Window Tint Laws by State Chart

Last reviewed: October 17, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Tint limits are set by each state and change from time to time; check your state's current statute before you buy film.

Most window tint charts online copy each other, and few show you the law. This one does: every row below links to the state's own statute or code, so you can check the number yourself before you spend money on film.

Short answer: There is no single national limit for aftermarket tint. Window tint laws by state set their own minimum light transmission (VLT) for each window, usually strictest for the windshield and front side windows. Among the states we verified, front side limits range from no film at all (Massachusetts) and 70% (New York, Pennsylvania, D.C.) down to 24–25% (Montana, Washington, Texas). Many states have looser rules, or none, for windows behind the driver.

How to read the chart

VLT means visible light transmission, the percentage of light the window lets through. A lower number means darker tint. Where a state's law gives a tolerance such as ±3%, it is shown. AS-1 line is the mark on many windshields showing how far down tint may go. MPV means multipurpose passenger vehicle (most SUVs, many vans and pickups).

Rows were re-checked against the statute on 17 October 2026, except Idaho, Massachusetts and Nebraska, whose official sites could not be reached this time; those rows were last checked on 14 August 2026. The Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania rows were re-checked on 18 October 2026 (Michigan and Ohio against archived copies of the official code). Where a cell says "not stated" or "no limit in this section", the law we read did not set a separate figure for that window.

Window tint laws by state chart

State	Front side	Back side	Rear window	Windshield	Reflectivity	Statute
Arizona	33% (±3%)	No VLT limit	No VLT limit	Transparent strip at top only (bottom edge at least 29 in above seat); not red or amber	35% max (±3%)	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-959.01
California	70% total (clear film, itself at least 88%)	No VLT limit	No VLT limit (with dual side mirrors)	Transparent strip at top only (bottom edge at least 29 in above seat); not red or amber	Windshield film must not add glare	Cal. Veh. Code § 26708
Delaware	50%	Any (0% or greater)	Any (0% or greater)	Transparent strip at top, not into AS-1 area	Not stated	21 Del. C. § 4313
Florida	28% (±3%)	15% (6% MPV) (±3%)	15% (6% MPV) (±3%)	Transparent strip at top, not into AS-1 area	25% front / 35% rear	Fla. Stat. §§ 316.2952–.2955
Georgia	28% (±3%)	15% (±3%) (no limit on MPVs)	15% (±3%) (no limit on MPVs)	Transparent strip in top 6 in only; not red or amber	20% max	O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1, as amended by HB 1161 (2026)
Idaho	35% (±3%)	20% (±3%)	35% (±3%)	No tint below AS-1	35% max	Idaho Code § 49-944
Iowa	70%	No limit in this rule	No limit in this rule	70%	Not stated	Iowa Admin. Code 761—450.5
Kansas	35% total	35% total	35% total	Top strip only, not below AS-1; not red, yellow or amber	Must be nonreflective	K.S.A. 8-1749a
Maine	35% net	35% net (no limit with dual outside mirrors)	35% net (no limit with dual outside mirrors)	Above AS-1, or top 5 in	Reflective material prohibited	29-A M.R.S. § 1916
Maryland	35%	35% (cars); no limit in statute for MPVs and trucks	35% (cars); no limit in statute for MPVs and trucks	Not below AS-1 or 5 in from top	Not stated	Md. Transp. § 22-406(i)
Massachusetts	Tint not permitted	35%	35%	Top 6 in only	35% max (rear)	M.G.L. c. 90, § 9D
Michigan	No VLT figure in law	Permitted	Permitted (with both side mirrors)	Top 4 in, or above the shade band if closer to the top	Under 35%	MCL 257.709
Minnesota	50% (±3%)	50% (±3%)	50% (±3%)	No tint	20% max (±3%)	Minn. Stat. § 169.71
Missouri	35% (±3%)	No limit in this section	No limit in this section	Factory band only	35% max (±3%)	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 307.173
Montana	24%	14% (no limit on MPVs, vans, buses)	14% (no limit on MPVs, vans, buses)	Clear below AS-1; not red, yellow or amber above it	35% max	Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-405
Nebraska	35%	20%	20%	Clear below AS-1	35% max	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,257
New York	70%	70% (sedans, wagons, coupes, hatchbacks, convertibles)	70%, or darker with side mirrors on both sides	70%, except top 6 in	Not stated	N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 375(12-a)
North Carolina	35% (meter reading over 32% presumed legal)	35% (no limit on MPVs)	35% (no limit on MPVs)	Top 5 in or to AS-1 line, whichever is longer	20% max; not red, yellow or amber	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-127
North Dakota	35%	35% (no limit with dual outside mirrors)	35% (no limit with dual outside mirrors)	70%; nonreflective tint allowed above AS-1 or top 5 in	Not stated	N.D.C.C. § 39-21-39
Ohio	50% (±3%)	No VLT limit	No VLT limit (both side mirrors if below 50%)	70% (±3%); AS-1 or top 5 in	No reflectorised material	Ohio Admin. Code 4501-41-03
Oregon	35% total (film itself at least 50%)	35% total (no limit on MPVs with dual mirrors)	35% total (no limit on MPVs with dual mirrors)	Top 6 in may be darker	13% max (film)	ORS 815.221
Pennsylvania	70%	70% (cars; trucks and MPVs follow FMVSS 205)	70% (1998+ cars; pre-1998 cars need a VESC-20 film label; trucks and MPVs follow FMVSS 205)	70%; clear strip up to 3 in above the AS-1 line	Not stated	67 Pa. Code § 175.67
Texas	25% (DPS may allow ±3%)	No limit	No limit (with outside mirrors on both sides)	AS-1 or top 5 in, whichever is closer to the top; 25% min; not red, blue or amber	25% max (front side and windshield)	Tex. Transp. Code § 547.613
Virginia	50%	35% (darker allowed on MPVs, pickups)	35% (darker allowed on MPVs, pickups)	Manufacturer sunshield area only (clear film allowed)	20% max	Va. Code § 46.2-1052
Washington	24%	24% (darker allowed on MPVs, trucks)	24% (darker allowed on MPVs, trucks)	Top 6 in, not into AS-1	35% max	RCW 46.37.430
West Virginia	35%	35% (dual outside mirrors required)	35% (dual outside mirrors required)	AS-1 or top 5 in, whichever is closer to the top; nonreflective; not red, yellow or amber	20% max	W. Va. Code § 17C-15-36a
Washington D.C.	70% (55% mini-vans)	50% (35% mini-vans)	50% (35% mini-vans)	AS-1, or top 5 in	Not stated	D.C. Code § 50-2207.02

