Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws in Georgia
The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Georgia, plus reflection limits, the medical exemption, and what a ticket costs.
Have a shade in mind? Check your film's VLT in the Georgia window tint checker →
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 Georgia limit.
| Film shade | Front side | Back & rear |
|---|---|---|
| 70% (light) | Legal | Legal |
| 50% | Legal | Legal |
| 35% (factory look) | Legal | Legal |
| 20% | Too dark | Too dark |
| 5% (limo) | Too dark | Too dark |
Multipurpose vehicles, buses, and limousines are exempt behind the driver (§40-8-73.1(c)(6)); the 32% figure carries the statutory ±3%.
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 Georgia | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | No windshield tint except a transparent item in the uppermost 6 inches, not red or amber | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(c)(4) |
| Front side | At least 32% (±3%) | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(b) |
| Back side | At least 32% (±3%), subject to the multipurpose-vehicle exemption | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(b) |
| Rear window | At least 32% (±3%), subject to the multipurpose-vehicle exemption | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(b) |
| SUV / van rear | Rear windshield and side windows behind the driver of multipurpose passenger vehicles (also buses, limousines, factory-tinted glass) are exempt from the 32% limit | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(c)(6) |
| Reflection | Must not increase light reflectance more than 20% | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(b) |
| Banned colors | ProhibitedRed and amber, prohibited on the top-6-inch windshield strip only (no general side/rear color ban) | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(c)(4) |
| Medical exemption | AllowedAvailable (details in the medical exemption section below). | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1 |
| Meter tolerance | ±3% (built into the statutory 32% figure) | O.C.G.A. §40‑8‑73.1(b) |
Penalties & how it's enforced
What happens if your tint is too dark.
H.B. 20 (2005) (effective 2005-05-02): No 2025–2026 amendment found; last substantive change was H.B. 20 (2005).
The medical exemption: how to qualify
For drivers with a documented light-sensitivity condition.
What Georgia drivers get wrong
Georgia applies one number, 32%, with a built-in ±3% tolerance, to every window of a sedan, then exempts SUVs, vans, and limos behind the driver. Its medical exemption is unusually formal: a $10 application mailed directly from your doctor’s office to the Department of Public Safety, and even then tint may not go below 23%.
Common questions
Is 20% tint legal in Georgia?
Not on a sedan, every window must allow at least 32% (±3%) of light. On an SUV or van, 20% is legal behind the driver under the multipurpose-vehicle exemption (§40-8-73.1(c)(6)); the front doors must still meet 32%.
How do I get Georgia’s medical tint exemption?
Your physician or optometrist mails DPS form DPS-431 with a letter and a $10 fee (money order or certified/cashier’s check) directly to the DPS Office of Professional Standards. The permit lasts 4 years, and even with it, tint may not go below 23% VLT, and the windshield is never allowed.
What is the darkest legal tint in Georgia?
For sedans: 32% VLT on all windows. For multipurpose vehicles: any darkness behind the driver; 32% on the front doors.
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.