Window Tint FAQ, Straight Answers.
What People Ask at the Counter.

Ceramic window tint is film made with ceramic rather than metal, so it rejects infrared and blocks UV without signal interference. Tint Starz installs two from Rayno's Phantom series: S5, rated 53 to 72 percent infrared rejection depending on shade, and S9, rated 91 to 93 percent infrared rejection across Rayno's published shades. Both block 99.9 percent of UV.

Starting prices for both films are on the window tint prices page.

No. Ceramic film causes no signal interference, unlike metallic film, so phone, GPS and radio signals reach the car the same way after the install as before it. That holds for both ceramic films Tint Starz installs, S5 Premium Ceramic and S9 Highest Performance Ceramic.

IR tint is window film rated for infrared rejection, the share of the sun's infrared it holds back. Both ceramics Tint Starz installs carry that rating: S5 is rated 53 to 72 percent depending on shade, and S9 is rated 91 to 93 percent infrared rejection across Rayno's published shades. Shade and infrared rejection are separate numbers.

Yes. Both ceramic films Tint Starz installs, S5 and S9, block 99.9 percent of UV in every shade Rayno publishes. UV comes through car glass in winter as well as summer, so that protection for your skin and for the dashboard, seats and trim does not take months off.

70 percent S9 is the lightest, nearly clear, and Rayno publishes no figure for this shade. The lightest S9 with a published figure is 50 percent, rated 92 percent infrared rejection. On an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, 70 is legal on the front doors unless aftermarket rear film is darker than 30 percent.

The lightest S5 shade is 50 percent. Both are on the tint shades page.

A full detail at Tint Starz, the Complete Detail, starts at $225 on a coupe or sedan. It is the Interior Detail plus Wash and Seal: vacuum, plastics, trim, leather, glass and jambs inside, and a hand wash with a 3-month spray sealant outside. A 2-row SUV or small truck and a 3-row SUV or full-size truck cost more.

Interior Detail at Tint Starz starts at $175 on a coupe or sedan: full vacuum, plastics and trim, leather cleaned and conditioned, light cloth cleaning, glass, jambs and cologne. The headliner is not included. Carpet shampoo adds $60, cloth seat shampoo adds $100, and pet hair starts at $40, set at the quote.

A Complete Detail takes about 3.5 hours of bay time. An Interior Detail takes about 3 hours, Clay and Seal about 2, and Wash and Seal about 1. Detailing is by appointment, Monday to Saturday 9 to 6, so book a time that leaves room for the work and ask about pickup when you book.

Not a multi-year paint coating. The detailing menu has two ceramic add-ons: a 12-month ceramic spray sealant for $59 on any exterior service, and a 1-year ceramic coating for the windshield at $75, added to any service. Headlight Restoration, $100 a pair, also finishes the lenses with a ceramic coat.

If rock chips are the worry, paint protection film stops them; a coating does not.

Yes. The mobile detailing van comes to your driveway or parking spot in the ten towns the shop serves, with its own water and power. It does Wash and Seal, Clay and Seal, Interior Detail, Complete Detail, Engine Bay Detail, Headlight Restoration and Odor Removal. Call for a price; the published menu prices are for the bay.

Window tinting at Tint Starz starts at $200 for Carbon on a coupe or single-cab truck and $250 for S5 ceramic on a coupe. S5 on a sedan starts at $330, and on an SUV or truck at $400. Every figure is a starting price: the final number depends on the vehicle, film, coverage, condition and installation difficulty.

Call the shop for an exact price, or send the quote form and the shop calls you back within minutes during shop hours. Every starting price is on the window tint prices page, and the guide to how much window tint costs in the Chicago suburbs walks through what moves the number.

Most jobs at Tint Starz are done the same day you bring the car in. Most cars take 2 to 4 hours, depending on size. The shop confirms when you book. Drop-off is by appointment at 837 Oakton St Unit C in Elk Grove Village.

Usually, yes: most jobs are finished the same day you bring the car in. The shop works by appointment, so whether today is open depends on the schedule. Call to ask, or send the quote form and the shop calls you back with an exact price within minutes during shop hours, then pick a time.

The Tint Starz window tint warranty depends on the film: lifetime on S9, 2 years on S5, no warranty on Carbon. That is the shop's own warranty. The warranty page sets out what it covers, what it does not cover and how to make a claim, plus the care steps while new film cures.

Ceramic, unless price decides it: S5 rejects 53 to 72 percent of infrared depending on shade, S9 91 to 93 percent across Rayno's published shades, and both block 99.9 percent of UV. Carbon costs less, from $200 on a coupe against $250 for S5, and blocks 99.9 percent of UV.

