House File 206 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 206 BY STONE A BILL FOR An Act relating to motor vehicle window tint, and making 1 penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2439YH (1) 91 th/ns
H.F. 206 Section 1. Section 321.438, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. a. A person shall not operate on the highway a motor 3 vehicle equipped with a front windshield, a side window to the 4 immediate right or left of the driver, or a sidewing forward 5 of and to the left or right of the driver which is excessively 6 dark or reflective so that it is difficult for a person outside 7 the motor vehicle to see into the motor vehicle through the 8 windshield, window, or sidewing that meets a minimum standard 9 of transparency of less than fifty percent light transmittance . 10 a. The department shall adopt rules establishing a minimum 11 measurable standard of transparency which shall apply to 12 violations of this subsection . 13 b. This subsection does not apply to a person who operates 14 a motor vehicle owned or leased by a federal, state, or local 15 law enforcement agency if the operation is part of the persons 16 official duties. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 Under current law, a person is prohibited from operating 21 a motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield, a side 22 window to the immediate right or left of the driver, or a 23 sidewing forward of and to the left or right of the driver 24 (window) which is excessively dark or reflective so that it is 25 difficult for a person outside the motor vehicle to see into 26 the motor vehicle through the window. Under rules adopted 27 by the department of transportation (DOT) (761 IAC 450.7), 28 excessively dark or reflective means the window does not 29 meet a minimum standard of transparency of 70 percent light 30 transmittance. However, the requirement does not apply to 31 a person who operates a motor vehicle owned or leased by 32 a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency if the 33 operation is part of the persons official duties. 34 This bill strikes the authority of the DOT to adopt rules 35 -1- LSB 2439YH (1) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 206 establishing a minimum measurable standard of transparency 1 and instead prohibits a person from operating on the highway 2 a motor vehicle equipped with a window that meets a minimum 3 standard of transparency of less than 50 percent light 4 transmittance. 5 A violation of Code section 321.438 is punishable by a 6 scheduled fine of $70. 7 -2- LSB 2439YH (1) 91 th/ns 2/ 2