22 replies to this topic

[LBScout]

I am a US citizen going to Rosarito Beach. I have applied for a SENTRI pass and have an appointment in a couple of weeks. My vehicle is parked in the sun consistently so is tinted. Does anyone know how strict the SENTRI officials are on this requirement, especially if everything else is in order?

Also, if my vehicle fails the inspection, can I still get the foot pass during that appointment?

Thanks!

[TJFlyer]

They will probably tell you to remove the tinting. Plus, TJ cops are known to pull over cars with heavy tinting, so why risk it?

[Cyanide41]

welcome to the site! When you do the interview, you do all the paper work up first, then they tell you to pull up the car. Chances are you will still have to wait. So roll down your windows and relax a while. Good luck!

[HK70]

Not sure if they would issue the pass for only foot since the same card it used for both your car and pedistrian crossing. I think I remember a post that someone wanted the pass for crossing on foot and they would not issue it to them.

[otayBill]

You can call the Sentri office or walk in and talk to the agent at the reception desk. Although, you might get different answers from different agents.

[Buen Amigo]

jUST ROLL the windows down when they ask you to bring the car around. You should be fine. You still get the sentri card, but your vehicle will not get the transponder on the window. (if it fails the inspection) But youshould be okay with just rolling the windows down.....

[eclipse]

My mom had light tinting on her windows and they had her remove it (she didn't care, it was there when she bought the car, and it was the crappy peel off kind). I don't know if she had the windows up or down, though. But they didn't make her leave and come back or anything. She peeled it right there and they passed her.

[AllenSmithee]

One thing that they will fail you for is a crack in your windshield, I had a little star shaped chip in mine but they didn't notice/care.

I didn't have tinting so it was no problem during the inspection, however aftermarket tint will get you stopped driving in TJ, so you want to remove it anyway. Here's an article from when Tijuana adopted that law.
http://legacy.signon...9-1m9glass.html

I don't know about you but I really don't like giving those guys any excu$e to pull me over.

[Buen Amigo]

Okay, so it seems like just rolling your windows down does not work. Why you say? Because this morning i was at the border patrol office getting the transponder for my new car. I paid the fee, and the lady at the register tells me: "bring the car around, open the hood, the trunk, unlock the doors and roll the windows up"

Right when she said that i said to myself "oh crap"

So i bring the car around, roll the windows down pop the hood and trunk, and the officer comes out. Everything is cool, here i am thinking everything is going to be okay. They he says "everything here looks good, but can you roll the windows up half-way for me"?

ME: "Dam"

So he caught me, but told me to take the tint off so i can get the transponder on the car. He even gave me a blade to take the tint off. In the end, I took the tint off the front windows right in front of him, got my sticker and was on my way.

These guys know what they are doing....

so how is everyone????

[HK70]

Hey amigo things have been pretty quiet around here.

I would not mess around with those guys since they can easily take away your sentri pass and you will be getting up at 3am again to cross.

[Buen Amigo]

Yeah i knw it looks kinda slow here. I have been out on roofs all week, and today i was able to be in the office to catch up on paper work. Man Monday sucked to be on a roof.

Yeah, i have been waking up at 3am everyday for the last 3 months to get across the border. Now that sucks. Reason why, is because on the new car, it is registered in my uncles name. DMV screwed up, and i did not want to take a day off of work to straighten that out, so i had him write a letter of authorization, and get it notarized. So he was dragging his feet. And finally got the letter from him, and i finally got my pass. So it looks like tomorrow i will be sleeping in and back in the sentri club.....

Eventually i will fix the registration thing, but for now i'm glad i got my sticker.

I noticed that they changed. Before it had like a chip in it. Now it's a bunch of numbers.....either way, i definately will not risk loosing the membership by re-tinting my windows. That would be just crazy.......

[CB]

dude, get a bike-no worries

[wichogrande]

dude, get a bike-no worries

I second that,, it is nice to almost always be the third sometimes second .in line regardless of time or day of the week.
some people give you the thumbs up and let you get in front, they probably wish it was them on a bike

[Buen Amigo]

There is a plan in my future to get a bike. I am working on the funds right now. Do you want to make a donation to BuenAmigos' charity? With time my friends. With time....

[Buen Amigo]

Crossing the border this morning was awesome. 5 mins. That's what i'm talking about...

[HK70]

Hi Buen Amigo,

I am looking at used car to buy real soon. I found one yesterday. It is a 4 door car with tinting on the windows of the 4 doors and the rear window. I am not sure if it is after market tinting or not but I like the car. Did you only have to remove the tint from the passenager and driver side windows and you were able to leave the tint on the rear part of the car when you got your Sentri?

Gracias.

[Buen Amigo]

no tint is allowed on the front driver/passenger windows. The rear side windows are ok. And the very back window is ok as well. So i would recommend taking off the front tint....you dont wanna be like me and be taking it off in front of the officer.....

[HK70]

no tint is allowed on the front driver/passenger windows. The rear side windows are ok. And the very back window is ok as well. So i would recommend taking off the front tint....you dont wanna be like me and be taking it off in front of the officer.....

Gracias. I was looking at the some Sentri stuff online and I did not see anything about the tint. How much was it to add another car since you dropped the other one from the Sentri like $42 bucks.

[Buen Amigo]

yES, ONLY $42.00 for each additional vehicle, But i think the max number of vehicles is 4 or 5 not sure. But since i have been dropping vehicles once i sell/get rid of them, so in reality I only have 1 vehicle registered with Sentri.

[HK70]

yES, ONLY $42.00 for each additional vehicle, But i think the max number of vehicles is 4 or 5 not sure. But since i have been dropping vehicles once i sell/get rid of them, so in reality I only have 1 vehicle registered with Sentri.

Thanks I owe you a beer or shot

I have had my Grand Prix for 13 years and this year it has been giving me lot's of problems. A few weeks ago it died on me while in the Sentri line. I had to push it over the frigging border. It started up 10 minutes later. Took it to the mechanic off the Iris trolley stop and they could not find anything that would cause the problem. I love this car but it is time to let it go. I am going to give it to my sister and she can deal with it. I spent the weekend cruising the internet looking for used cars. I was thinking of another Grand Prix but 2008 was the last year the made them and now Pontiac is history. Then I started looking at Ford Mustang for a few k's more. Decisions.......desisions.