What a window tint ticket costs in Idaho

Why the figures online disagree

A tint citation's total is a base amount plus court costs and surcharges, and those are set per county by the citing court rather than by the tint statute. That is why three pages about the same state will quote three different numbers, all of them sourced from each other rather than from a schedule. The number that binds you is the one the clerk of the court named on your citation gives you — so that call is the first thing worth making.

What Idaho does settle

A fixed infraction penalty rather than a range a court works within, which makes Idaho one of the few states where the answer to what will this cost me is a single number. Two state agencies have published the same figure more than a decade apart, which is about as much corroboration as a tint penalty ever gets. The medical route out needs nothing but written verification from a licensed physician kept with the vehicle.

What to do next

1. 1

   Ring the clerk of the court named on the citation and ask for the amount and the appearance date. Do not rely on a figure from a blog.

2. 2

   Ask the same clerk whether the citation can be dismissed on proof that the film was brought into compliance — some courts allow it even where the statute is silent.

3. 3

   Have the film replaced with film that meters legal through the glass, and keep the receipt in case the court will take it.

The limits you were measured against

Front side windows 35% VLT minimum, back side windows 20% VLT minimum, rear window 35% VLT minimum — metered through the film and the glass together. Factory side glass already blocks some light before any film goes on, which is how film sold as “legal” ends up metering under the limit.

Frequently asked questions