§PlainStatute

Tools · Window Tint

Massachusetts Window Tint Checker (2026)

The legal tint limit for every window position in Massachusetts (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 §9D; 540 CMR 4.04(8)(g)

Massachusetts window tint checker

Window tint · Massachusetts

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.

Massachusetts legal tint limit, window by window
Front side windows
35% VLT min
At least 35% light transmittance on the driver and passenger front side windows.
Back side windows
35% min
At least 35% on the side windows behind the driver and passenger; no darker allowance for any vehicle class.
Rear window
35% min
At least 35% on the rear window, and the vehicle must have two outside rear-view mirrors when the rear window carries aftermarket tint.
Windshield
AS-1 / top 6 in
Tint or reflective material may not extend lower than 6 inches from the top of the windshield, or below the AS-1 markings on the left or right side, whichever applies.
Medical exemption
A Tinted Glass Medical Waiver is issued by MassDOT/RMV when a physician certifies the operator as photophobic or photosensitive; the vehicle is then exempt from the standard tint rule (RMV form 21858).
Penalty
A fine of not more than $250 per violation. On a third or subsequent conviction, the Registrar suspends the operator’s license for up to 90 days.
Tint-meter tolerance
Not specified in statute; the inspection rule fails a reading under 35% without a stated meter tolerance

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

Massachusetts regulates all five pieces of glass at 35% and adds no vehicle-class exception; a tinted rear window also requires two outside mirrors.

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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts window tint reference, cited to M.G.L. c.90 §9D; 540 CMR 4.04(8)(g).

How the Massachusetts tint rules work

Massachusetts keeps it uniform: every window that matters, the two front doors, the two windows behind them, and the rear windshield, has to allow at least 35% of light, with no SUV or van loophole for darker rear glass. Reflectance is capped at 35% too, so mirror-look film is out. The windshield takes tint only in the top 6 inches or above the AS-1 mark, a tinted rear window means the car needs two outside mirrors, and the whole thing is checked at the annual safety inspection.

This checker applies the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts window tint reference, cited to M.G.L. c.90 §9D; 540 CMR 4.04(8)(g).

Window tint checkers for other states

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