Minnesota Session Laws - 2008, Regular Session

CHAPTER 235--S.F.No. 3336

An act

relating to traffic regulations; providing for exemptions to vehicle window glazing restrictions;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 168.27, by adding a subdivision; 169.71, subdivision 4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 168.27, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 30. new text end

new text begin Glazing material. new text end

new text begin A new motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, or motor vehicle lessor may not sell or lease a motor vehicle at retail for registration in Minnesota that does not meet the glazing material requirements under section 169.71, subdivision 4. new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 169.71, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Glazing material; prohibitions and exceptions.

(a) No person shall drive or operate any motor vehicle required to be registered in the state of Minnesota upon any street or highway under the following conditions:

(1) when the windshield is composed of, covered by, or treated with any material which has the effect of making the windshield more reflective or in any other way reducing light transmittance through the windshield;

(2) when any window on the vehicle is composed of, covered by, or treated with any material that has a highly reflective or mirrored appearance;

(3) when any side window or rear window is composed of or treated with any material so as to obstruct or substantially reduce the driver's clear view through the window or has a light transmittance of less than 50 percent plus or minus three percent in the visible light range or a luminous reflectance of more than 20 percent plus or minus three percent; or

(4) when any material has been applied after August 1, 1985, to any motor vehicle window without an accompanying permanent marking which indicates the percent of transmittance and the percent of reflectance afforded by the material. The marking must be in a manner so as not to obscure vision and be readable when installed on the vehicle.

(b) This subdivision does not apply to glazing materials which:

(1) have not been modified since the original installation, nor to original replacement windows and windshields, that were originally installed or replaced in conformance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205;

(2) are required to satisfy prescription or medical needs of the driver of the vehicle or a passenger if new text begin : new text end

new text begin (i) new text end the driver or passenger is in possession of the prescription or a physician's statement of medical need;

new text begin (ii) the prescription or statement specifically states the minimum percentage that light transmittance may be reduced to satisfy the prescription or medical needs of the patient; and new text end

new text begin (iii) the prescription or statement contains an expiration date, which must be no more than two years after the date the prescription or statement was issued; new text end or

(3) are applied to:

(i) the rear windows of a pickup truck as defined in section 168.011, subdivision 29;

(ii) the rear windows or the side windows on either side behind the driver's seat of a van as defined in section 168.011, subdivision 28;

(iii) the side and rear windows of a vehicle used to transport human remains by a funeral establishment holding a license under section 149A.50; deleted text begin or deleted text end

(iv) the side and rear windows of a limousine as defined in section 168.011, subdivision 35 new text begin ; or new text end

new text begin (v) the rear and side windows of a police vehicle new text end .

Presented to the governor April 23, 2008

Signed by the governor April 25, 2008, 4:04 p.m.