Window Tint Laws in Pennsylvania: 70% Rule

Last reviewed: October 18, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Pennsylvania's tint rules come from the Vehicle Code and PennDOT's inspection regulations; check the current text and your inspection station before you buy film.

Pennsylvania is one of the strictest states for window tint, and it is also one of the most confusing. The statute does not mention a percentage at all; it says people must be able to see into the car. The familiar 70% figure comes from PennDOT's inspection regulations. That split matters both for your annual inspection and for what happens at a traffic stop. For other states, see our window tint laws by state chart.

Short answer: Window tint laws in Pennsylvania, through PennDOT's inspection table, require the windshield and front side windows of every vehicle to let through 70% of light (±3%). On 1998 and newer passenger cars, the rear side windows and rear window must also be 70%. Trucks, SUVs and other multipurpose passenger vehicles have no requirement behind the driver. So 35% tint is not legal on a car's windows or on any vehicle's front side windows, but it is acceptable on the back windows of an SUV, van or pickup that has outside mirrors on both sides.

Pennsylvania's Table X, in plain terms

PennDOT's Table X, "Acceptable Light Transmittance Levels for Vehicle Glazing," sits at the end of 67 Pa. Code chapter 175. All levels assume a 3% accuracy (±3%).

Vehicle type	Windshield	Front side windows	Rear side windows	Rear window
1998 and newer passenger cars	70%	70%	70%	70%
Pre-1998 passenger cars	70%	70%	70%	Film labelled "Complies with VESC-20"
Trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles	70%	70%	No requirement	No requirement
Medium/heavy trucks and buses, and all other vehicles	70%	70%	No requirement	No requirement

Windshield strip: § 175.263(a) allows transparent material along the top edge of the windshield if it does not reach into the AS-1 area and is no more than 3 inches from the top.

Mirrors: if any sun screening is used anywhere other than that windshield strip, the vehicle needs right and left outside mirrors (§ 175.264). The rear window of any vehicle may be treated by the owner as long as the mirror rule and Table X are met (§ 175.263(b)).

So, is 35% tint legal in PA?

It depends on the vehicle and the window.

Sedan, coupe, hatchback or other passenger car (1998 or newer): No, on any window. Every window needs 70%.
Any vehicle's windshield or front side windows: No. Seventy percent applies to every vehicle type.
SUV, minivan, pickup or other truck or multipurpose passenger vehicle, rear side and rear windows: Yes. Table X sets no requirement there, and § 175.67(d)(1) notes that under FMVSS 205 the see-through restriction does not apply to those windows on trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles. Keep both outside mirrors in working order.

Most new factory glass already lets through somewhat less than 100% of light, so even a light film can push a front window under 70%. That is why many Pennsylvania shops will not put any film on the front side windows of a car without metering the glass first.

The statute and the inspection rule are not the same test

The Vehicle Code (§ 4524(e)(1)) asks whether a person can see into the vehicle through the windshield, side wings or side windows. The 70% number appears only in PennDOT's regulations.

Pennsylvania's Superior Court has said these are separate standards. The official Pennsylvania Code's notes on § 175.67 summarise Commonwealth v. Brubaker, 5 A.3d 261 (Pa. Super. 2010): the 70% inspection standard "cannot be incorporated into" § 4524(e)(1), because the regulation requires 70% while the statute only requires that a person be able to see through the windows.

In practice, this means:

At inspection, your car is checked against the regulation, so the 70% table is what counts.
On the road, a police officer charging you under § 4524(e)(1) has to deal with the statute's "see inside" test. That is a fact-specific question, and this article cannot tell you how a particular court would rule. If you are charged, the citation and the officer's observations matter, and a local traffic lawyer can advise you.

Neither route makes dark front windows a good idea. A car that fails inspection cannot get a new sticker until it is fixed.

Inspection: what the station checks

Section 175.80 of PennDOT's inspection regulations tells inspectors what to reject. Under the glazing checks, a vehicle is rejected if material whose design prevents a driver from seeing through it obstructs the driver's view; the same subsection repeats that, under FMVSS 205, the restriction does not apply to the rear side windows, rear wings or rear window of trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles. Inspectors also reject a car that lacks outside mirrors on both sides when PennDOT has issued a sun screening exemption, although a vehicle with a medical exemption may have only a left outside mirror unless it came from the factory with two.

