Window Tint Laws in Maryland: 35% Rule

Last reviewed: October 18, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Maryland's tint limits are in the Transportation Article and can be amended; check the current text of § 22-406 before you buy film.

Maryland uses one number for window tint, 35%, but where it applies depends on how your vehicle is registered. A sedan and an SUV parked side by side can have very different legal back windows. Maryland also enforces tint through a repair-order system that can reach your registration if you ignore it. For other states, see our window tint laws by state chart.

Short answer: Window tint laws in Maryland require aftermarket tint to let through at least 35% of light. On a passenger car (Class A), the 35% rule covers every window. On SUVs and other multipurpose vehicles, light trucks and for-hire vehicles, it covers only the front side windows, so their back windows can be darker. Tint may not go below the windshield's AS-1 line or 5 inches from the top even with a medical exemption. A stop for illegal tint can bring a citation and a safety equipment repair order.

What the law actually says

Md. Code, Transp. § 22-406(i)(1) A person may not operate a vehicle registered under § 13-912, § 13-913, § 13-917 or § 13-937 on a highway in Maryland if:

"(i) In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–912 of this article, there is affixed to any window of the vehicle any tinting materials added to the window after manufacture of the vehicle that do not allow a light transmittance through the window of at least 35%; and

(ii) In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–913, § 13–917, or § 13–937 of this article, there is affixed to any window to the immediate right or left of the driver any window tinting materials added after manufacture of the vehicle that do not allow a light transmittance through the window of at least 35%."

Read Md. Code, Transp. § 22-406 (Maryland General Assembly)

Which rule applies to your vehicle

The statute works by registration class, so check your registration card.

Registration class	What it covers	Where the 35% rule applies
Class A, § 13-912	Passenger cars and station wagons	Every window with aftermarket tint
Class M, § 13-937	Multipurpose passenger vehicles (most SUVs and minivans)	Front side windows only
Class E light truck, § 13-917	Trucks rated 3/4 ton or less, up to 7,000 lb gross weight	Front side windows only
Class B, § 13-913	Passenger vehicles used to carry people for hire	Front side windows only

For Class M, light-truck and for-hire vehicles, § 22-406(i) sets no light-transmittance limit for the rear side windows or the rear window.

What "35%" means in Maryland

The statute measures "light transmittance through the window", not the film on its own. Factory glass already blocks some light, so a film sold as 35% will usually read below 35% once it is on the window. Ask your installer to meter the finished glass.

The rule covers "tinting materials added to the window after manufacture of the vehicle." Glass that came tinted from the factory is not counted as added material, which is why many SUVs leave the factory with dark rear glass that is perfectly legal.

The windshield

Section 22-406(i)(4)(iv) says nothing in the subsection allows tinting material to be added to the windshield below the AS-1 line or below 5 inches from the top. That sentence sits in the medical-exemption paragraph, so it is a limit that applies even when you have a medical certification. For an ordinary car, keep any windshield film to a strip above the AS-1 line or within the top 5 inches, and remember that on a Class A car any added tint must also meet the 35% figure.

Installers are covered too

Under § 22-406(i)(3), "A person may not install on a window of a vehicle any window tinting material that does not comply with the light transmittance requirements." A Maryland shop that fits illegal film is breaking the law itself, so expect a reputable installer to meter the glass and refuse film that would leave a regulated window under 35%.

Enforcement: citations and repair orders

Maryland pairs the ticket with a fix-it order.

Citation and SERO. If an officer sees a vehicle being driven in violation of § 22-406(i)(1), the officer may stop the driver and, in addition to a citation, issue a safety equipment repair order under § 23-105 (§ 22-406(i)(2)).
Ten days to fix it. The repair order directs the owner to have the equipment corrected within 10 days and to send the State Police's division a repair order certification dated after the order (§ 23-105(b)).
Registration at risk. The rules under § 23-105(e) provide for suspending the registration of a vehicle if the order is not complied with within 30 days, and for reinstating it once the problem is fixed.

Fine: a violation of the Maryland Vehicle Law is a misdemeanor, and unless another penalty is provided, the maximum fine is $500 (§ 27-101). The amount due on a particular tint ticket is set out on the citation, so check yours.

The medical exemption

Maryland's exemption is detailed. Under § 22-406(i)(4):

A person who must be protected from the sun for medical reasons is exempt if the owner has, in the vehicle at the time of a stop, a written certification from a physician licensed to practice medicine in Maryland.
The certification must be "in the manner and format required by the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the Department of State Police" and detail the owner's medical need for tint below 35%.
It is valid for as long as the physician decides the owner needs it, up to 2 years. If the physician finds the condition permanent, it is valid indefinitely.
The person who needs the tint does not have to be in the car, as long as the certification is in the vehicle (§ 22-406(i)(4)(iv)2).
It never allows windshield tint below the AS-1 line or 5 inches from the top.

Get the current certification form from the Maryland State Police before your doctor fills anything in, because the statute requires their format.

Sun shades for young children

There is a narrow exception that helps parents. The subsection "does not apply to tinting materials that: 1. Are affixed in such a manner so as to be easily removed; and 2. Are being used to protect a child less than 10 years of age from the sun" (§ 22-406(i)(4)(iii)). A removable cling shade on a rear window for a toddler is fine; permanent dark film is not.

Practical tips before you tint in Maryland

Check your registration class first. It decides whether your back windows are limited.
Aim above 35% on regulated windows, measured on the glass, to leave a margin.
Respond to a repair order quickly. The 10-day and 30-day clocks run from the date it is issued.
Keep the medical certification in the car, and diary its expiry date if it is not permanent.

How Maryland compares

Maryland's 35% figure is the same number North Carolina uses, though North Carolina applies it differently. See window tint laws in North Carolina and window tint laws in Georgia for nearby comparisons, and why there are window tint laws for the safety reasons behind them.

What is the legal tint limit in Maryland?

Aftermarket tint must let through at least 35% of light. On a passenger car registered as Class A, that applies to every window. On multipurpose passenger vehicles (most SUVs and minivans), light trucks and for-hire vehicles, it applies only to the windows to the immediate left and right of the driver (Md. Code, Transp. § 22-406(i)(1)).

Can SUVs have darker back windows in Maryland?

Yes. For vehicles registered as Class M (multipurpose), Class E light trucks under § 13-917, or Class B (for hire), § 22-406(i)(1)(ii) limits only the front side windows to 35%. The statute sets no light-transmittance limit for their rear side windows or rear window.

What happens if I am stopped for illegal tint in Maryland?

The officer may give you a citation and a safety equipment repair order (SERO). The SERO directs the owner to fix the tint within 10 days and send in a repair certification; registration can be suspended if the order is not met within 30 days (§§ 22-406(i)(2), 23-105). A Vehicle Law misdemeanor carries a fine of up to $500 unless another penalty applies (§ 27-101).

Is there a medical exemption for tint in Maryland?

Yes. The owner needs a written certification from a physician licensed in Maryland, in the format the State Police Automotive Safety Enforcement Division requires, kept in the vehicle. It lasts as long as the physician sets, up to 2 years, or indefinitely for a permanent condition (§ 22-406(i)(4)).

Can I use a sun shade for my child in Maryland?

Yes. The tint rules do not apply to tinting materials that are easily removable and are being used to protect a child under 10 from the sun (§ 22-406(i)(4)(iii)). Clip-on or cling shades fit that description; permanent film does not.

Window Tint Laws in Maryland: The 35% Rule for Cars and SUVs