Rayno rates Carbon at 72 percent infrared in the 5 percent shade and 41 percent in 35, and it comes in 35 and 5 percent. The window tint prices page has Carbon, S5 and S9 by vehicle size.

S5 and S9 ceramic are built to survive Chicago winters with no purple and no bubbling, and S9 carries a lifetime warranty. Their 99.9 percent UV block holds in every season, not only July. Carbon blocks 99 percent of UV. The warranty page gives the length for each film.

No. Window tint, PPF and wraps go on inside the shop at 837 Oakton St Unit C in Elk Grove Village, never in a driveway. Film goes on best in a clean, controlled bay, and that is where the work is done. Detailing is different: mobile detailing comes to your driveway in the ten towns the shop serves.

Tint Starz is at 837 Oakton St Unit C, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. The shop is open by appointment Monday to Saturday from 9 to 6 and closed Sunday. It serves Schaumburg, Des Plaines, Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights and the other towns around Elk Grove Village.

Every town the shop serves is on the service areas page, and the contact page has the map and the hours.

Yes, within limits. Front side windows can take nonreflective film at 35 percent or lighter when no rear window is darker than 35 percent, or 50 percent or lighter when rear film is at least 30 but under 35 percent, or the rear glass is factory tinted. Aftermarket rear film darker than 30 percent means no front film.

The rear side windows and back glass have no limit, with a side mirror on each side, and the windshield takes nonreflective film along the top 6 inches only. The Illinois window tint law page has the full rules, the medical exemption and the fines.

No. Tint Starz is a window tint shop first: Carbon and two ceramics, S5 and S9, from $200 for Carbon on a coupe, plus windshields, Teslas and tint removal. Paint protection film, color change wraps and chrome delete are installed in the same building, and detailing is done in the bay next to the tint or by van.

For detailing, yes. For window tint, paint protection film and wraps, no: those are installed in the shop on Oakton Street, never in a driveway. The detailing van comes to the ten towns the shop serves, carries its own water and power, and needs a driveway or a parking spot with room to open every door.

Mobile detailing is priced by phone. The mobile detailing page lists what the van does.

Call, or send the quote form with your name, phone and year, make and model. The shop calls you back with a price within minutes during shop hours, then you pick a time, Monday to Saturday between 9 and 6. A $50 deposit holds the time and comes off your total.

Yes. Ask for it when you ask for your tint price, and the detail is done in the bay next to the tint. Detailing added to a tint job is priced under the regular menu: on a coupe or sedan, Wash and Seal starts at $55 instead of $65, and the Inside and Out Refresh starts at $149.

The full menu, with the larger vehicle sizes, is on the car detailing page.

Yes. The Tint Starz detailing van carries its own water and its own power. You do not need to run a hose from the house or find an outlet near the car, so the spot does not need a spigot. The van comes to Elk Grove Village and nine towns around it, by appointment.

The van's menu and its ten towns are on the mobile detailing page.

A driveway or a parking spot in one of the ten towns, with room to open every door of the car. The van brings its own water and power, so you do not need a hose, a spigot or an outlet. When you ask for a price, say the town and where the car will be parked.

Mostly the size of the vehicle, its condition, pet hair, odor, and which service you pick. A bigger vehicle or a dirtier one takes more work. Until the van's menu is published, every mobile price is quoted by phone: send the form with your car, your town and a photo, and the shop calls you back within minutes during shop hours.

The shop menu, with its published prices by vehicle size, is on the car detailing page.

Ten towns: Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg, Des Plaines, Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, Bensenville, Mount Prospect, Itasca, Rolling Meadows and Wood Dale. They are the towns the shop serves for tint, each town hall within about 19 minutes of Oakton Street outside rush hour. If your town is not listed, the same menu is done in the bay.

Drive times and routes for each town are on the service areas page.

The appointment moves. Rain or freezing weather moves a mobile detail to a new time, and the shop calls you first to reschedule, so you are not left waiting for the van. If you would rather not wait on the weather, the same menu is done in the bay at 837 Oakton St Unit C, Elk Grove Village.

Of 35, 20 and 5 percent, 35 lets the most light through after dark, about a third. On an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, it is also the only one of the three allowed on the front doors, and only when no rear window is darker than 35.

Lighter still, Tint Starz stocks 50 percent in S5 and S9 and 70 in S9; both are legal on the front doors unless rear film is darker than 30.

Yes, but less than through any other shade Tint Starz installs: headlights and lit signs show, and dim things fade. 5 percent film passes a twentieth of the light, a seventh of what 35 passes. On an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption it goes on the rear only, with a side mirror on each side.

With 5 percent on the rear, the front doors take no film. Cars registered in another state are exempt from both rules.

