Window Tint Laws in Georgia: The 2026 Limits for Each Window

Last reviewed: October 17, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Georgia changed its tint limits on July 1, 2026; many websites and installers still quote the old 32% rule, so check the current statute before you buy film.

Georgia's tint law changed on July 1, 2026. If you read a guide that says "32% on every window", it is out of date. Here is what the statute says now, window by window. For other states, see our window tint laws by state chart.

Short answer: Window tint laws in Georgia, as amended by HB 1161 from July 1, 2026, require the front side windows to let through at least 28% of light and the rear side windows and rear window of a car at least 15%, each with a 3% tolerance. Reflectance is capped at 20%. The windshield may have only a non-red, non-amber transparent strip in the top six inches. Windows behind the driver of an SUV, pickup or other multipurpose vehicle are exempt.

Georgia tint limits at a glance

What changed on July 1, 2026

Before HB 1161, § 40-8-73.1(b)(2) applied one limit to the rear window and all side windows: 32%, plus or minus 3%, with reflectance of 20% or less. HB 1161 (Act 640) split that rule in two:

• Front side and door windows, defined as the windows directly to the right and left of the driver: 28%, plus or minus 3%.
• Rear side and door windows and the rear windshield: 15%, plus or minus 3%.

The 20% reflectance cap stayed the same. The Office of Legislative Counsel's summary of 2026 laws confirms that the Act revised the tinting provisions and that this part took effect on July 1, 2026.

If your film was installed under the old rules, it was at least 32% and is still legal. The change only allows darker film than before.

How the 3% tolerance works

The statute writes the limits as "28 percent, plus or minus 3 percent" and "15 percent, plus or minus 3 percent". In practice, that tolerance gives some room for meter readings and factory glass. It is not a licence to install film rated at 25% and hope. Light transmission is measured through the film and glass together, and factory glass already blocks some light, so a film rated at the limit can read below it once installed. Ask the installer to meter the finished window.

Which vehicles get darker rear windows

Section 40-8-73.1(c)(6) exempts the rear windshield and rear side or door windows, but not the windows beside the driver, of:

• a multipurpose passenger vehicle, defined in § 40-8-73.1(a) as a vehicle designed to carry ten people or fewer that is built on a truck chassis or has special features for occasional off-road use;
• school buses, public transport buses, and buses or vans owned or leased by incorporated religious or nonprofit organizations;
• limousines; and
• any other vehicle whose windows were tinted before factory delivery or as federal law allows.

Other exemptions in § 40-8-73.1(c) cover law enforcement vehicles, certain government vehicles and plates, and vehicles used in the business of licensed private detective and security companies.

The windshield

Section 40-8-73.1(b)(1) bans any material that reduces light transmission through the front windshield. The only tint exception is § 40-8-73.1(c)(4): "Any transparent item which is not red or amber in color which is placed on the uppermost six inches of the windshield." Stickers in the lower corners (a seven-inch square on the passenger side, a five-inch square on the driver's side) and required certificates are also allowed.

Medical exemptions

Under § 40-8-73.1(d), the Department of Public Safety may exempt a vehicle owned by, or habitually carrying, a person who must be shielded from the sun for medical reasons. The application must be supported by a written attestation from a licensed physician or a certified optometrist, and DPS may attach conditions.

Georgia.gov's instructions say:

• send the Application for Exemption to the Window Tint Law with the vehicle's year, make, VIN and plate number;
• the doctor's or optometrist's letter must be on official letterhead and mailed directly from the provider's office with the application;
• the fee is $10 per application or household, paid by money order, certified check or cashier's check;
• exemptions must be renewed every four years; and
• "Medical conditions that can be adequately addressed through protective eyewear or legal-limit window tint that blocks 99.9% of UV rays aren't eligible for an exemption."

Penalties

Under § 40-8-73.1(h), anyone who violates subsection (b) (driving with illegal tint) or subsection (e) (installing film that breaks the limits) is guilty of a misdemeanor. Georgia's general misdemeanor sentence, in O.C.G.A. § 17-10-3, is a fine of up to $1,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both. The court sets the actual fine within that range.

Because installers are covered by subsection (e), a reputable shop should refuse to put film below the limit on your car.

Common mistakes in Georgia

• Relying on the old 32% rule. It ended on June 30, 2026; the limits are now 28% front and 15% rear for cars.
• Assuming 15% applies to the front. The darker figure is only for windows behind the driver.
• Ignoring reflectance. Mirror-like film above 20% reflectance is illegal even if the darkness is fine.
• Tinting the windshield. Only a transparent, non-red, non-amber strip in the top six inches is allowed.

Georgia compared with nearby states

Georgia's new numbers now match Florida's for cars. See our guides to window tint laws in Florida and window tint laws in North Carolina, and why there are window tint laws. For another Georgia equipment rule, see are radar detectors legal in Georgia.

Sources

• HB 1161 (2026), as passed and signed, amending O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1 (Office of the Governor, PDF)
• Summary of General Statutes Enacted at the 2026 Session, Act 640 (Georgia Office of Legislative Counsel, PDF)
• O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1, text before the 2026 amendment, including subsections (c) to (h) (FindLaw copy)
• O.C.G.A. § 17-10-3, misdemeanor punishment (FindLaw copy)
• Get an Exemption for Window Tinting (Georgia.gov)