Because the inspection rule points to Table X, film below 70% on a regulated window is a common reason for a failed sticker. Ask your station before you tint; some will meter the windows for you.

Medical and other exemptions

Section 4524(e)(2) and 67 Pa. Code § 175.265 exempt:

Factory tint of the type and specification installed by the vehicle manufacturer.
Hearses, ambulances and government vehicles.
Vehicles with a certificate of exemption from PennDOT.

PennDOT issues a medical certificate of exemption when the owner, or someone living in the owner's household who regularly drives or rides in the vehicle, has a condition that PennDOT, in consultation with its Medical Advisory Board, finds justifies it. The application needs a medical certification from a licensed physician or optometrist.

Two limits surprise people:

The certificate authorises only colorless sun screening that filters ultraviolet light (§ 175.265(d)). It is not a licence for dark limo film.
It is void when the car is sold to someone who does not qualify. Before the sale, the owner must remove the film, destroy the certificate and give the buyer a notarized statement describing the removal (§ 4524(e)(5); § 175.265(e)).

Keep the certificate in the vehicle, show it to police on request, and hand it to the inspection station at inspection time.

Penalties

A violation of § 4524 is a summary offense. Where the Vehicle Code sets no other penalty, the fine is $25 (75 Pa.C.S. § 6502(a)); violating a PennDOT regulation is also a summary offense with the same default fine (§ 6502(b)). Court costs and fees are added to the fine, and the total on a real citation is usually much higher than $25, so read the ticket.

The bigger practical cost is often the inspection failure: removing film and re-testing takes time and money.

Practical tips before you tint in Pennsylvania

Know your vehicle class. The federal label on the driver's door frame usually says whether the vehicle is a passenger car or a multipurpose passenger vehicle or truck. That decides whether the back windows are limited.
Leave the front alone unless the film is clear and the installer meters the finished window at 70% or more.
Keep both outside mirrors if any window other than the windshield strip is treated.
Buying a used car from out of state? Expect the Pennsylvania inspection station to check the tint against Table X before you get a sticker.

How Pennsylvania compares

Pennsylvania's 70% front limit matches New York's, and both check tint at inspection. See our guide to window tint laws in New York for the closest comparison, or window tint laws in Florida for a much darker rule. For the reasons behind these limits, read why there are window tint laws.

Is 35% tint legal in Pennsylvania?

Not on the windshield or front side windows of any vehicle, and not on any window of a 1998 or newer passenger car. PennDOT's inspection table requires 70% light transmittance (±3%) there. On a truck, SUV or other multipurpose passenger vehicle, the table sets no requirement for the rear side windows and rear window, so 35% film is acceptable there if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides.

What is the legal tint limit in Pennsylvania?

Table X in 67 Pa. Code chapter 175 sets 70% (±3%) for the windshield and front side windows of every vehicle type. For 1998 and newer passenger cars, the rear side windows and rear window must also be 70%. Trucks, multipurpose passenger vehicles and other vehicles have no requirement behind the driver.

Will tinted windows fail a Pennsylvania inspection?

They can. 67 Pa. Code § 175.67(d)(4) prohibits sun screening that does not let a person see inside the vehicle unless FMVSS 205 permits it or PennDOT has issued an exemption, and points inspectors to Table X for the 70% levels. Section 175.264 also requires outside mirrors on both sides when film is used below the windshield strip.

What is the fine for illegal tint in Pennsylvania?

A violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 4524 is a summary offense. Where no other penalty is set, the Vehicle Code fine is $25 (75 Pa.C.S. § 6502(a)); court costs and fees are added and can be considerably more than the fine itself.

Can I get a medical exemption for tint in Pennsylvania?

Yes, but only through PennDOT. A licensed physician or optometrist must certify the condition, PennDOT decides with its Medical Advisory Board, and the certificate allows only colorless film that filters ultraviolet light. Carry the certificate in the vehicle and show it at inspection (75 Pa.C.S. § 4524(e); 67 Pa. Code § 175.265).

Window Tint Laws in Pennsylvania: The 70% Rule and Inspections