§PlainStatute

Tools · Window Tint

Maine Window Tint Checker (2026)

The legal tint limit for every window position in Maine (35% on the front sides), checked against your own film's VLT, with the medical exemption and what a ticket costs.

Reviewed by PlainStatute EditorialLast reviewed July 2026Verified against §1916

Maine window tint checker

Window tint · Maine

VLT (visible light transmission) is the share of light the film lets through; a lower number is darker. It is printed on the film packaging or your installation receipt. Leave it blank to just read the limits.

Maine legal tint limit, window by window
Front side windows
35% VLT min
At least 35% net light transmittance on the front side windows; the exemption for darker glass reaches only the windows behind the operator.
Back side windows
35% min (dual mirrors)
At least 35% unless the vehicle has two outside rear-view mirrors, in which case the windows behind the operator may be any darkness.
Rear window
35% min (dual mirrors)
At least 35% unless the vehicle has two outside rear-view mirrors, in which case the rear window may be any darkness.
Windshield
AS-1 / top 5 in
Non-reflective tint allowed only above the AS-1 line, or along a 5-inch strip at the top when there is no AS-1 line; the rest of the windshield may not have added tint that reduces light below the original installation.
Medical exemption
The Chief of the State Police may grant an exception for medical reasons on request, so darker glass tied to a certified medical condition can be authorized outside the standard limits.
Penalty
Traffic infraction carrying a forfeiture of not less than $100. Illegally tinted windows also fail the state safety inspection unless a light-transmittance certificate is presented.
Tint-meter tolerance
Not specified in statute

Enter your film's VLT above to check it against each Maine window limit, or read the limits as they stand.

Windows behind the operator and the rear window may go darker than 35% only when the vehicle carries two outside rear-view mirrors (§1916(2)(B)).

Film is sold by its own VLT, but police measure the installed darkness: the film combined with your factory glass, which reads darker than the film alone. These are the Maine figures stated as information, not a determination about any stop or ticket.

Informational only, not legal advice. Reflectivity limits, color bans, and vehicle-class exceptions can change the answer for a specific car. See the full rules, the exemption steps, and the citations on the Maine window tint reference, cited to 29-A M.R.S. §1916.

How the Maine tint rules work

Maine writes one 35% floor for every side and rear window, then quietly lifts it for the glass behind the driver whenever the car carries two outside mirrors. That is the detail aggregators miss: the front doors are locked at 35%, but a sedan with proper side mirrors can run the back windows as dark as the owner likes. The windshield gets only a strip of non-reflective tint above the AS-1 line, and any tinted car has to show a light-transmittance certificate at its annual inspection.

This checker applies the Maine figures to the VLT you enter. It is informational only and not legal advice: reflectivity limits, color bans, and vehicle-class exceptions can change the answer for a specific car. For the full rules, the shades table, and the citations, see the Maine window tint reference, cited to 29-A M.R.S. §1916.

Window tint checkers for other states

Same tool, each with its own per-window limits.

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