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Tools · Window Tint

Virginia Window Tint Checker (2026)

The legal tint limit for every window position in Virginia (50% 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 §46.2-1052

Virginia window tint checker

Window tint · Virginia

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.

Virginia legal tint limit, window by window
Front side windows
50% VLT min
At least 50%.
Back side windows
35% min
At least 35%.
Rear window
35% min
At least 35%.
Windshield
Upper 5 in / AS-1 (§46.2-1053)
Windshield film must keep transmittance at 70% or higher, except the upper 5 inches or the AS-1 line, whichever is closer to the top (§46.2-1053). From July 1, 2026, clear film may also be applied to a windshield if it does not impair visibility (§46.2-1052(F))..
Medical exemption
DMV form MED 20, "Sun-Shading Medical Authorization Application," certified by a physician, PA, NP, ophthalmologist, or optometrist. The DMV Commissioner issues written authorization for a recommended light level; obtain the authorization before installing tint.
Penalty
Operator: traffic infraction, no demerit points. Installer/applier: Class 3 misdemeanor (first offense), Class 2 (subsequent).
Tint-meter tolerance
Minus 7 percentage points on law-enforcement measurements

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

Multipurpose vehicles and pickups are exempt from the 35% floor behind the driver (§46.2-1052(H)). Law-enforcement meter readings receive a −7 percentage-point tolerance (§46.2-1052(E)).

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 Virginia 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 Virginia window tint reference, cited to Va. Code §46.2-1052 (VLT/penalties) + §46.2-1053 (windshield & medical).

How the Virginia tint rules work

Virginia splits its rules across two sections drivers rarely both read: §46.2-1052 carries the 50%/35% darkness limits and a generous −7-point meter tolerance, while §46.2-1053 holds the windshield rule and the medical authorization. As of July 1, 2026, clear windshield film is expressly legal, a small 2026 change that alters no darkness number.

This checker applies the Virginia 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 Virginia window tint reference, cited to Va. Code §46.2-1052 (VLT/penalties) + §46.2-1053 (windshield & medical).

Window tint checkers for other states

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