§PlainStatute

Tools · Window Tint

Maryland Window Tint Checker (2026)

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

Draft entry: figures pending statute verificationStatute §22-406Source mgaleg.maryland.gov

Maryland window tint checker

Window tint · Maryland

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.

Draft entry: figures pending source verification. Confirm with the official source before relying on this result.
Maryland legal tint limit, window by window
Front side windows
35% VLT min
At least 35% light transmittance on the front side windows, for every vehicle class.
Back side windows
35% min
At least 35% on passenger cars; on multipurpose vehicles (SUVs, vans, light trucks) the rear side windows may be any darkness.
Rear window
35% min
At least 35% on passenger cars; on multipurpose vehicles the rear window may be any darkness, with dual outside mirrors required once the rear glass is tinted.
Windshield
AS-1 / top 5 in
Non-reflective tint allowed only above the AS-1 line or the top 5 inches, whichever is lower; the rest of the windshield may not be tinted below 35%.
Medical exemption
A driver may be exempt from the 35% floor by carrying a written certification from a Maryland-licensed physician, filed with the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the Maryland State Police. As of the 2025 change, when the physician marks the condition permanent the certification is valid indefinitely; otherwise it runs for a term the physician sets, not exceeding two years.
Penalty
Illegal tint is a traffic offense. Enforcement typically issues a Safety Equipment Repair Order (SERO), which requires the vehicle to be re-tinted to legal limits and certified at an inspection station.
Tint-meter tolerance
Not specified in statute; Maryland enforces the 35% figure without a stated meter tolerance

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

On multipurpose vehicles (SUVs, vans, trucks rated 10,000 lbs or less), the windows behind the driver may be any darkness; the 35% floor still governs the front side windows.

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 Maryland 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 Maryland window tint reference, cited to Md. Transp. Code §22-406.

How the Maryland tint rules work

Maryland lands on a single number, 35%, for the windshield strip aside: front side, back side, and rear glass on a passenger car all have to allow at least that much light. The split that trips people up is vehicle class. Buy an SUV, van, or light truck and the windows behind the driver open up to any darkness, while the front doors stay locked at 35%. A 2025 law also made the medical exemption permanent for drivers whose doctor certifies a lasting condition, so those waivers no longer expire every two years.

This checker applies the Maryland 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 Maryland window tint reference, cited to Md. Transp. Code §22-406.

Window tint checkers for other states

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

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