Customer Pulled Over

[klingsdesigns]

Since when is it illegal to have vinyl lettering on your rear window? I had a customer get pulled over by a city cop saying as long as the center of rear window has nothing your fine. Now he got pulled over today and the law states you can not have anything on it. Well how do people get away with having window perf on it then?

 

[Rick]

Most states allow rear windows graphics if you have a side view mirror on both sides...

Wisconsin State Legislature:
(5) 
(a) The rear window may not have any sign, poster or other nontransparent material upon it, other than a certificate or sticker issued by order of a governmental agency.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

You're talking about two different decorations, though.
Vinyl lettering implies cut vinyl. It is not opaque, hence it impairs the operator's view. Window perf, seeing as it has holes for the very purpose of being able to see through it, does not suffer that limitation.
There's also not coherent "rule" from state to state, at least there wasn't the last time I looked- so some states/municipalities/whatever may be okay with cut vinyl on rear windows while others aren't.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

Most states allow rear windows graphics if you have a side view mirror on both sides...

Wisconsin State Legislature:
(5) 
(a) The rear window may not have any sign, poster or other nontransparent material upon it, other than a certificate or sticker issued by order of a governmental agency.

There's the answer- nontransparent. Good job!

 

[klingsdesigns]

So when it says sign I am assuming that means window perf too then.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

The operative word is nontransparent.

 

[rjssigns]

The law is odd and subject to interpretation. What about a service van that has solid rear doors? All they have are driver/passenger windows, a windshield and side view mirrors. Can't impair rearward vision more than that yet are still allowed on the street.

I used to tint windows years ago. A friendly officer told me anything from the drivers shoulder back could be coated with tar. I found the comment amusing, but it ties back to the service van deal.

BTW I'm in Wisconsin too.

 

[jayhawksigns]

The law is odd and subject to interpretation. What about a service van that has solid rear doors? All they have are driver/passenger windows, a windshield and side view mirrors. Can't impair rearward vision more than that yet are still allowed on the street.

I used to tint windows years ago. A friendly officer told me anything from the drivers shoulder back could be coated with tar. I found the comment amusing, but it ties back to the service van deal.

BTW I'm in Wisconsin too.

Same thoughts for me. Our two big service trucks don't even have mirrors mounted on the windshield, something about big crane/boom mounts blocking visibility.

 

[Sign Works]

But you can buy and drive a van that literally has no back windows, makes no sense.

 

[jfiscus]

If you add a service body (or cap) to a pickup it has no rear window visibility at all. It is an odd law, but it is a law, so nothing you can do about it. I would just let customers know when you quote them that the law states it, but it is rarely enforced. I've never ran into this before, but I am not close to Wisconsin.

 

[papabud]

keep in mind its up to the officers to decide if you get a ticket or not. its a judge that decides if you actually violated the law.
officers are paid to write tickets so thats just what they do.
an officer is not always correct in how he views the law.