Not on an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption. Rear film darker than 30 percent leaves the front doors with no film. For 35 on the front, every rear window must be 35 or lighter, or left clear. With 30 on the rear, the front doors can take 50 or lighter. Cars registered in another state are exempt.

Yes, by Rayno's rating: MonoCarbon, the Carbon film Tint Starz installs, rejects 72 percent of infrared in the 5 percent shade and 41 percent in 35, and blocks 99.9 percent of UV, and it starts at $200 on a coupe. For rated infrared rejection, S5 ceramic is 53 to 72 percent depending on shade, and S9 91 to 93 percent across Rayno's published shades.

The ceramic window tint page puts S5 and S9 side by side.

Very little, by Rayno's test. After 1,000 hours of xenon testing, MonoCarbon, the Carbon film Tint Starz installs, faded less than 1 percent. It gets its color from carbon particles, not dye. By Rayno's figures, Carbon blocks 99 percent of UV, and it starts at $200 on a coupe.

Dyed window tint is film colored with dye, and the dye is what darkens the glass. It is also what fades: in Rayno's 1,000 hour xenon test, the dyed films tested against MonoCarbon faded up to 8.6 percent, while MonoCarbon faded less than 1 percent. Tint Starz does not install dyed film. Carbon starts at $200 on a coupe.

The front side windows may be 35 percent or lighter when no window behind the driver is darker than 35 percent, under (a-5)(2). With rear film of at least 30 but under 35 percent, or factory tinted rear glass, the front must be 50 percent or lighter. Rear film darker than 30 percent means no front film.

Preview 35 and 50 on one car with the shade picker on the tint shades page.

Without the medical exemption, 35 percent is the darkest legal film on the front side windows, and only when no rear window is darker than 35. The rear side windows and back glass have no limit, so 5 percent is legal there, but rear film darker than 30 percent leaves the front with no film.

Yes. Illinois sets no limit for the rear side windows or the back glass, so 20 percent is legal there, with a side mirror on each side of the car. The catch is the front: with rear film darker than 30 percent, subsection (a-5) allows no film at all on the front side windows.

If you want film up front too, 35 all around or 30 in back with 50 up front keeps every window legal.

Yes. 35 percent on every side window and the back glass is legal under (a-5)(2), since nothing behind the driver is darker than 35. The car needs a side mirror on each side, and the windshield takes nonreflective film only along the top 6 inches. Without the medical exemption, nothing darker than 35 is legal up front.

We carry 35 in Carbon, S5 and S9. Ask for a quote and we call you back with an exact price.

On the rear side windows and back glass, yes: the statute sets no limit there, with a side mirror on each side. On the front side windows of an Illinois registered car, no, unless it carries the medical exemption. 5 percent is darker than every front figure in (a-5), and 5 percent in back means unfilmed fronts.

Only on the rear side windows and back glass, unless the car carries the medical exemption. Section 12-503 is state law and applies in Chicago as everywhere in Illinois, and subsection (m) bars home rule units from regulating vehicles inconsistently with it. 15 percent in back is legal, but then the front side windows get no film.

No. Subsection (a) allows only a nonreflective strip along the top of the windshield, no more than 6 inches down, which is where the AS-1 line usually falls. Nothing else goes on it, clear film included. The two exceptions are a car with the medical exemption under (g) and a car properly registered in another state, under (f)(2).

The legal strip is sold as a sunstrip; see windshield tint.

No. Section 12-503 never mentions sedans, SUVs, vans or trucks, and the front side rule depends on the rear windows on every vehicle. When an SUV or truck has factory privacy glass in back, that counts as factory tinted rear glass under (a-5)(4), so its front side windows may carry film of 50 percent or lighter.

Get a certified statement from a physician licensed in Illinois naming a condition that requires shielding from direct sun, carry it in the vehicle at all times, have it renewed every 4 years and send a copy to the Secretary of State. The vehicle also needs distinctive plates or a plate sticker issued under Section 3-412(k).

Conditions the statute names include lupus, albinism and light sensitivity from a traumatic brain injury. No exemption from the front side rule is granted for a condition that sunglasses or other eye protection can handle.

No. Section 12-503 sets no sticker or certificate for ordinary legal film. The only sticker it ties to window film is the medical exemption's: a vehicle with exempt film needs distinctive plates or a plate sticker issued under Section 3-412(k), and installers may fit exempt film only when those are already on the car.

The fine for a first tint violation is 50 to 500 dollars, as a petty offense under subsection (j). A second or later violation is a Class C misdemeanor, fined 100 to 500 dollars. A conviction under the windshield, front side, rear or mirror rules also orders the windows altered into compliance.

Nothing in Section 12-503 prevents it. Subsection (c-5) says no vehicle may be stopped or searched solely for an object hanging between the driver and the windshield, and the statute has no matching line for window film. The same state rules apply in Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village and every other Illinois town.

