Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws by State
The exact legal tint darkness (VLT %) for every window, state by state, with reflection limits, medical exemptions, and penalties, each cited to the official statute.
Strictest vs most lenient on front windows
Ranked by how much light the front side windows must let in.
Strictest front windows
Most lenient front windows
"No darkening film" and "top strip only" are stricter than any percentage; those states allow no aftermarket darkness on the front doors at all.
Type a state to jump straight to its full window tint guide.
Every state in one table
The minimum VLT for every window, with each darker allowance and its condition, plus the statute. Grouped by whether the state offers a medical exemption.
Medical exemption available (40)
Darker film is allowed with a certified medical need. The paperwork and limits are on each state page.
| State | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 32% VLT | 32% VLT | 32% VLT32% film (factory glass allowed) | Ala. Code §32‑5C‑1 |
| Alaska | 70% VLT | 40% VLT | 40% VLTMPVs/limos/buses/motor-homes: FMVSS 205 | AS 28.35.155 |
| Arizona | 33% VLT | Any darknessReflectance-capped only (35% ±3%) | Any darknessReflectance-capped only (35% ±3%) | A.R.S. §28‑959.01 |
| Arkansas | 25% VLT | 25% VLT | 10% VLTBehind-driver sides: 10% on MPV/truck | Ark. Code §27‑37‑301 |
| California | No darkening filmStricter than any percentage rule | Any darkness | Any darknessDual outside mirrors if obstructed | Cal. Veh. Code §§26708 |
| Connecticut | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | Any darknessDual outside mirrors if tintedMPV back windows: any | Conn. Gen. Stat. §14‑99g |
| Delaware | 70% VLT | Any darknessStatute silent behind the driver | Any darknessNot addressed by §4313Rear unrestricted for all classes | 21 Del. C. §4313 |
| Florida | 28% VLT | 15% VLT | 15% VLT | Fla. Stat. §§316.2951–316.2957 |
| Georgia | 32% VLT | 32% VLT | 32% VLT | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1 |
| Idaho | 35% VLT | 20% VLT | 35% VLT | Idaho Code §49‑944 |
| Illinois | 35% or 50% VLTDepends on rear tint level | Any darknessRear tint selects front option | Any darknessConforming dual mirrors if obscured | 625 ILCS 5/12‑503 |
| Indiana | 30% VLT | 30% VLT | 30% VLT | Ind. Code §9‑19‑19‑4 |
| Louisiana | 25% VLT | 25% VLT | 12% VLTMPV/truck rear exempt | La. R.S. 32:361.1 |
| Maine | 35% VLT | 35% VLTAny darkness: dual mirrors | 35% VLTAny darkness: dual mirrors | 29‑A M.R.S. §1916 |
| Maryland | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLTSUV/van rear: any darkness | Md. Transp. Code §22‑406 |
| Massachusetts | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | M.G.L. c.90 §9D |
| Michigan | Top strip onlyNo tint below the strip | Any darknessDual outside mirrors required | Any darknessDual outside mirrors required | MCL §257.709 |
| Minnesota | 50% VLT | 50% VLT | 50% VLTVans/pickups exempt behind driver | Minn. Stat. §169.71 |
| Mississippi | 28% VLT | 28% VLT | 28% VLTTruck/van/SUV: federal minimum | Miss. Code Ann. §63‑7‑59 |
| Missouri | 35% VLT | Any darknessStatute regulates front windows only | Any darknessNot addressed by the statute | Mo. Rev. Stat. §307.173 |
| Montana | 24% VLT | 14% VLT | 14% VLTMPV/van/bus rear: any darkness | Mont. Code Ann. §61‑9‑405 |
| New Hampshire | No darkening filmStricter than any percentage rule | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | RSA 266:58‑a |
| New Jersey | No darkening filmStricter than any percentage rule | Any darkness | Any darknessMirrors both sides if tinted | N.J.S.A. 39:3‑74, 39:3‑75.1 |
| New Mexico | 20% VLT | 20% VLT | 20% VLT | NMSA 1978, §66‑3‑846.1 |
