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Michigan
99.9%
Alaska
70%
California
70%
Delaware
70%
District of Columbia
70%
Iowa
70%
New York
70%
Pennsylvania
70%
Rhode Island
70%
Minnesota
50%
North Dakota
50%
Ohio
50%
Virginia
50%
Wisconsin
50%
Utah
43%
Louisiana
40%
Connecticut
35%
Hawaii
35%
Idaho
35%
Illinois
35%
Kansas
35%
Kentucky
35%
Maine
35%
Maryland
35%
Massachusetts
35%
Missouri
35%
Nebraska
35%
Nevada
35%
North Carolina
35%
Oregon
35%
South Dakota
35%
Tennessee
35%
West Virginia
35%
Arizona
33%
Alabama
32%
Georgia
32%
Indiana
30%
Florida
28%
Mississippi
28%
Wyoming
28%
Colorado
27%
South Carolina
27%
Arkansas
25%
Oklahoma
25%
Texas
25%
Montana
24%
Washington
24%
New Mexico
20%

Tint Laws by State 2024

Tint Laws by State 2024

Tint is a great way to increase the level of privacy, protect the insides, and add to the cool factor of your car, but there are limitations. Each state has very precise limits on the level of tint, where it can go, and how reflective it can be.

Window Tinting

In most states, it is completely legal to tint most of the windows of your car. But there are a lot of nuances among window tinting laws that need to be taken into account. To understand that, we will break down what tint is, the terms you’ll need to understand, and where issues arise with tint laws

What Is Window Tinting?

Kelly Blue Book created a write-up on the seven things you need to know about tinting. They describe window tint as a material made to disrupt the penetration of UV rays moving through the window into the car. The percentage commonly associated with the level of the tint is the amount of light the tint allows through. So, 70% means that 70% of the light is allowed passage, whereas 15% is extremely dark because it only allows 15% of the light the penetrate.

Some other benefits include

  • Preventing damage to the interior from prolonged sunlight exposure
  • Preventing damage to windows via the elements
  • Increasing security within the car
  • Increasing resale value
  • Reduced glare

Some drawbacks include

  • Limited visibility, especially at night
  • Safety issues, windows are difficult to break

Types of Window Tint

The material that is allowed to be used on automobiles consists of a pretty short list. The most well-known kinds are listed below.

Ceramic Window Tint

Considered by most to be the highest quality tint available, which also means the most expensive, ceramic window tint serves a lot of purposes. It blocks more than 99% of UV rays, which are the more harmful parts of sunlight (which consists of three total parts) that cause skin damage, sunburn, eye diseases, and cancer over time. Ceramic tint is made with ceramic particles that don’t conduct heat, so it can help with increased insulation, keeping the car cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It’s the most effective against sunlight and can cut the inside temperature almost in half. Also, it can help make the window more shatterproof. Ceramic tints fade less over time and can assist in reducing glare even without choosing a darker tint.

Carbon Window Tint

While not as high in quality as ceramic, carbon window tint is still a highly recommended option for tint. Carbon will not fade, has a matte finish that many car owners enjoy, and is a decent insulator. The only downside documented is the cost.

Hybrid (Dyed and Metalized) Window Tint

As a combination of the two lesser types (dyed and metalized), hybrid tints consist of several layers of dyed material with a layer of metal in between. This kind was made to diminish the negatives of dyed and metalized tints alone. The metalized can mess with your radio signal and look almost like a mirror. Dyed tints have the least amount of UV protection and tend to fade. Also, hybrid tints are less expensive than metalized ones and more expensive than dyed ones.

Terms to Know

While learning about or looking up tint laws, you’ll see a lot of terms thrown around like VTL%, front side window, rear side window, windshield, color, and AS-1 line. You can find the definitions of each term below.

  • Film VTL% - also known as visible light transmission, this term is the metric used to determine how much light gets from one side of the film to the other.
  • Net VTL% - this is the amount of light that can penetrate the glass and the film because glass also reduces some amount of light from penetration.
  • Front Side Window Tint - this is the figure that regulates tint on windows used to view/display the driver and passenger seats, especially to law enforcement. These tend to be the most strict.
  • Rear Side Window Tint - this is the figure relating to tint allowed on the windows on the side of the back of the vehicle. The amount of tint allowed on the rear side windows is often much darker than the front.
  • Windshield - the windshield is the window that the driver looks out of while operating the vehicle. There is not one state that allows tinting on the windshield.
  • Color - the laws that relate to the color of tint vary from only allowing the use of certain colors and reflective/mirrored to having no restrictions at all.
  • AS-1 Line - a marking left by the manufacturers to indicate the start of the clearest form of glass, which is the only kind that can be used in a windshield. Above that line, most states allow some level of tint to help with visibility and glare.

Issues With Tint Laws

The two issues that tend to arise with tint laws are the exceptions that exist and interpretation. The issue of possible interpretations of these laws means that it’s not uncommon for states to use ambiguous terms like “non-reflective” or “non-excessive,” which are difficult to define or measure. Also, it’s important to be aware that most vehicles come with some level of tint out of the factory. Check what your stock tint is before choosing which tint to add because you could be adding too much, which moves you into an illegal level of VTL%.

Exceptions

Despite each state’s law regarding tints, there is one main reason why someone is allowed to have tint on their windows: for medical purposes. Some of the medical conditions that entitle individuals to add tint to their cars include

  • Albinism
  • Bloom Syndrome
  • Solar Urticaria
  • Lupus

And while there are quite a few diseases and disorders that create extreme sensitivity to light, there are provisions in most states allowing for a much darker tint when these conditions apply. If you need these kinds of tints, discuss the topic with your doctor, as they can help you go through the proper channels.

