Are you looking for window tinting laws near you? Well you are in luck!
Window tinting is certainly a big thing in the car industry these days. Indeed, many vehicles come tinted straight from manufacturing. Additionally however, it is the case that you can, if you wish, go a step further to tint your vehicle as you wish it post purchase.
And it is the latter category of tint that this article and the entire blog generally concerns itself with.
Experience has shown that people are left with the desecration of determining what amounts of tint their car windows should have, there will be those that exercise the liberty to only serve their interests at the detriment of the greater public good.
Consequently, laws have come up in the United States just like elsewhere in the world to provide for some sanity check. Understanding what is expected of a car owner under the law is important not least because states have put in place mechanisms of enforcing them which means that you will be pulled over by law enforcement should you be found to use illegal tint.
There may also be fines to be met or jail time to be served depending on the state that one looks at.
In the USA however, that authority is a preserve of states and so this site is dedicated to helping persons from different localities appreciate the specifics concerning their regulations. This because they differ greatly.
This specific essay however, shares about what tinting laws are, how they work, the common questions about them etc. as a way of give you a broad picture of what you should expect. For details about the provisions in your home state thus you would have to navigate through and read on the article concerning them.
To be sure, tint has classifications. First, we can understand it in the way it goes about fulfilling its purpose. Heat shrinking tint thus would be the kind that most people know i.e. film placed on windows. And then there are shade bands which are thin strips usually placed on top of the windshield as well as sunscreen devices that are temporary devices only placed on the windows at the time that one needs shelter from the sun before removing it.
Tint can also be looked at it from the point of view of the material from which it is made i.e. infrared, metallic, and then carbon. For purposes of this blog site, we will only be concerned with the latter two since the first kind of tinting is transparent thus does not violate any rules whatsoever.
What are Window Tinting Laws?
Window tinting Laws are divided into two broad branches i.e. window tinting darkness laws which governs the aspect of tinting that most people are most acquainted with– tint that literally blocks light from penetrating through it– and then tinting reflection laws.
Tinting reflection for it case, works by deflecting part of the light that comes its way to elsewhere as its name suggests.
From my point of view, the nature of the latter aspect of tinting calls for even more attention regarding regulation. This is because whereas drivers engaged in shoddy tinting behavior under tint darkness will be sure to pay for it, it is not clear that the same is true with tint reflection.
Consider accidents occasioning out of bad tinting, with tint darkness, this would likely have arisen from blurry vision from the inside of the car meaning that vehicle and therefore its owner too are going to be involved in the wrecking.
On the other hand, tint reflection does not affect so much the car occupants as it does the persons looking at it from the outside i.e. those for whom light is reflect too and therefor have their vision distorted. These innocent third parties then, are going to be the one that end up exposed to risk.
In order for tinting law to work, standards have to be set first which is why it is key that both these forms of tinting can be expressed in measurements.
With tint darkness, this is achieved with the notion of Visible Light Transmission, also, VLT. It expresses the percentage of the light coming towards the window that successfully goes through the dark tint. As such, the higher the percentage VLT the more the light going in to the car and vice versa.
As for tint reflection, it is quantified through luminous reflectance. Again, we are looking at percentages but this time of the light being reflected outwards vis-à-vis that which originally came through a given window. The higher the percentage of reflectivity for a given film, the more the amount of light it is going to reflect.
Before legislators settle on what amount of reflectivity or VLT to ask of drivers however, two major factors are usually followed i.e. the type of car in question and then the position of the different window on a car.
These two are studied in terms of how they relate to the practical experience of the car occupants, the usual use of the cars in question, the strength of justifications as to why the vehicles in question need to have particular tinting, the extent to which windows hinder drivers’ view of the road, the extent to which any unintended consequences to particular tinting can be mitigated etc.
Eventually, states will arrive at different conclusions with some of them considering both aspects whereas other go with one or none. It all goes back on how the law makers think the practical concerns raised above fit in their unique circumstances.
How do window tinting laws work?
So the section coming immediately before this looked at the laws in theory if you like. Here we talk about the different practical aspects that have come up overtime in an effort to better realize the spirit of the laws. Most states will have these though they are usually applied to varying degrees.
- Certificates and stickers: certificates in the language of tinting refer to documentation issued by either the manufacturers of film or the companies that do the installing attesting to the fact that the tint given out complies with the laws of the state in which a driver lives. They become especially important in determining responsibility when there is a violation cited. If a car it pulled over for example, the owner can show that they had no bad intentions and that they were misled instead by showing the figures on their tint certificate.
Stickers on the other hand, are not so much different from certificates except for the fact that they are more portable. Rather than carry paperwork around thus, a car driver would instead just have a sticker placed one of the windows.
