Window Tint Laws in Arizona: Legal Limits for Each Window

Last reviewed: October 17, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Arizona's tint limits are in A.R.S. § 28-959.01 and can be amended; check the current statute before you buy film.

In Arizona's sun, window film is about comfort as much as looks. The good news is that Arizona is relaxed about the back of the car. The front side windows and windshield are where the rules bite. For other states, see our window tint laws by state chart.

Short answer: Window tint laws in Arizona require the front side windows to let through 33% of light, plus or minus 3%, with luminous reflectance of 35%, plus or minus 3%. Side windows behind the driver and the rear window have no darkness limit, as long as reflectance is 35% (plus or minus 3%) or less. The windshield may only have a transparent, non-red, non-amber strip at the top. People with a medical need can get an exemption from ADOT.

Arizona tint limits at a glance

How the statute works

Like California, Arizona starts from a general ban and then lists exceptions. Section 28-959.01(B) says you may not drive with material on the windshield or side or rear windows that "obstructs or reduces a driver's clear view", and § 28-959.01(C) bars applying transparent material that "alters the color or reduces the light transmittance" of those windows, except as the section allows. Subsection (A) then lists what is allowed, including the tint rules above.

The 33% figure is measured "in conjunction with glazing material", which means the film and the glass together. Under § 28-959.01(H), "light transmission" is the share of light that passes through the product including the glazing. Factory glass already blocks some light, so a film labelled 35% can read lower once installed. Ask your installer to meter the finished window.

Front side windows

Arizona's front side window rule has two parts, and you need both:

• Light transmission: 33%, plus or minus 3%. In practice, that tolerance is there for meter and glass variation, so aim for a finished reading at or above 33%.
• Luminous reflectance: 35%, plus or minus 3%. Heavily mirrored films can fail on this even when the darkness is fine.

Behind the driver

Section 28-959.01(A)(6) exempts side windows behind the driver and rear windows from the darkness rules, as long as luminous reflectance is 35%, plus or minus 3%, or less. There is no minimum light-transmission figure, so very dark film is legal there if it is not mirror-like.

Separately, § 28-959.01(A)(10) exempts the rear window if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides giving the driver a view of at least 200 feet behind. Most modern cars meet that easily.

The windshield

Section 28-959.01(A)(11) allows transparent material on the topmost portion of the windshield if:

• its bottom edge is at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver's seat, measured from a point five inches in front of the bottom of the backrest with the seat in its rearmost and lowest position, with the car on level ground; and
• it is not red or amber.

Small stickers are allowed in a seven-inch square in the lower corner farthest from the driver and a five-inch square in the lower corner nearest the driver (§ 28-959.01(A)(5)).

Medical exemptions

Under § 28-959.01(G), ADOT may grant an exemption to a person who must be shielded from the sun for medical reasons, supported by a written attestation from a physician licensed under Arizona's medical, osteopathic or naturopathic licensing chapters. The exemption covers a vehicle the person owns or in which they are a habitual passenger, and allows darker side or rear windows. It does not mention the windshield.

ADOT MVD explains the process this way:

• submit the Application for Window Tint Medical Exemption to the Medical Review Program;
• the application must be certified by a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) or ophthalmologist;
• the exemption applies to vehicles you own and other vehicles in which you are a regular passenger; and
• "an exemption is only required for window tinting of more than 33%", meaning darker than the normal front-window limit.

Keep a copy of the exemption in the vehicle so you can show it if you are stopped.

Penalties

Arizona treats most equipment violations as civil matters. Under A.R.S. § 28-121(B), a violation of chapter 3 of Title 28, which includes § 28-959.01, is a civil traffic violation unless the statute says otherwise. Under § 28-1598, the civil penalty may not exceed $250, and the court must add surcharges under Arizona's surcharge statutes. The total you pay therefore depends on the court.

Sellers and installers have their own duty. Under § 28-959.01(F), anyone who sells or installs film must state conspicuously that installing it on the driver or passenger side window "may be illegal in some states". Under § 28-959.01(D), film manufacturers must certify to ADOT that their products meet the reflectivity and transmittance requirements.

Common mistakes in Arizona

• Putting rear-window film on the front. Film that is legal behind the driver is often far too dark for the front side windows.
• Ignoring reflectance. Mirror films can break the 35% reflectance limit on any window.
• Tinting the windshield too low. The strip must stay above the 29-inch line.
• Driving into California. California allows only clear film on front side windows, so Arizona-legal front tint can draw a ticket there; California's § 26708 contains no exception for cars registered elsewhere.

Arizona compared with nearby states

See our guides to window tint laws in California and window tint laws in Texas, and why there are window tint laws. For another equipment rule, see where radar detectors are legal.

Sources

• A.R.S. § 28-959.01, materials on windows or windshield (Arizona Legislature)
• A.R.S. § 28-121, violation classification (Arizona Legislature)
• A.R.S. § 28-1598, maximum civil penalty (Arizona Legislature)
• ADOT MVD, Window Tinting Exemption; read via the Internet Archive copy of March 2026