KRS § 189.110 — KY Code / Title XVI / Chapter 189 / Section 189.110
189.110 Unobstructed windshields -- Display of American flag -- Windshield wipers
Status: in_force

189.110 Unobstructed windshields -- Display of American flag -- Windshield

wipers.

(1) A windshield in a fixed and upright position, that is equipped with safety glazing as

required by federal safety-glazing material standards, is required on every motor

vehicle which is operated on the public highways, roads, and streets, except on a

motorcycle or implement of husbandry.

(2) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle on a public highway, road, or street with

any sign, sunscreening material, product, or covering attached to, or located in or

upon the windshield, except the following:

(a) A certificate or other paper required to be displayed by law;

(b) Sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield, if the material

is transparent and does not encroach upon the driver's direct forward viewing

area as defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 205 as the

AS/1 portion of the windshield; or

(c) Sunscreening material or other product or material applied to the windshield,

when used in conjunction with the safety glazing materials of the windshield,

if it has a light transmittance of not less than seventy percent (70%) and is not

red or yellow in color.

(3) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle required to be registered in the

Commonwealth, on a public highway, road, or street on which vehicle the side

wings and side windows on either side forward of or adjacent to the operator's seat

are composed of, covered by, or treated with any sunscreening material or other

product or covering which has the effect of making the window nontransparent or

which would alter the window's color, increase its reflectivity, or reduce its light

transmittance, except as expressly permitted by this section. A sunscreening

material may be applied to the windows if, when tested on one-eighth (1/8) inch

clear glass, the material has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than

twenty-five percent (25%) as measured on the nonfilm side and a light

transmittance of at least thirty-five percent (35%) in the visible light range.

(4) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle required to be registered in the

Commonwealth, on a public highway, road, or street on which vehicle any windows

behind the driver are composed of, covered by, or treated with any sunscreening

material, or other product or material which has the effect of making the window

nontransparent or which would alter the window's color, increase its reflectivity, or

reduce its light transmittance, except as specified below:

(a) Sunscreen material consisting of film which, when tested on one-eighth (1/8)

inch clear glass, has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than

thirty-five percent (35%) as measured on the nonfilm side and a light

transmittance of at least eighteen percent (18%) in the visible light range;

however, sunscreen material which, when tested on one-eighth (1/8) inch

clear glass, has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than thirty-

five percent (35%) as measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance

of at least eight percent (8%) in the visible light range may be used on

multipurpose passenger vehicles; or

(b) Perforated sunscreening material which, when tested in conjunction with

existing glazing or film material, has a total reflectance of visible light of not

more than thirty-five percent (35%) and a light transmittance of no less than

thirty percent (30%). For those products or materials having different levels of

reflectance, the highest reflectance from the product or material will be

measured by dividing the area into sixteen (16) equal sections and averaging

the overall reflectance. The measured reflectance of any of those sections may

not exceed fifty percent (50%).

(5) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle required to be registered in the

Commonwealth, upon a public highway, road, or street, on which vehicle the rear

window is composed of, covered by, or treated with any material which has the

effect of making the window nontransparent, unless the vehicle is equipped with

side mirrors on both sides.

(6) Each installer or seller of sunscreening material shall provide a pressure-sensitive,

self-destructive, nonremovable, vinyl-type film label to the purchaser stating that

the material complies with the provisions of KRS 189.010(20) to (23) and

subsections (1) to (5) of this section. Each installer shall affix the required label to

the inside left door jamb of the motor vehicle. In addition, the label shall state the

trade name of the material and the installer's or seller's business name. Labeling is

not required for factory glazing which complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard No. 205.

(7) Every percentage measurement required by subsections (2) to (4) of this section is

subject to a tolerance of plus or minus three percent (3%).

(8) A person shall not install window tinting materials on a vehicle that fails to meet

the minimum standards for light transmission pursuant to subsections (2) to (4) of

this section. Tinted material that fails to meet the minimum standards for light

transmission pursuant to subsections (2) to (4) of this section shall be removed

immediately.

(9) A person who applies sunscreening materials in violation of this section shall be

guilty upon conviction of a Class B misdemeanor.

(10) Nothing in this section shall prevent the display of a representation of the American

flag on the rear window of any motor vehicle, including any vehicle owned by a

local or state government, provided that the representation does not exceed a size of

five (5) inches by eight (8) inches and is placed in a lower corner of the rear

window.

(11) The windshield on every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a device for cleaning

rain, snow or other moisture from the windshield. The device shall be so

constructed as to be controlled by the operator of the vehicle.

(12) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the use of any window which

is composed of, covered by, or treated with any material or component in a manner

approved by federal statute or regulation if the window was a component part of a

vehicle at the time of the vehicle manufacture, or the replacement of any window

by a covering which meets these requirements.