The requirement to have stickers and certificates varies from state to state. Some of them mandate both, others just one of them, while other states leave everything open.
- Penalties: failure to comply with any of the standards set in the laws will attract punishment. In many cases, these are only fines as largely tint law violations are considered to be civil cases. There are states that provide for service in prison to though so be sure to check. On average, these fines will be around $100. The state with the harshest penalty is Georgia with a fine going to as much as $1,000 and a possible maximum jail term of 12 months.
The exact punishment that you face however, is often unique to your situation. First offenders for example will often only be issued fix-it-orders i.e. directives to remove the tint found to be illegal. As for the persons that are actually punished, please note that paying a fine does not mean that you should not have the tint in question dispensed with lest you are stopped again and asked to pay more monies.
- Side mirrors: if you tint your rear window, then you will be usually asked by state law to install side mirrors on both sides of the vehicles. The rationale here is that since the rear is usually the place where drivers keep in touch with the environment behind the vehicle, it is salient that an alternative is enabled if it is going to be taken away.
Again, there is no consensus on how to best work around this question. Some states only require it when 0% VLT is used whereas others leave it entirely up to the person driving even in such cases.
- Restrictions on color: generally speaking, it is considered that certain colors are shouting more than others thereby becoming more likely to cause distortion on the road if used for tinting. As a result, states ban them. The commonest examples here are red and amber. Blue and yellow are banned at times as well. The most extreme state on this question is Florida which has outlawed the usage of all colors in this manner except for black.
There are states too that do not limit usage on any coloring however. It seems that these trust that their reflection standards will keep this aspect in check too.
- Medical exemptions: it is generally a character of tinting laws across America that they will allow special treatment for persons whose health would deteriorate if they were to keep within the general VLT or luminous reflectivity figures expected of everybody else. Usually, the cases under this bracket are of individuals battling skin and eye diseases/conditions. Examples here are lupus, albinism, melanoma, photosensitivity etc.
Depending on the state in which you reside, exemption may be allowed for a car owner but also in some cases, persons that are frequent occupants of a given car. The mode in which the special treatment is granted too will often differ with some states asking that people apply to their motor vehicle departments while others only stipulate that affected persons secure medical documentation certifying their illnesses.
Though few, it is also the case that there are states that do not allow medical exemptions of any kind. The good news is that there are ways for you to still travel safely should you find that your own is among them. I can think of here; wearing sunscreen and clothes that cover your entire body as well as opting for infrared tint instead.
To find window tinting laws for your state, simply select your State from the Map below and click through to see all the information about windshield tint laws for that state.
However if you are in a hurry then you can get all the information about car window tint laws in your state using our summarized table below.
Car Window Tint Laws For Your State:
|
State
|
Front Side Windows |
Back Side Windows
|
Rear Windows
|
Windshield
|
Reflectivity
|
Other Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 32% | 32% | 32% | 6 inches | no more than 20% reflective | none |
| Alaska | 70% | 40% | 40% | 5 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | no red, yellow or amber tinting allowed |
| Arizona | 33% | any | any | tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | red and amber not permitted. back window tinting requires the use of dual side mirrors |
| Arkansas | 25% | 25% | 10% | 5 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | none |
| California | 70% | any | any | 4 inches | no more reflective than a standard window | red, amber, and blue not allowed, dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Colorado | 27% | 27% | 27% | 4 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | red and amber not permitted, back window tinting requires the use of dual side mirros |
| Connecticut | 35% | 35% | any | non-reflective tint above the as-1 line | no more than 21% reflective | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Delaware | 70% | any | any | non-reflective tint above the as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Florida | 28% | 15% | 15% | non-reflective tint allowed above the as-1 line | no more than 25% reflective | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Georgia | 32% | 32% | 32% | 6 inches | no more than 20% reflective | red and amber not allowed |
| Hawaii | 35% | 35% | 35% | no inch requirent, must allow 70% of light | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Idaho | 35% | 20% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Illinois | 35% | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | must be non-reflective | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Indiana | 30% | 30% | 30% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 25% reflective | none |
| Iowa | 70% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no excessive reflections allowed, but not specified | none |
| Kansas | 35% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | red, amber and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| Kentucky | 35% | 18% | 18% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 25% reflective | none |
| Louisiana | 40% | 25% | 12% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | none |
| Maine | 35% | any | any | 4 inches | must be non-reflective | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Maryland | 35% | 35% | 35% | 5 inches | no law | red, amber and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| Massachusetts | 35% | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | no more than 35% reflective | must have dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Michigan | any percent, but only 4 inches from the top of window | any | any | 4 inches | no more than 35% reflective | none |
| Minnesota | 50% | 50% | 50% | none allowed | no more than 20% reflective | none |
| Mississippi | 28% | 28% | 28% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | none |
| Missouri | 35% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| Montana | 24% | 14% | 14% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | none |
| Nebraska | 35% | 20% | 20% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 35% reflective | unclear on side mirrors, but red, amber and yellow are not permitted |