Sadly, despite the need, many states still do not allow tint on cars for medical reasons. There are a total of 3 states that enforce this law:

Other states do not allow tint for medical purposes either. Still, they have a certain percentage that individuals can have their tint set to and always be within the legal limit. Three states adopted this law:

Tint Laws By State

Each state has a specific set of laws around what degree and type of tint they allow vehicles to have. Other rules may apply to multi-purpose vehicles, and the same goes for commercial vehicles. If you are looking to add tint to either one of those types of vehicles, please research your state, county, city, and municipality rules to avoid legal issues or tickets in the future.

Tint laws are rarely uniform, meaning that the VTL% on the front side windows rarely match the VTL% on the rear side or back. Because of this, each state reports the minimum VTL% allowed by simply attaching one VTL% to whichever window is relevant.

Windshield

  • Front and backside windows
  • Rear window
  • Side mirrors

There is only one state that allows people to tint their windows to any tint percentage: Michigan. On the contrary, there are seven states and one district that only allow a lighter tint on car windows (California, Iowa, Alaska, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Washington D.C.). Three other states do not allow tint on cars at all (New Jersey, Vermont, and New Hampshire).

The remaining states vary their tint laws based on a tint percentage between 10% and 60%. To see the rates in each state, check out the chart that goes into more detail about tinting.

Colors

As with tinted windows, the color of the tint depends on the state that a person resides in currently. Nonetheless, some states are more lenient when it comes to colored shades, and some are more strict.

The states that are more lenient on tinted colors, meaning that they will allow some colored tints, include, but are not limited to:

Other states, on the other hand, are more strict with this rule and will only allow lighter colors on car tints. Some of these states won’t allow any color at all. These are some of the states that carry this law:

  • Michigan

Tint Laws by State 2024

51 Rows

State
Front Side Windows
Back Side Windows
Rear Windows
Windshield
Reflectivity
Other Restrictions
Alabama32%32%32%6 inchesno more than 20% reflectivenone
Alaska70%40%40%5 inchesno metallic or mirrored tintingno red, yellow, or amber tinting allowed
Arizona33%99.9%99.9%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 35% reflective red and amber not permitted. back window tinting requires use of dual side mirrors
Arkansas25%25%10%5 inchesno metallic or mirrored tintingnone
California70%99.9%99.9%4 inchesno more reflective than a standard windowred, amber, and blue not allowed, dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Colorado27%27%27%4 inchesno metallic or mirrored tintingred and amber not permitted. back window tinting requires use of dual side mirrors
Connecticut35%35%99.9%non-reflective tint above the as-1 lineno more than 21% relefectivedual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Delaware70%99.9%99.9%non-reflective tint above the as-1 lineno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
District of Columbia70%50%50%5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes firstNo Lawnone
Florida28%15%15%non-reflective tint above the as-1 lineno more than 25% reflectivedual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Georgia32%32%32%6 inchesno more than 20% reflectivered and amber not allowed
Hawaii35%35%35%no inch requirement, must to the top of the manufacturers as-1 lineno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Idaho35%20%35%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 35% reflective dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Illinois35%35%35%6 inchesmust be non-reflectivedual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Indiana30%30%30%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 25% reflectivenone
Iowa70%99.9%99.9%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno excessive reflections allowed, but not specifiednone
Kansas35%35%35%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno metallic or mirrored tintingred, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
Kentucky35%18%18%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 25% reflectivenone
Louisiana40%25%12%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 20% reflectivenone
Maine35%99.9%99.9%4 inchesmust be non-reflectivedual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Maryland35%35%35%5 inchesNo Lawred, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
Massachusetts35%35%35%6 inchesno more than 35% reflective must have dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Michigan99.9%99.9%99.9%4 inchesno more than 35% reflective none
Minnesota50%50%50%none allowedno more than 20% reflectivenone
Mississippi28%28%28%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 20% reflectivenone
Missouri35%99.9%99.9%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 35% reflective must have dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Montana24%14%14%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 35% reflective none
Nebraska35%20%20%5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes firstno more than 35% reflective unclear on side mirrors, but red, amber and yellow are not permitted
Nevada35%99.9%99.9%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineNo Lawtinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer's as-1 line
New Hampshire0%35%35%6 inchesno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
New Jersey0%99.9%99.9%no tinting allowedno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
New Mexico20%20%20%5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes firstNo Lawdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
New York70%70%99.9%6 inchesno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
North Carolina35%35%35%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 20% reflectivered, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
North Dakota50%99.9%99.9%no more than 70%no metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Ohio50%99.9%99.9%no more than 70%no more reflective than a standard windownone
Oklahoma25%25%25%5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes firstno more than 20% reflectivedual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Oregon35%35%35%6 inchesno more than 13% reflectivered, green, yellow, black and amber tints are not allowed, and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
Pennsylvania70%70%70%none allowedno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Rhode Island70%70%70%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineNo Lawnone
South Carolina27%27%27%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 linemust be non-reflectivered, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
South Dakota35%20%20%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno metallic or mirrored tintingnone
Tennessee35%35%35%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno metallic or mirrored tintingnone
Texas25%25%99.9%5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes firstno more than 25% reflectivered, amber, and blue not allowed, dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Utah43%99.9%99.9%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Vermont0%99.9%99.9%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno metallic or mirrored tintingdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Virginia50%35%35%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineno more than 20% reflectivered, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
Washington24%24%24%6 inchesno more than 35% reflective red, green, yellow, black and amber tints are not allowed, and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
West Virginia35%35%35%5 inches20% reflectivered, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows
Wisconsin50%35%35%tinting allowed to top of the manufacturer's as-1 lineNo Lawdual side mirrors required for back tinted windows
Wyoming28%28%28%5 inches or as-1 lline, whichever comes firstno more than 20% reflectivedual side mirrors required for back tinted windows

Sources