| New York | 70% VLT | 70% VLT | 70% VLTAny darkness: dual side mirrors | NY Veh. & Traf. Law §375(12‑a) |
| North Carolina | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | N.C.G.S. §20‑127 |
| Ohio | 50% VLT | Any darkness | Any darknessDual mirrors below 50% ±3% | Ohio Rev. Code §4513.241 |
| Oklahoma | 25% VLT | 25% VLT | 25% VLTMPV rear: FMVSS 205 exempt | 47 O.S. §12‑422 |
| Oregon | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLTMPV rear may be darker | ORS 815.221 |
| Pennsylvania | 70% VLT | 70% VLT | 70% VLT | 75 Pa.C.S. §4524(e) |
| Rhode Island | 70% VLT | 70% VLT | 70% VLTAny darkness: dual outside mirrorsRear allowed with dual mirrors | R.I. Gen. Laws §31‑23.3‑1 |
| South Carolina | 27% VLT | 27% VLT | 27% VLTExempt behind driver except pickups | S.C. Code §56‑5‑5015 |
| Tennessee | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | Tenn. Code Ann. §55‑9‑107 |
| Texas | 25% VLT | Any darkness | Any darknessOutside mirror on each side | Tex. Transp. Code §547.613 |
| Vermont | No darkening filmStricter than any percentage rule | Any darkness | Any darknessIf obstructed: mirror each side | 23 V.S.A. §1125 |
| Virginia | 50% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | Va. Code §46.2‑1052 |
| Washington | 24% VLT | 24% VLT | 24% VLT | RCW 46.37.430(5) |
| West Virginia | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | W. Va. Code §17C‑15‑36a |
| Wisconsin | 50% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | Wis. Stat. §347.43 |
| Wyoming | 28% VLT | 28% VLT | 28% VLTMPV rear: any darkness | Wyo. Stat. §31‑5‑962 |
No medical exemption (10)
The statute has no medical-exemption route, so the limits below apply to every driver.
| State | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 27% VLT | 27% VLT | 27% VLTAny darkness: front ≥70% | C.R.S. §42‑4‑227 |
| Hawaii | 35% VLT | Any darknessExempted by Act 129 (2025) | Any darknessDual outside mirrors if tintedAll classes: rear any darkness | Haw. Rev. Stat. §291‑21.5 |
| Iowa | 70% VLT | Any darkness70% standard reaches front only | Any darknessNot covered by 70% standard | Iowa Code §321.438 |
| Kansas | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | 35% VLT | K.S.A. 8‑1749a |
| Kentucky | 35% VLT | 18% VLT | 18% VLTMPV rear down to 8% | KRS 189.110 |
| Nebraska | 35% VLT | 20% VLT | 20% VLTMPV/van/bus rear: any darkness | Neb. Rev. Stat. §60‑6 |
| Nevada | 35% VLT | Any darknessIf dual outside mirrors fitted | Any darknessIf dual outside mirrors fitted | Nev. Rev. Stat. §484D.440 |
| North Dakota | 35% VLT | 35% VLTAny darkness: dual outside mirrors | 35% VLTAny darkness: dual outside mirrors | N.D.C.C. §39‑21‑39(4)–(5) |
| South Dakota | 35% VLT | 20% VLT | 20% VLT | SDCL §32‑15‑2.4 |
| Utah | 35% VLT | Any darkness | Any darknessDual outside mirrors if obstructed | Utah Code §41‑6a‑1635 |
Jump to your state
Open any state for its full detail, cited to the statute.
How to read window tint law
Every state regulates tint by VLT (visible light transmission): the percentage of light a window lets through. A higher VLT means a lighter window, so "35%" is darker than "70%." States differ on four axes: the front-side minimum, whether windows behind the driver are free, the windshield strip (AS-1 line, a fixed inch count, or a seat-height line), and whether reflective or colored film is banned.
Police measure the installed glass (film plus factory glass combined) with a tint meter at the roadside. Several states write a tolerance or presumption into the law itself; where the statute is silent, we say so rather than invent one. Every figure on our state pages links to the statute it comes from.
Already know your film's VLT? The window tint checker runs that number against every window limit in your state and shows which ones it meets.