Adding tint to car windows can prove to become beneficial in the long run. This statement is especially true for people living in areas with plenty of sunshine. However, there are laws that each state abides by to ensure that an individual’s tint isn’t too dark. To provide more insight on this topic, here are the rules surrounding tint on cars.
Windows
Typically, the tint on a person’s car is too dark if they are unable to be seen by anyone else while in the car. However, other states go into more detail regarding different parts of a vehicle, such as the:
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:
- Montana
- Colorado
- Arizona
- Florida
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
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Washington D.C.
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
Although having any disease that prevents people from being exposed to light is severe, many states still do not allow tint on cars for medical reasons. There are a total of 3 states that enforce this law:
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Utah
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:
- Texas
- Michigan
- Iowa