How Much Can I Tint My Windows Legally? | YourMechanic Advice (2024)

Window tinting is a desirable option for many vehicle owners today, whether it’s for a new, used, or classic car. It provides:

• Enhanced privacy in your vehicle
• Lower interior temperatures
• Protection from ultraviolet rays
• Protection from the sun’s glare
• An aesthetically pleasing look

Many new vehicles come equipped with some level of tint in the window glass. If your vehicle's windows are untinted you can opt to have tint installed, and if you have factory-equipped tint you may choose to have your windows tinted darker. In either case, tinted windows can be applied by either an aftermarket tint installation professional or with a do-it-yourself kit.

How dark can you go?

Window tint is represented as a percentage of visible light transmission levels (VLT) that can pass through the window. A higher percentage indicates a greater amount of light coming through the windows, so a low tint percentage would appear much darker.

Every state or county is able to set their own laws on an allowable tint limit. The common allowable limits are 50 percent for the driver’s front and passenger’s front window, and 35 percent for the rear passenger or side windows and the back window. That means the front windows will allow more light through the window tint than the rear windows, though the difference in appearance is minor.

Window tint darkness is regulated. If your window tint is too dark, you will not be able to see well enough out of your windows to drive safely at night. You have a higher likelihood of being involved in a crash or hitting a pedestrian. Also, law enforcement needs to be able to see the occupants of a vehicle during a traffic stop to ensure their own safety. If the window tint is too dark, they are not able to clearly identify any dangers that may be in the vehicle.

Law enforcement can perform a traffic stop and pull you over if they believe your windows are tinted too dark. Police officers are equipped with a tool that performs a tint measurement, and gauges the darkness of your tint as a percentage. If your tint is too dark, you can be fined and required to have the film removed or replaced to be within the acceptable limits.

Legal Tint Limits By State

Window tint definitions

• The tint darkness is measured as the visible light transmission percentage, or VLT%

• Front side windows are the driver’s and passenger front moveable windows

• Rear side windows are any side windows behind the front side windows, and include rear-seat passenger windows

• A windshield "shade band" is a band of window tint film extending down from the top of the windshield

  See Also

  Car Window Tinting Laws by State: Legal Tint Limit and Percentages - Car RoarFind the Right Window Tint Percentage For Your Car (with Examples) - Window Tint Laws27 Percent Window Tint Meaning With Real Life ExamplesUnderstanding Tint Percentages for Window Tinting - tintguide.org

• The AS1 line is a glass manufacturer’s marking near the top sides of a windshield

• Tint reflection refers to a metallic or reflective window tint film

• Values separated by a slash (/) indicate different window tint legal limits for passenger cars, and SUVs or vans. The first number is passenger cars, and the second is for SUVs and vans

Alabama

• Front side windows: 32%
• Rear side windows: 32% / no limit
• Back window: 32% / no limit
• Windshield: 6” shade band
• Tint reflection: not more than 20% reflective

Alaska

• Front side windows: 70% / not permitted
• Rear side windows: 40% / not permitted
• Back window: 40% / not permitted
• Windshield: 5” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Arizona

• Front side windows: 33%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 35% reflective

Arkansas

• Front side windows: 25%
• Rear side windows: 25% / 10%
• Back window: 10%
• Windshield: 5” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

California

• Front side windows: 70%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: 4” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Colorado

• Front side windows: 27%
• Rear side windows: 27%
• Back window: 27%
• Windshield: 4” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Connecticut

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: front windows no more than 21% reflective / rear windows no more than 27% reflective

D.C.

