Yes, California cops can and do pull you over for window tint, though enforcement varies by agency, location, and how dark your tint is. Under California Vehicle Code 26708, front side windows must allow 70 percent of light in, which is very light, so any noticeable dark tint on front windows is technically illegal and gives an officer probable cause to initiate a traffic stop. In practice, whether you get pulled over depends on several factors. CHP and some city police may be stricter, especially if your tint is very dark like 20 percent or 5 percent on front windows, or if you have other violations like no front plate or speeding. In large urban areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, darker tints are extremely common and officers may not stop you solely for tint unless it is extremely dark or you are stopped for another reason and they add tint as a secondary citation. Tint is often used as a reason to stop a vehicle when officers want to investigate other things. If you are stopped, it is typically issued as a correctable fix-it ticket requiring you to remove tint and get it signed off, with a small dismissal fee. So yes, you can be pulled over for tint in California, especially with very dark front tint.
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