't it be the politicians that were elected by the public on a power trip? The police enforce what laws are on the books, they don't make them.

I've never heard of Arcade PD in Barrow County. I live one county away from Barrow.
 
virginia is the only state in the u.s that bans the radar detector. AND THEY ENFORCE IT.
 
06ATLANTA, according to wikipedia:

Arcade is a city in Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,643 at the 2000 census.
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Small town cops, I guess...
 
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