• Front side windows: 70%
• Rear side windows: 50% / 35%
• Back window: 50% / 35%
• Windshield: the lesser of 5” shade band or down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no current limit

Delaware

• Front side windows: 70%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Florida

• Front side windows: 28%
• Rear side windows: 15%
• Back window: 15%
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: front windows 25% reflective / rear windows 35% reflective

Georgia

• Front side windows: 32%
• Rear side windows: 32% / no limit
• Back window: 32% / no limit
• Windshield: 6” shade band
• Tint reflection: no more than 20% reflective

Hawaii

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: 70% on whole windshield
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Idaho

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 20% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no more than 35% reflective

Illinois

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: 6” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Indiana

• Front side windows: 30%
• Rear side windows: 30% / no limit
• Back window: 30% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 25% reflective

Iowa

• Front side windows: 70%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Kansas

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35%
• Back window: 35%
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Kentucky

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 18% / no limit 8” from top of window
• Back window: 18% / no limit 8” from top of window
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no more than 25% reflective

Louisiana

• Front side windows: 40%
• Rear side windows: 25% / no limit
• Back window: 12% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no more than 20% reflective

Maine

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: 4” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Maryland

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: 5” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Massachusetts

• Front side windows: 28%
• Rear side windows: 28%
• Back window: 28%
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 35% reflective

Michigan

• Front side windows: top 4” only, no limit to tint
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: 4” shade band
• Tint reflection: not more than 35% reflective

Minnesota

• Front side windows: 50%
• Rear side windows: 50% / no limit
• Back window: 50% / no limit
• Windshield: not permitted
• Tint reflection: not more than 20% reflective

Mississippi

• Front side windows: 28%
• Rear side windows: 28% / no limit
• Back window: 28% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 20% reflective

Missouri

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 35% reflective

Montana

• Front side windows: 24%
• Rear side windows: 14% / no limit
• Back window: 14% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 35% reflective

Nebraska

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 20% / 35%
• Back window: 20% / 35%
• Windshield: the lesser of 5” shade band or down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 35% reflective

Nevada

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no current limit

New Hampshire

• Front side windows: not permitted
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: 6” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

New Jersey

• Front side windows: not permitted
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: not permitted
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

New Mexico

• Front side windows: 20%
• Rear side windows: 20% / no limit
• Back window: 20% / no limit
• Windshield: the lesser of 5” shade band or down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no current limit

New York

• Front side windows: 70%
• Rear side windows: 70% / no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: 6” shade band
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

North Carolina

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no more than 20% reflective

North Dakota

• Front side windows: 50%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: 70% applied to whole windshield
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Ohio

• Front side windows: 50%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: 70% applied to whole windshield
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Oklahoma

• Front side windows: 25%
• Rear side windows: 25% / no limit
• Back window: 25% / no limit
• Windshield: the lesser of 5’ shade band or down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 25% reflective

Oregon

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35%/ no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: 6” shade band
• Tint reflection: not more than 13% reflective

Pennsylvania

• Front side windows: 70%
• Rear side windows: 70% / no limit
• Back window: 70% / no limit
• Windshield: not permitted
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Rhode Island

• Front side windows: 70%
• Rear side windows: 70% / no limit
• Back window: 70% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no current limit

South Carolina

• Front side windows: 27%
• Rear side windows: 27% / no limit
• Back window: 27% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

South Dakota

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 20% / no limit
• Back window: 20% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking on windshield
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Tennessee

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35%
• Back window: 35%
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking on windshield
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Texas

• Front side windows: 25%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: the lesser of 5” shade band or down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 25% reflective

Utah

• Front side windows: 43%
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Vermont

• Front side windows: not permitted
• Rear side windows: no limit
• Back window: no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: non-reflective

Virginia

• Front side windows: 50%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no more than 20% reflective

Washington

• Front side windows: 24%
• Rear side windows: 24% / no limit
• Back window: 24% / no limit
• Windshield: 6” shade band
• Tint reflection: no more than 35% reflective

West Virginia

• Front side windows: 35%
• Rear side windows: 35% / no limit
• Back window: 35% / no limit
• Windshield: 5” shade band
• Tint reflection: not more than 20% reflective

Wisconsin

• Front side windows: 50%
• Rear side windows: 35%
• Back window: 35%
• Windshield: down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: no current limit

Wyoming

• Front side windows: 28%
• Rear side windows: 28% / no limit
• Back window: 28% / no limit
• Windshield: the lesser of 5’ shade band or down to AS1 marking
• Tint reflection: not more than 20% reflective

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