The statute has no exception for film a previous owner put on, and a conviction comes with an order under (j) to bring the windows into compliance. Nothing in 12-503 bars taking film off; (a-10)(1) says so for windshield film. Tint removal is priced from $80 to $150, depending on the film's condition and the adhesive left.

If the job grows once removal starts, we show you with photos or a video call and confirm the price first. See tint removal.

Section 12-503 sets no grace period. What it sets is an order: under subsection (j), anyone convicted under (a), (a-5), (b) or (b-5) is ordered to alter the nonconforming windows into compliance. The statute names no deadline for that, so read the terms of your own order and act on them.

Removing the film, or replacing it with a legal shade, brings the windows into compliance. See tint removal.

Check the rear windows first, because they decide the front, then check the front shade against what that rear allows: 35 percent or lighter, 50 percent or lighter, or no film. When an officer meters the glass, the statute allows a 5 percent variance on that reading, but the legal figures stay 35 and 50.

The Illinois tint law checker does it in two picks: the rear, then the front.

Not under Section 12-503, with one carve-out. Subsection (k) says the section gives a buyer no claim against a dealer or manufacturer that sells a car with a window in violation, except as provided in (a-3), the rule on letting a car for sale leave the lot. Whether another law gives you a claim is a question for a lawyer.

Subsection (a-3) bars a dealer from letting a driver take a car offered for sale or lease off the lot, test drives included, with signs, decals, paperwork or other material on the windshield or front side windows that would block the view in violation of (a). The full rules are on the Illinois window tint law page.

No. Section 12-503 has no pre-approval step for film. Its rules are about the glass: on an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, windshield film stays within the top 6 inches, and front side film is no darker than your rear permits under (a-5), with a 5 percent variance the statute allows when an officer meters it.

The Illinois tint law checker tells you which front shade your rear windows allow.

Yes, unless aftermarket rear film is darker than 30 percent; then, on an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, the fronts stay unfilmed until the rear changes. Otherwise the fronts take 35 percent or lighter with no rear window darker than 35, or 50 or lighter with rear film of 30 to under 35 or factory tinted rear glass.

S5 on the two fronts starts at $100. Booked together with the removal, both are priced in one quote. See tint removal.

No, not on an Illinois registered car. Subsection (a) bars nonreflective material and window applications on the windshield, clear film included; its one allowance is nonreflective tinted film along the top, no more than 6 inches down. Cars registered in another state or with the medical exemption sit outside the rule.

The windshield tint page has the sunstrip and full windshield prices.

Both. Subsection (a) bars driving with the film and (a-10) bars installing it. Under (j), either is a petty offense the first time and a Class C misdemeanor after that. Removing or altering film to comply is allowed under (a-10)(1). The exceptions are the medical exemption, under (a-10)(2) and (g), and cars registered in another state.

The out-of-state exception is (f)(2), and the state that registers the car may set its own windshield rule. The shop checks every combination against the law that applies to the car before any film goes on.

On an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, it breaks subsection (a), which allows tinted film only to 6 inches down. A conviction under (a) comes with an order under (j) to bring the windshield into compliance, and (a-10)(1) allows removing or altering the film to comply. Cars registered in another state are outside (a) under (f)(2).

The tint removal page explains how removal is priced, and the Illinois window tint law page has every rule.

Yes, on the rear glass and the S9 price. Both films cover every side window. On a Model Y, both add the rear glass. On a Model 3, S5 adds half of the rear glass and S9 all of it. Each model starts at $330 in S5 ceramic; the Tesla window tint page lists each model's S9 price.

Neither package includes the windshield or the glass roof.

No. Tesla packages have their own prices in place of the general sedan and SUV prices. A Model Y starts at $330 in S5 ceramic, the same as a Model 3, while S5 on another SUV or truck starts at $400. On a Model Y, the package covers every side window plus the rear glass.

The glass roof and the windshield are not included; the roof is quoted separately.

Choose by infrared rejection, because on a Model Y both films cover the same glass. S5 rejects 53 to 72 percent of infrared depending on shade and starts at $330. S9 rejects 91 to 93 percent across Rayno's published shades, and at 50 percent it is still rated 92. Both block 99.9 percent of UV.

The Tesla window tint page lists the S9 price for each model.

The 5 percent shade. By Rayno's figures, Phantom S5 at 5 percent is rated 72 percent infrared rejection; from 15 to 50 percent it sits between 53 and 58. On an Illinois registered car, outside the medical exemption, 5 percent goes on the rear only, and the front doors then take no film.

The Illinois window tint law page works through the front and rear combinations.

