Window Tint Ticket in Memphis

Brooks Law Firm

A window tint citation in Memphis is a criminal charge, not a parking ticket. Tennessee treats a tint violation under T.C.A. § 55-9-107 as a Class C misdemeanor — the same classification as most minor traffic offenses — which means it goes on your record if you simply pay it. Brooks Law Firm handles tint citations in Shelby County and the suburban courts. Call or text 901-412-2973.

What Tennessee requires

Tennessee regulates how much light must pass through tinted windows and where tint may be applied. The measurement is taken with a meter at the roadside, and the reading on the officer’s device is the evidence against you.

That matters more than people expect. Tint meters require calibration. Factory glass already blocks some light before any film is added, so a vehicle can measure differently than the film’s rating suggests. Older film degrades. And a reading taken in the field, once, on one window, is not the same as a laboratory measurement.

Why tint stops matter beyond the tint

Most of our tint cases do not arrive as tint cases. The tint is the stated reason for a stop that produced something else — a search, a weapon, a drug charge, a suspended license. If that describes your situation, the tint citation is the smallest part of it, and whether the officer had grounds for the stop is the first question worth asking. See drug charge defense and weapons charges.

What we do with a tint citation

Appear for you in most routine cases, so you do not miss work.
Address the citation before it becomes a failure to appear and a warrant.
Where the film has been removed or brought into compliance, present that to the court — compliance frequently changes the outcome.
Where the tint stop led to a larger charge, examine the basis for the stop itself.

Common questions

Is a window tint ticket a criminal charge in Tennessee?

Yes. A tint violation under T.C.A. § 55-9-107 is a Class C misdemeanor, so paying it is entering a guilty plea to a misdemeanor rather than settling a fine.

If I remove the tint, will the ticket go away?

Not automatically, but it helps. Courts and prosecutors respond to proof that the vehicle has been brought into compliance, and it is one of the more productive things you can do before your court date.

Can a tint stop be challenged?

Sometimes. The reading depends on a calibrated meter and on which window was measured. Where the stop produced a more serious charge, whether the officer had a lawful basis for stopping you is a separate and often more important question.

Tell us what the citation says and we will tell you the fee. Office (901) 324-5000 · criminal line 901-412-2973.