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Tools · Window Tint

Washington Window Tint Checker (2026)

The legal tint limit for every window position in Washington (24% 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 RCW 46.37.430(5)

Washington window tint checker

Window tint · Washington

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.

Washington legal tint limit, window by window
Front side windows
24% VLT min
At least 24% light transmission (net film, film plus factory glass); only a single sheet of film allowed.
Back side windows
24% min
At least 24% on standard passenger cars.
Rear window
24% min
At least 24% on standard passenger cars.
Windshield
Top 6 in, transparent
Transparent material along the top edge only: not into the AS-1 portion, no more than 6 inches from the top; clear UV film allowed.
Medical exemption
Written verification from a licensed physician only (not an optometrist or ophthalmologist) that the operator or a passenger must be protected from sunlight, carried in the vehicle at all times. Per the State Patrol, "There is no form to complete or submit": no form, no DOL permit, no sticker.
Penalty
Traffic infraction. Dollar amount not specified in statute; set by court schedule (base $48 via court rule IRLJ 6.2(d); most infractions capped at $250 by RCW 46.63.110(1)). Unlawful installation: misdemeanor; unlawfully buying/selling installation: gross misdemeanor.
Tint-meter tolerance
Not specified, no tolerance exists in the law

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

Standard passenger cars shown. Manufacturer-designated trucks, motor homes, and MPVs may go below 24% behind the driver with ≤35% reflectance and dual mirrors (RCW 46.37.430(5)(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 Washington 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 Washington window tint reference, cited to RCW 46.37.430(5).

How the Washington tint rules work

Washington applies one honest number, 24% net film, counting the factory glass, to every window of a car, bans an unusual color list (red, gold, yellow, black, and any mirror finish), and allows only a single sheet of film per window. Trucks, motor homes, and MPVs may go darker behind the driver; there is no inspection program and no meter tolerance.

This checker applies the Washington 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 Washington window tint reference, cited to RCW 46.37.430(5).

Window tint checkers for other states

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