‘You gotta go to a small town & find a lil shop thats like 20-40 mins away’: Man gets windows tinted. Then he tries to get an inspection
A North Carolina-area man is struggling to get his car to pass inspection due to its tinted windows.
Ana (@ana_k0307) shared her fiancé’s predicament in a recent TikTok video, explaining that they had visited three different inspection stations, all of which refused to pass his car because the tint was too dark.
In the clip, Ana filmed her fiancé getting back into the car, looking frustrated after yet another failed attempt. “Third inspection place that won’t pass his tint,” she wrote in the text overlay.
As of Tuesday, the video had racked up more than 128,100 views, sparking debate in the comments. Some sympathized with the couple, while others pointed out that the state Ana said she lives in, North Carolina, enforces strict tint laws.
What’s considered legal in North Carolina?
While window tinting is legal in North Carolina, the state’s Department of Transportation mandates that it must measure no darker than 32% when tested with a North Carolina-approved window tint meter.
Drivers can apply for a waiver through a medical exemption permit, but Ana’s fiancé doesn’t appear to qualify for one. That said, Ana’s video doesn’t specify the exact percentage of his tint, leaving it unclear whether he’s just over the limit or significantly darker.
And, so far, Ana hasn’t provided an update on whether they’ve found a solution—or if they’re considering removing the tint to pass inspection.
The couple’s struggle isn’t unique. Plenty of North Carolina drivers have faced similar issues. In a Quora thread, one person shared that their car failed inspection with a 15% tint and asked for recommendations on which auto shops might be more lenient.
A similar story surfaced in 2022 on the r/NorthCarolina subreddit, where a driver was told their 18% front-side window tint was too dark—even though their truck had previously passed inspection without issue.
That driver and several commenters questioned whether enforcement is consistent, with some suggesting that rural inspection stations might be more forgiving.
“Go to a more rural county inspection station, they will probably pass you,” one Redditor advised. “One in an area with lots of lifted trucks.”
For now, Ana’s fiancé may have to decide whether to risk another inspection attempt elsewhere or remove the tint to ensure his car meets state regulations.
@ana_k0307 NC things 🥲🤣 #fyp ♬ original sound - ana_k0307
Commenters advise driver to stick to smaller shops
In the comments section of Ana’s video, many users echoed the advice from Reddit, suggesting that she and her fiancé try visiting an inspector in a smaller town.
“You gotta go to a small town & find a lil shop thats like 20-40 mins away,” one viewer said. “That’s what I do.”
Others, however, suggested a sneakier way to pass inspection—by slipping an inspector some cash to overlook the tint. Some commenters claimed that certain inspection stations would pass a car for the right price, even if the windows were clearly too dark.
“Gotta pay that extra so they’ll pass it,” one woman commented.
“I have a guy that does it I don’t even have to take my car, just the registration and miles and pay him $35,” another bragged.
“Slim him a $100, cheaper than a new tint,” a third viewer suggested.
But some viewers also vented their frustration, arguing that states like North Carolina impose overly strict inspection guidelines.
“Thank God [Georgia] doesn’t have inspections,” one man wrote. “We have emissions testing but not in the county I live in.”
“Massachusetts is probably even worse,” another added. “Called a place asking and bro said he can’t. One time they got a call from the state asking why they forgot to check hazards on a car. They checked cameras.”
“I need info for Fayetteville, North Carolina,” another distressed commenter said. “Please, someone.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ana via TikTok comment.
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