Dark window tint now illegal in Broken Arrow

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. - Broken Arrow city councilors passed a new law Tuesday night, which would make deeply tinted windows illegal.

Broken Arrow Police Chief David Boggs said many of his officers have recently complained of a lack of visibility inside cars.

Boggs says factory tint is OK but a limousine look would be a finable offense. He suggests going to a reputable dealer for a proper factory tint.

The new ordinance says:

• The driver and passenger windows can't be darker than 25 percent tint.
• The tint can't be reflective.
• A tint strip on the front windshield can't be more than four inches.
• The rest of the car windows can be darker than 25 percent but not blacked out.
• This is already state law... It just allows Broken Arrow to enforce it locally.

"You need to be able to see the hands of the people inside the car. You want to see if they're holding a weapon, maybe a problem, a medical issue inside the car," said Boggs. "When a car is tinted too darkly, it's unsafe for us. It's also too dark for the driver because it reduces their ability to see out or in inclement weather."

Officers will start enforcing this new window tinting law in September. The fines range from $5 to $200.