The District's police watchdog says Metropolitan Police Department officers have been pulling over drivers, questioning them about weapons and drugs, and even patting them down over suspected window-tint violations without ever using the equipment required to confirm a violation occurred. The findings come from a report issued this week by the D.C. Police Complaints Board, which is calling for sweeping changes to how MPD polices tinted glass on District roads.
Officers Skipped the Tint Meter Entirely
According to FOX 5 DC, MPD policy requires officers to use a tint meter before determining that a violation has occurred, yet the Board reported that officers issued tickets or launched traffic stops without ever measuring the glass. In one case detailed in the report, an officer stopped a driver for a suspected tint violation and questioned the driver about contraband before conducting a pat-down search — all without testing or investigating the vehicle's actual tint level, the outlet reported.
The station also reported that some officers told drivers that front windshields cannot legally be tinted at all, a claim that does not match D.C. law. One officer told investigators she skipped the tint test because she believed front-windshield tint was illegal on its face and therefore exempt from measurement, per the same report. The Board said officers have repeatedly used suspected tint violations as a pretext to question drivers about contraband or weapons before ever confirming a violation existed, and that some searches proceeded without any tint testing at all.
One Stop Lasted Over an Hour
Among the cases the Board reviewed, one traffic stop was prolonged for more than an hour while officers waited for a K-9 unit to arrive for a vehicle sweep, the station reported. The Board also sustained a complaint alleging harassment and found that in a separate case, an officer unlawfully detained a driver beyond the time needed to actually address the traffic infraction. The Board warned that these practices can produce unnecessary stops, inconsistent enforcement, and a heavier burden on communities that already experience more frequent police contact, according to the same report.
What DC's Tint Law Actually Says
Under the D.C. Code, front windshields and front side windows are barred from having less than 70 percent light transmittance, while FOX 5 DC reported that rear windshields and rear side windows are allowed to go as low as 50 percent. The law also gives violators five days to prove they've removed illegal tint in order to avoid additional fines or a registration suspension, the station reported. MPD's own collateral list of moving violations lists a $50 fine for a tinted-window citation under D.C. Code 50-2207.02(c), according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Board Pushes for Training, Data Review and Clearer Rules
The Police Complaints Board recommended that MPD direct officers to stop initiating suspected window-tint stops unless they have the proper tools and training to confirm a violation, the station reported. The Board also called for MPD to correct internal guidance, training materials, and public-facing information about the District's window-tint laws, and to clarify policy on when officers should issue notices or written warnings once a measurement actually confirms a violation.
The Board additionally recommended that MPD regularly review its window-tint enforcement data to check for possible patterns of bias policing, per the same report. Marke D. Cross, executive director of the Office of Police Complaints, said window-tint enforcement must be based on the law and backed by proper training and equipment. Cross said clear guidance will help officers apply the law consistently, reduce unnecessary police contact, and strengthen public confidence.
A Long-Running Concern
This isn't the first time MPD's tint enforcement has drawn scrutiny. Meeting minutes from the D.C. Police Complaints Board show the issue was already the subject of a draft policy recommendation and board discussion back in 2013, and a separate 2013 draft report from the Office of Police Complaints was titled “MPD Enforcement of the District's Window Tint Law,” according to a statement posted by the Metropolitan Police Department. Separately, MPD and the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles rolled out new data systems, policy, and training in July 2019 aimed at collecting more detailed information on police stops and enabling deeper analysis. The Office of Police Complaints has also published a broader Biased Policing Project report examining MPD practices more generally.
FOX 5 DC reported that it reached out to MPD for comment on the new report and its recommendations. It remains unclear whether MPD will adopt the Board's recommended changes to training, guidance, or data review.
