Window Tint Laws in New York: The 70% Rule and Inspections

Last reviewed: October 17, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. New York's tint rules are in the Vehicle and Traffic Law and DMV regulations; check the current text and your inspection station before you buy film.

New York has some of the lightest tint limits in the country, and it is one of the few states that checks tint as part of the yearly inspection. That combination catches a lot of drivers who bought a car with film installed somewhere else. For other states, see our window tint laws by state chart.

Short answer: Window tint laws in New York require the windshield (below the top six inches) and the front side windows to let through at least 70% of light. On sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, station wagons, hardtops and convertibles, the rear side windows must also be at least 70%. The rear window can be darker only if the car has side mirrors on both sides. Tint is checked at the annual inspection, and a medical exemption needs DMV approval.

New York tint limits at a glance

The model-year split comes from DMV's regulation, 15 NYCRR Part 54.40, which DMV attached to a 2024 memo to police and magistrates. The statute itself, § 375(12-a)(e), lets a 1991 or older vehicle stay on the road if its windows met the law as it stood on December 31, 1991.

Which vehicles count as "passenger cars"

The 70% rule for rear side windows applies only to a station wagon, sedan, hardtop, coupe, hatchback or convertible. DMV's Part 54.40(c) says a vehicle is in that class if it is labelled "Passenger Car" on the federal ID label on the left front door panel. Most SUVs, minivans and pickups are labelled as multipurpose passenger vehicles or trucks, so their rear side windows are not limited by § 375(12-a)(b)(3). Their front side windows and windshield still need 70%.

Check the label on your own door jamb rather than going by how the dealer describes the car.

The rear window

Under § 375(12-a)(b)(4), the rear window must be at least 70%, but it "may have a light transmittance of less than seventy percent if the vehicle is equipped with side mirrors on both sides of the vehicle so adjusted that the driver thereof shall have a clear and full view of the road and condition of traffic behind such vehicle." Nearly every modern car qualifies.

Tint and the annual inspection

New York DMV says: "Effective January 1st 2017, an examination of tinted or shaded windows will be required during motor vehicle inspections." DMV's regulation sets the standards stations apply, including the 70% figure for 1992 and newer vehicles.

What this means in practice:

• Buying a used car from out of state? Check the tint before you register it in New York. Film legal in Georgia or Arizona is likely to read well below 70%.
• Factory privacy glass on the rear of an SUV is generally fine because those rear side windows are outside the passenger-car rule.
• Re-check after a windshield replacement. Some replacement glass has a tint band; anything darker than 70% must stay within the top six inches.

In its 2024 memo, DMV told police it was concerned about vehicles with dark tint that still carried current inspection certificates or fraudulent medical exemption certificates, and asked officers to check questionable exemptions with its frauds unit. Expect exemption stickers to be looked at closely.

Medical exemptions

Section 375(12-a)(c) allows DMV to exempt a person who must be shielded from the sun for medical reasons, and a vehicle that belongs to that person or in which they habitually ride. The exemption covers only the windshield and front side windows rules (paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2)).

To apply, use DMV's Application for Tinted Window Exemption (MV-80W). Under the statute, the physician's statement must give:

• the reason for the exemption;
• the name of the person with the condition;
• the specific condition; and
• the minimum level of light transmission required.

DMV may grant an exemption only for a condition on the Department of Health's list. DMV's tinted windows page lists conditions including albinism, lupus erythematosus, photophobia and severe drug photosensitivity. If approved, DMV issues a sticker that must be attached to each window covered.

Penalties

Section 375(32)(a) makes most violations of § 375 punishable by a fine of up to $150, or up to 30 days in jail, or both. Under § 375(12-a)(e), it is also illegal to sell, offer for sale or equip a vehicle in violation of the rule, so a shop that installs non-compliant film is breaking the law too.

If you are charged, § 375(12-a)(d) allows DMV to test the window; if it complies, DMV fixes a small label to the window saying so.

Before you tint in New York

1. Find your vehicle class. Open the driver's door and read the federal label. "Passenger Car" means the rear side windows need 70%; another class means only the windshield, front side windows and (without dual mirrors) the rear window are limited.
2. Ask for the finished reading. The 70% figure applies to the window as it is, glass and film together. Factory glass already blocks some light, so even a light film can push a window under 70%.
3. Choose clear UV film for the front if sun protection is the goal. Clear, high-transmission films are made to cut ultraviolet light without darkening the glass; check the product's rated light transmission.
4. Keep the top strip within six inches. A visor band on the windshield is fine only if the darker part stays in the uppermost six inches.
5. Plan around inspection. If you are close to your inspection date, fix or remove any doubtful film before you go.
6. If you have a qualifying condition, apply before you tint. The exemption is tied to DMV approval and a DMV sticker, not to a doctor's note alone.

Common mistakes in New York

• Assuming the back seat windows are free. On a sedan or coupe they need 70% as well.
• Ignoring the windshield. Only the top six inches may be darker than 70%.
• Buying an exemption sticker online. Only DMV issues valid exemptions, and police check them.
• Forgetting inspection. A tinted car may pass a roadside glance but fail at the station.

New York compared with other states

See our guides to window tint laws in North Carolina and window tint laws in Florida, and read why there are window tint laws. For other equipment rules, see where radar detectors are legal.

Sources

• N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 375 (New York Senate); text checked against the FindLaw copy
• New York DMV, Tinted Windows
• New York DMV memo P 9 / M 9 (2024), Window Tint and Window Tint Exemptions, with 15 NYCRR Part 54.40 attached (PDF)