| Nevada | 35% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no law | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line |
| New Hampshire | no tinting allowed | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| New Jersey | no tinting allowed | any | any | no tinting allowed | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| New Mexico | 20% | 20% | 20% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no law | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| New York | 70% | 70% | any | 6 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| North Carolina | 35% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | red, amber and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| North Dakota | 50% | any | any | no more than 70% | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Ohio | 50% | any | any | no more than 70% | no more reflective than a standard window | none |
| Oklahoma | 25% | 25% | 25% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 20% reflective | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Oregon | 35% | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | no more than 13% reflective | red, green, yellow, black and amber tints are not allowed, and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| Pennsylvania | 70% | 70% | 70% | none allowed | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Rhode Island | 70% | 70% | 70% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no law | none |
| South Carolina | 27% | 27% | 27% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | must be non-reflective | red, amber and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| South Dakota | 35% | 20% | 20% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | none |
| Tennessee | 35% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | none |
| Texas | 25% | 25% | any | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 25% reflective | red, amber, and blue not allowed. dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Utah | 43% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Vermont | no tinting allowed | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Virginia | 50% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | red, amber and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| Washington | 24% | 24% | 24% | 6 inches | no more than 35% reflective | red, green, yellow, black and amber tints are not allowed, and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| Washington D.C. | 70% | 50 percent for cars, 35 percent for multi-purpose vehicles | 50 percent for cars, 35 percent for multi-purpose vehicles | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no law | none |
| West Virginia | 35% | 35% | 35% | 5 inches | 20% reflective | red, amber and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows |
| Wisconsin | 50% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no law | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
| Wyoming | 28% | 28% | 28% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 20% reflective | dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows |
Window Tinting Laws in Every State
Click on one of the state names below to find the window tinting laws that apply to your state, or choose from the U.S. state map (not available on mobile–it’s too small to touch some states accurately).
Click your state to find window tint laws that apply to you
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State List
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky NEW
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Lowa
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Window Tinting Law Tips and Hacks
To begin with, tinting laws are rather friendly so they should not worry any one (as you can find out by going on to read the details relating to your state) and yet, more can be done with them if one understands them to the core. Here are my top picks regarding this issue.
- Tint Variance: this aspects relates to the special room given to car owners who tinted their cars from another state. What happens is that a state will accept that these individuals do not strictly follow the general VLT and reflectivity standards even when there tint would have otherwise been illegal provided they not exceed a certain number. In many cases, variance is accepted if it does not fall below anywhere between 4-6% of the usual numbers.
This means then that if you recently shifted, you do not always have to remove the old from your car just because the new applying laws ask for more VLT numbers or less reflectivity.
- The practical aspects of medical exemptions: it is important for you to note that the concepts explained under medical exemptions do not accrue merely because your issue is legitimate but also because the documentation presented are valid. These specifics include; details of the vehicle, expiration date, description of the condition etc. Law enforcement insists on these because doing otherwise exposes the system to disingenuous actors.
- Legal claims centering on tinting: should you have been involved in an accident or know someone that did the cause of which was poor tinting tendencies, then you can pursue the person on the other end of events and if successful, have them compensate you for the detriment caused. Some of the issues that you can have court grant you payment include; loss of livelihood and medical bills.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know the Visible Light Transmission or luminous reflectivity of my car?
This is a good one since there are people who would sincerely love to comply with the laws of their state but then know of no way to establish the percentages of their tint. As discussed already, it is easier if you are installing the tint since the company helping you with that is obliged to tell you. If you already have the car tinted however, then you should reach a government inspector or private professional for help. These persons have devices specifically designed for the said purpose.
How much will it cost me to tint my vehicle?
This one is a bit tricky since the real sum is determined by a number of factors. The vehicle type in question for instance, as well as the quality of tint you intend on buying. Ultimately, what I will share is only but an estimate. For a sedan, it might cost you between $150 and $500. Vehicles with many windows on the other hand could even go for as much as $1,000.
Can I tint my car myself?
The short answer is yes. You would only have to by the film and find the right equipment. Moreover, some manufacturers sell DIY kits too. The argument for doing it yourself is that it saves you the installation costs. There people too that derive fun too in getting their hands dirty. Should you choose this route however, it is important to note that it easy for things to wrong in which case you will see side effects like the tint bubbling or peeling off in a few days. There are instances in which “DIYers” damage their car windows too.