It is if infrared is the number you are paying for. By Rayno's figures, S9 is rated 91 to 93 percent infrared rejection across Rayno's published shades, against 53 to 72 percent for S5 depending on shade. On a sedan, S9 starts at $400 and S5 at $330. Both block 99.9 percent of UV.

Every starting price is on the window tint prices page.

On Rayno's clarity scale, where lower is clearer, S5 reads 0.72 and S9 0.81, each against 1.18 for a competing film. Both sit below 1, and S5's reading is the lower of the two. Both are rated under 1 percent fading and read 5 to 7 percent visible light reflection, inside and out, on every published shade, by Rayno's figures.

The ceramic window tint page compares both films.

Yes. Tint Starz tints every car indoors, in its bay on Oakton Street, by appointment. Rayno's care instructions say to keep the windows up for at least 72 hours and allow 30 days for the film to fully dry and cure. Cold slows drying, so in winter plan on the long end of those 30 days.

The warranty page has Rayno's cure and care steps in full.

Yes. Rayno, the maker of the film Tint Starz installs, says new film takes 30 days to fully dry and cure, and a hazy look in that time is normal. The haze is moisture from the install, and it clears as the film dries. Cold slows drying, so in a Chicago winter give it the full 30 days.

Yes, on the outside. Window film goes on the inside of the glass, so an ice scraper on the outside never touches it. Inside, Rayno's care rules allow no abrasive pads, abrasive cleaners or industrial strength glass cleaners on treated windows, and no peeling or scrubbing at the edges. Ask the installer how to clear inside frost.

It depends on whose warranty it is. The shop that installs the film and the company that makes it can each publish one, with its own coverage, length and claim process. At Tint Starz the shop's warranty runs by film: lifetime on S9, 2 years on S5, no warranty on Carbon. Its terms are on the warranty page.

It can, so ask before you book: some film makers write their warranty for installs that follow state window film law. On an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, front side film may be 35 percent or lighter when no rear window is darker than 35. Tint Starz checks every combination against Illinois law before film goes on.

The rest of the rules are on the Illinois window tint law page.

Keep the invoice naming the film and the shade, any warranty paperwork you are given, and a photo of both. The film, the install date and the shop are the first things a claim has to establish. The Tint Starz warranty, from no warranty on Carbon to lifetime on S9, has its terms on the warranty page.

Total solar energy rejected is the share of all the sun's energy reaching the glass that a film keeps out, with ultraviolet, visible light and infrared counted together. It tracks cabin warmth more closely than infrared alone. By Rayno's published figures, Phantom S9 at 20 percent is rated 93 percent infrared rejection and 64 percent total solar energy rejected.

No. Infrared rejection is the share of one band of sunlight a film blocks; total solar energy rejected counts every wavelength, visible light and UV included. The two can sit far apart: by Rayno's published figures, Phantom S9 at 20 percent is rated 93 percent infrared and 64 percent total. S5 at 20 percent reads 53 and 51.

The ceramic window tint page sets both figures side by side, shade by shade.

They are glazing industry numbers for the sun's energy that still gets in through the glass, and for both, lower is cooler. By Rayno's published figures, Phantom S9 at 20 percent reads a shading coefficient of 0.49 and an S-factor of 36 percent, and S5 at the same shade reads 0.62 and 49 percent.

Every shade the shop stocks is on the tint shades page.

Paint protection film at Tint Starz starts at $200 for a pair of headlights, $1,000 for a partial front, $1,800 for a full front and $5,000 for full body. Every figure is a starting price: the final number depends on the size of the car, the coverage and how hard the install is.

Call the shop for your price, or send the request with photos through the quote page.

PPF on a Tesla is priced the same way as on any car, by coverage: headlights from $200, partial front from $1,000, full front from $1,800 and full body from $5,000. The shop is at 837 Oakton St Unit C in Elk Grove Village, about 13 minutes from Schaumburg Village Hall outside rush hour.

Tint for the same car is on the Tesla window tint page.

Get PPF if rock chips are the worry: it is a physical film that takes impacts. A ceramic coating is a thin liquid layer bonded to the paint that adds gloss and makes washing easier, but it does not stop a rock chip. Tint Starz has no multi-year coating; its 12-month ceramic spray sealant adds $59 to any exterior service.

Some owners put a coating over the film. The full detailing menu is on the car detailing page.

PPF is clear and made to protect: it takes rock chips and scratches and leaves the factory paint showing. A vinyl wrap is colored film made to change how the car looks; it covers the paint but is not built to stop a rock chip. Jordin of Wrapology does both, and a color change wrap starts at $3,000.

Color change and chrome delete are on the vinyl wrap page.