Notes on particular states

Arizona sets no darkness limit behind the driver: § 28-959.01(A)(6) exempts rear side windows and the rear window as long as reflectance is 35% (±3%) or less. See our Arizona guide.
California restricts only the front side windows: the film must be clear, pass 88% on its own, and leave the window meeting the federal 70% standard. Side windows behind the driver have no limit, and the rear window has none if the car has mirrors on both sides. A doctor's or optometrist's letter allows certain sun-screening devices on the front side windows, but not during darkness. Since January 1, 2026, clear UV film may also cover the windshield and other windows with a dermatologist's certificate (§ 26708(e)). See our California guide.
Delaware changed its rule: § 4313 now allows film of 50% or more on the front side windows and any darkness behind the driver, and a signed statement from a physician or optometrist is a defense. A shop that installs illegal tint can be fined $100 to $500 and ordered to refund the installation fee (§ 4313A).
Georgia changed its law on July 1, 2026 (HB 1161): front side windows dropped from 32% to 28%, and rear side windows and the rear window of a car from 32% to 15%, each ±3%. Many older charts still show 32%. See our Georgia guide.
Massachusetts does not set a percentage for front side windows; it prohibits tint there outright.
Michigan regulates where tint may go rather than setting a front-window VLT figure.
Pennsylvania's 70% figure comes from the inspection regulation, which refers to a table of requirements; Pennsylvania's Superior Court has held that this standard is separate from the statute's "see through" test (Commonwealth v. Brubaker, 5 A.3d 261 (Pa. Super. 2010)), cited in the official code's notes.
New York checks tint at the annual inspection (since January 1, 2017); vehicles of model year 1991 or older follow a 35% standard in DMV's regulation. See our New York guide.
North Carolina stopped checking tint at safety inspections on December 1, 2025 (S.L. 2025-47), but the 35% limit still applies on the road. See our North Carolina guide.
Texas sets no darkness limit on side windows behind the driver, and none on the rear window if the car has outside mirrors on both sides. See our Texas guide.
Florida has a separate, darker limit (6%) for windows behind the driver on SUVs and other multipurpose passenger vehicles. See our Florida guide.
Washington D.C. issues a $50 citation, and an owner who does not fix the tint within five business days after an inspection order can be fined up to $1,000 (§ 50-2207.02).

State guides

States not yet verified

The remaining states are not in the chart because we have not yet confirmed their numbers against the statute. Many state legislatures publish their code through viewers that are slow to check or block automated access. Rather than print figures copied from other websites, we leave those states out until we have read the law. If your state is missing, look up its vehicle code section on "sunscreening" or "window tinting", or ask your state police or DMV.

Before you tint

Measure the finished window. Most states measure film and glass together, and factory glass already blocks some light.
Check reflectance, not just darkness. A mirror-like film can be illegal even when its VLT is fine.
Check your vehicle class. Several states (Florida, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, Washington) are looser behind the driver on SUVs, vans or pickups.
Keep paperwork. Installer labels and certificates, and any medical exemption, should stay in the car.

For the safety reasoning behind these limits, see why there are window tint laws. More road rules are in our guides to where radar detectors are legal and what states lane splitting is legal in.

What does VLT mean in tint laws?

VLT (visible light transmission) is the percentage of visible light a window lets through. A lower number is darker. Most states measure the film and glass together, so factory glass counts toward the total.

Which state has the darkest legal front side windows?

Among the states we have verified, Montana (24%), Washington (24%) and Texas (25%) allow the darkest front side windows. Several states require 70% on the front side windows, including New York and Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts does not allow film there at all.

Do tint laws apply if my car is registered in another state?

It depends on the state. Texas, for example, exempts vehicles not registered in Texas (Tex. Transp. Code § 547.613(b)(12)), and North Carolina exempts out-of-state vehicles that meet their home state's rules. Other states apply their law to vehicles registered there. Check the state you are driving in.

Can I get a medical exemption for darker tint?

Most states have some form of medical exemption, but the process differs. Florida issues certificates, Texas treats a medical need as a defense to prosecution, and Maryland, Minnesota and Oregon accept a signed physician statement under conditions in their statutes. Read your state's rule before relying on it.

Why did my state's numbers change on this chart?

States amend tint laws from time to time. For example, Delaware's § 4313 now allows 50% on front side windows and any darkness behind the driver. We re-check each row against the statute and date the review at the top of the page.

Window Tint Laws by State Chart: Legal Limits Checked Against Each Statute

How to read the chart

Window tint laws by state chart

Notes on particular states

State guides

States not yet verified

Before you tint

Sources

About Farrukh Shahzad

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