Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws in Arkansas
The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Arkansas, plus reflection limits, the medical exemption, and what a ticket costs.
How dark you can legally go
Visible-light transmission (VLT) allowed for each window.
Common tint shades, and whether they're legal here
What the shop sells, mapped to the Arkansas limit.
| Film shade | Front side | Back side | Rear window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% (light) | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| 50% | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| 35% (factory look) | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| 20% | Too dark | Too dark | Legal |
| 5% (limo) | Too dark | Too dark | Too dark |
The 25% floor on side windows behind the driver drops to 10% on any truck, bus, trailer, motor home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle. The rearmost window may go to 10% on any vehicle (§27-37-306).
Film is sold by its own VLT, but police measure the installed darkness: the film combined with your factory glass. Ask the shop for the net, as-installed VLT before you buy.
The full rules, with the statute
Every limit and where it comes from in the code.
| Rule / window | Legal limit in Arkansas | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Windshield tint is limited to an eyebrow strip along the top edge that may not extend down more than 5 inches from the top center. | §27-37-306(b) |
| Front side | At least 25% net light transmission | §27-37-306(b) |
| Back side | At least 25% net light transmission, except at least 10% on any truck, bus, trailer, motor home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle | §27-37-306(b) |
| Rear window | At least 10% net light transmission on the rearmost window | §27-37-306(b) |
| SUV / van rear | On a truck, bus, trailer, motor home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle, the side windows immediately behind the driver may go as dark as 10% net light transmission instead of the 25% that applies to cars. | §27-37-306(b) |
| Reflection | Not specified in the transmission section | §27-37-306 |
| Banned colors | Not specified in the transmission section | §27-37-306 |
| Medical exemption | AllowedAvailable (details in the medical exemption section below). | §27-37-306(e) |
| Meter tolerance | Not specified in statute | §27-37-306 |
Penalties & how it's enforced
What happens if your tint is too dark.
The medical exemption: how to qualify
For drivers with a documented light-sensitivity condition.
What Arkansas drivers get wrong
Arkansas lets front side windows go to 25%, which is darker than most neighboring states allow up front. Behind the driver the rules split by vehicle: cars keep the 25% floor on the back side windows, while trucks, vans, and other multipurpose vehicles may drop those to 10%, and the rearmost window can hit 10% on anything. The windshield gets only a 5-inch eyebrow strip along the top.
Common questions
How dark can front tint be in Arkansas?
Front side windows must allow at least 25% of light through. That is darker than many nearby states permit on the front, but it still blocks most limo-grade film.
Can SUV and truck rear side windows be darker in Arkansas?
Yes. On a truck, bus, trailer, motor home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle, the side windows immediately behind the driver may go to 10%, instead of the 25% that applies to passenger cars. The rearmost window can be 10% on any vehicle.
Does Arkansas allow a medical tint exemption?
Yes. With a physician certification, the side windows may be tinted to 20% and the windshield to at least 50% net light transmission, while the rearmost window stays at the standard 10%.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.