Purple comes from dye breaking down, and the two ceramics Tint Starz installs, Rayno's Phantom S5 and S9, contain no dye. Rayno says the carbon holds their color and the ceramic rejects infrared. Rayno rates every published S5 and S9 shade at under 1 percent fading; it publishes no figure for the S9 12 and 70 the shop stocks.

The ceramic window tint page puts S5 and S9 side by side.

No. At Tint Starz, purple film and its adhesive come off the glass before any new film goes on. All-around removal runs $80 to $150, depending on the film's condition and how much adhesive stays on the glass. If the job grows once removal starts, the shop confirms any new price with photos or a video call first.

The tint removal page has the details.

Ask the shop what gives the film its color, and ask for the film's maker and name so you can read the maker's own description. Rayno describes MonoCarbon and Phantom S5 and S9, the films Tint Starz installs, as made with no dyes and no metals. The dyed films in Rayno's 1,000 hour test faded up to 8.6 percent.

All-around tint at Tint Starz starts at $200 for Carbon on a coupe or single-cab truck. S5 ceramic starts at $250 on a coupe, $330 on a sedan and $400 on an SUV or truck, and S9 ceramic starts at $350 on a coupe. All-around means every side window plus the rear glass.

For a starting number on your own car, try the window tint cost estimator.

The cost depends on the vehicle and the film, so there is no single average, but S5 ceramic all-around on a sedan starts at $330 at Tint Starz. A coupe or single-cab truck starts lower, from $200 in Carbon, and an SUV or truck starts higher, from $400 in S5. Each figure is a starting price.

Tinting just the two front windows starts at $100 in S5 ceramic. In Illinois, outside the medical exemption, how dark they can go depends on the rear: 35 percent or lighter when no rear window is darker than 35, and 50 percent or lighter over rear film from 30 up to just under 35 percent or factory tinted rear glass.

The Illinois window tint law page has the full table, including the rule for darker aftermarket rear film.

Ceramic tint at Tint Starz starts at $250 for S5 all-around on a coupe or single-cab truck. S5 starts at $330 on a sedan and $400 on an SUV or truck. S9, the higher of the two ceramics, starts at $350 on a coupe.

Ceramic is the higher tier, priced on rated performance: S5 rejects 53 to 72 percent of infrared depending on shade, S9 91 to 93 percent across Rayno's published shades, and both block 99.9 percent of UV. Carbon blocks 99.9 percent of UV and is rated 72 percent infrared in the 5 percent shade and 41 percent in 35. Warranty: lifetime on S9, 2 years on S5, no warranty on Carbon.

On a coupe, Carbon starts at $200, S5 at $250 and S9 at $350. The ceramic window tint page puts S5 and S9 side by side.

A sunstrip across the top of the windshield starts at $60. On an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, that nonreflective strip, no more than 6 inches down, where the AS-1 line usually falls, is the only windshield film allowed. Full windshield film starts at $120 in S5.

The Illinois window tint law page covers the windshield rule in full.

Tesla window tint starts at $330 for S5 ceramic on a Model 3 or Model Y. On a Model 3, S5 covers every side window plus half of the rear glass. Full rear glass on a Model 3 is S9 only. Teslas take ceramic only, no Carbon. The windshield is not included, and the glass roof is quoted.

The Tesla window tint page lists the S9 package for each model.

Tint removal at Tint Starz runs $80 to $150 on its own, and the film's condition and the adhesive left on the glass decide where in that range it lands. A photo of the old film with your quote request gets you the closest number, and any change past the estimate is confirmed with you before the work continues.

The tint removal page has the details.

Yes, a $50 deposit holds your booked spot and comes off your total, so it is part of the price, not a fee on top. You can move the appointment once for free with 24 hours notice. Booking is by appointment, Monday to Saturday 9 to 6, and most jobs are done the same day you bring the car in.

Call with your year, make and model, or send them through the quote form, and the shop calls you back with an exact price within minutes during shop hours. Published prices are starting prices, from $200 for Carbon on a coupe. Your exact number depends on the vehicle, film, coverage, condition and installation difficulty, so the more you tell the shop about the car, the better.

You can also send the same request through the quote form.

Two of the three Rayno films Tint Starz installs are. By Rayno's description, Phantom S5 and Phantom S9 are carbon ceramic films, carbon for the color and ceramic for the infrared, with no dyes and no metals. Carbon, which is Rayno MonoCarbon, is a carbon film and not ceramic; Rayno rates it at 72 percent infrared in the 5 percent shade and 41 percent in 35.

S5 starts at $250 on a coupe. The ceramic window tint page sets the two ceramics side by side.

On Rayno's own figures, it carries the higher infrared rating of the two Phantom films the shop installs: 93 percent infrared rejection at 15 and 20 percent, 92 percent at 5, 35 and 50, with 99.9 percent of UV blocked and under 1 percent fading on every published shade.

