House File 766 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 766 BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 206) 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 2439HV (2) 91 th/ns
H.F. 766 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 any of the 4 following: 5 (1) A front windshield that meets a minimum standard of 6 transparency of less than seventy percent light transmittance. 7 (2) A side window to the immediate right or left of the 8 driver, or a sidewing forward of and to the left or right of the 9 driver which is excessively dark or reflective so that it is 10 difficult for a person outside the motor vehicle to see into 11 the motor vehicle through the windshield, window, or sidewing , 12 that meets a minimum standard of transparency of less than 13 fifty percent light transmittance . 14 a. The department shall adopt rules establishing a minimum 15 measurable standard of transparency which shall apply to 16 violations of this subsection . 17 b. This subsection does not apply to a person who operates 18 a motor vehicle owned or leased by a federal, state, or local 19 law enforcement agency if the operation is part of the persons 20 official duties. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 Under current law, a person is prohibited from operating a 25 motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield, a side window 26 to the immediate right or left of the driver, or a sidewing 27 forward of and to the left or right of the driver which is 28 excessively dark or reflective so that it is difficult for a 29 person outside the motor vehicle to see into the motor vehicle 30 through the window. Under rules adopted by the department of 31 transportation (DOT) (761 IAC 450.7), excessively dark or 32 reflective means the window does not meet a minimum standard 33 of transparency of 70 percent light transmittance. However, 34 the requirement does not apply to a person who operates a motor 35 -1- LSB 2439HV (2) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 766 vehicle owned or leased by a federal, state, or local law 1 enforcement agency if the operation is part of the persons 2 official duties. 3 This bill strikes the authority of the DOT to adopt rules 4 establishing a minimum measurable standard of transparency 5 and instead prohibits a person from operating on the highway 6 a motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield that meets 7 a minimum standard of transparency of less than 70 percent 8 light transmittance or a side window or sidewing immediately 9 beside or forward of the driver, as applicable, that meets a 10 minimum standard of transparency of less than 50 percent light 11 transmittance. 12 A violation of Code section 321.438 is punishable by a 13 scheduled fine of $70. 14 -2- LSB 2439HV (2) 91 th/ns 2/ 2