It starts at $350 on a coupe. Rayno's Phantom S9 list has no 12 or 70, so there is no Rayno figure for 12 or 70, which the shop also stocks; the tint shades page shows both.

Each maker publishes its own figures, measured its own way. Rayno rates Phantom S9 at 91 to 93 percent infrared rejection across Rayno's published shades. XPEL's spec sheet, read October 2026, lists PRIME XR PLUS at up to 96 percent infrared rejection at one wavelength, 1025 nm, and up to 70 percent over 780 to 2500 nm.

So the figures are not a ranking. The ceramic window tint page lists other makers' figures with their sources.

The shop confirms four things before a Tesla price is final: the model year, half or full rear glass on a Model 3, whether to add the windshield, and exactly what the package covers. Call with the model and year, or send them through the quote form, for an exact price within minutes during shop hours. Packages start at $330 in S5.

The quote form sends the same request if you would rather not call.

Choose S9 if you want all of the rear glass filmed, because on a Model 3 full rear glass is S9 only. S5 covers every side window plus half of the rear glass and starts at $330. S9 also rejects 91 to 93 percent of infrared across Rayno's published shades, against 53 to 72 percent for S5 depending on shade.

On a Model Y, both films cover the rear glass, so the choice there is only the film. Ceramic window tint compares S5 and S9.

No. The glass roof is separate from both packages on the Model 3 and the Model Y, and it is quoted on its own rather than priced from a list. Ask for it when you ask for your package price, with the model year, and the shop confirms the coverage and the exact number before you book.

No. Tint Starz puts ceramic film only on a Tesla, S5 Premium Ceramic or S9 Highest Performance Ceramic, and there is no Carbon option on any Tesla model. S5 starts at $330 on a Model 3 or Model Y. Both ceramics block 99.9 percent of UV, and the warranty is lifetime on S9 and 2 years on S5.

On an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption, only a nonreflective strip along the top 6 inches, which is where the AS-1 line usually falls. Full windshield film is an add-on in S5 or S9, priced in the Tesla package table, for cars registered in another state or drivers with the medical exemption. Neither package includes it.

The windshield tint page covers the top strip and the full windshield.

Yes, by quote. The listed packages and starting prices cover the Model 3 and Model Y only, and every other Tesla model is quoted separately. Call with the model and model year, or send the quote form, and the shop calls you back with an exact price within minutes during shop hours. Teslas get ceramic only: lifetime warranty on S9, 2 years on S5.

Get 35 percent if you want every side window tinted and legal in Illinois. 20 percent is darker and gives more privacy, but on an Illinois registered car it goes on the rear only, and rear film darker than 30 percent means no film at all on the front doors. Both come in S5 and S9 ceramic.

The full front and rear rule is on the Illinois window tint law page.

20 percent tint is film that lets 20 percent of visible light through the glass and holds back the other 80. Tint Starz installs it in S5 and S9 ceramic. It is a privacy shade, and on an Illinois registered car it goes on the rear windows only. With 20 on the rear, the front doors take no film.

30 percent tint is a medium shade. It lets 30 percent of visible light through, a little darker than 35 and lighter than 20, 15, 12 or 5. Tint Starz installs it in S5 ceramic only. In Illinois it is the darkest rear shade that still allows film on the front doors, at 50 percent or lighter.

VLT means visible light transmission, the percentage of visible light that passes through the window. Lower is darker: 5 percent is the darkest shade Tint Starz installs and 70 is nearly clear. Illinois law uses the same measure: front side windows at 35 or 50 percent or lighter, or no film, depending on the rear.

VLT does not measure infrared. Infrared rejection depends mostly on the film, not the shade.

Yes. Every shade cuts the light that reaches your eyes, and the darker the film, the less you have to see by after dark. On an Illinois registered car the darkest film goes behind you: the front side windows take 35 or 50 percent or lighter, or no film, depending on the rear.

What Illinois allows on the front doors, case by case, is on the Illinois window tint law page.

Yes, as long as the result follows the Illinois rule that the front doors depend on the rear. One example is tinting only the two front doors on a car with factory tinted rear glass. Two front windows in S5 start at $100, and with factory rear glass Illinois allows 50 percent or lighter on them.

Rear only works too: the rear windows have no darkness limit, but a treated rear window requires a side mirror on each side.

Not reliably. Shade measures visible light, while infrared, the part of sunlight you feel as warmth on your skin, depends mostly on the film. S9 is rated 91 to 93 percent infrared rejection across Rayno's published shades and S5 53 to 72 percent depending on shade, so the film you choose matters more than how dark it is.

Compare the two films on the ceramic window tint page.

A full color change vinyl wrap at Tint Starz starts at $3,000 for standard exterior coverage. The final price depends on the size of the car, the color and material, and how complex the body is. Specialty finishes, door jambs, removing an existing wrap and extra preparation are quoted separately, and the full price is confirmed before you book.

Chrome delete at Tint Starz starts at $250 for window trim only on a car. SUVs and trucks start higher, and so do the two bigger levels: window trim plus front chrome accents, and full chrome delete. Emblems and badges are priced each. Every level comes in gloss black, satin black or matte black.

A full chrome delete includes the chrome pieces you choose, and the quote lists every one. That can mean window trim, the grille, door handles, mirror caps, roof rails, bumper trim and badges, but no two cars carry the same chrome. Send photos of every chrome piece, the finish you want, and whether old vinyl has to come off.

Tint Starz is a tint and wrap shop at 837 Oakton St Unit C in Elk Grove Village. Javi and Tony install window tint; Jordin of Wrapology does color change wraps, chrome delete and paint protection film in the same building. It serves Schaumburg, Des Plaines, Arlington Heights and nearby towns, by appointment Monday to Saturday 9 to 6.

Every town the shop serves is on the service areas page.

Yes. Tint and wraps are both booked through Tint Starz, on one number at one address, so a single call can ask for both prices. Send the year, make and model, the film or shade you want on the glass and photos of the car through the quote form, and the shop calls you back within minutes during shop hours.

Tint starting prices are on the window tint prices page.

On factory paint in good condition, a vinyl wrap is made to come off without taking the paint with it. The risk is paint that is already weak: a respray, chips or a peeling clear coat can lift when the vinyl comes off. Send photos of any damaged panels with your quote request. Removing an existing wrap is quoted separately.

The AS-1 line is a mark printed near the top edge of most windshields. In Illinois the limit for a tint strip is written as 6 inches down from the top of the windshield, which is where the AS-1 line usually falls. The statute measures from the top, not from the mark, so the 6 inches decide.

Yes. Illinois allows nonreflective tinted film along the top of the windshield, as long as it reaches no more than 6 inches down from the top, which is where the AS-1 line usually falls. That strip is the only windshield film allowed on an Illinois registered car without the medical exemption. A sunstrip starts at $60.

Illinois sets no darkness figure for the windshield strip. The statute asks two things: the film must be nonreflective, and it must reach no more than 6 inches down from the top of the windshield. The front side window figures, 35 and 50 percent, apply to the windows next to the driver, not to the strip.

Illinois does not stop it. Cars properly registered in another state are exempt from the Illinois windshield rule under subsection (f)(2), so full windshield film is open to them, from $120 in S5 ceramic and $200 in S9. The state that registers the car may set its own windshield rule, so check it before you book.

Once the car is registered in Illinois, only the top 6 inches may carry film, unless it has the medical exemption. The Illinois window tint law page has the full rule.

Yes, once the car carries the distinctive plates or plate sticker issued for the Illinois medical exemption. That needs a certified statement from a physician licensed in Illinois, kept in the car, renewed every 4 years and copied to the Secretary of State. Without it, an Illinois registered car may carry film on the top 6 inches only.

The installer keeps a copy of the statement before fitting the film. How to qualify is on the Illinois window tint law page.

Take it off. Purple tint is dye in the film that has broken down after years of sun, and it does not turn back, so the fix is removal, film and adhesive together, which runs $80 to $150 all-around. S5 and S9 ceramic contain no dye, and S9 carries a lifetime warranty. Why window tint turns purple explains the cause.

Not in a way that lasts. Bubbles in old film mean the adhesive has let go of the glass, and the lasting fix is to take the film off and start over. All-around removal at Tint Starz runs $80 to $150, depending on the film's condition and how much adhesive stays on the glass.

Starting prices for new film are on the window tint prices page.

Yes. Removal takes the old adhesive off the glass along with the film, and how much adhesive is left is one of the two things that set the price, with the film's condition. All-around removal runs $80 to $150. If the work grows once it starts, the shop confirms any change with photos or a video call first.

Yes. In Illinois, front side windows with no film are legal whatever is on the rear, so taking the film off the two front doors is one way to fix front tint that is too dark. The rear side windows and back glass have no darkness limit, as long as the car has a side mirror on each side.

Call the shop for a price, or see the tint shades page if you want a legal shade back on.

Only if it breaks Illinois rules once the car is registered here. Cars properly registered in another state are exempt, and that ends at Illinois registration. Then, without the medical exemption, the front side windows take film no darker than 35 or 50 percent, or none, depending on the rear, and the windshield only its top 6 inches.

Removal runs $80 to $150, and the Illinois window tint law page has every case.