Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws in Hawaii
The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Hawaii, 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 Hawaii limit.
| Film shade | Front side | Back & rear |
|---|---|---|
| 70% (light) | Legal | Conditional |
| 50% | Legal | Conditional |
| 35% (factory look) | Legal | Conditional |
| 20% | Too dark | Conditional |
| 5% (limo) | Too dark | Conditional |
After Act 129 (2025) the rear side windows and rear window may be any darkness on a sedan just as on an SUV or van, so long as the vehicle carries dual outside mirrors. The 35% (±6%) floor applies only to the front side windows.
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 Hawaii | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Non-reflective, transparent tint only in the strip above the AS-1 line, or the top 4 inches if the windshield has no AS-1 line; a full-windshield film is allowed only if it stays at 70% or lighter | §291-21.5 |
| Front side | At least 35% light transmission, with a ±6% variance | §291-21.5 |
| Back side | Any darkness. | §291-21.5, as amended by Act… |
| Rear window | Any darkness after Act 129 (2025); dual outside rear-view mirrors are required when the rear window is tinted | §291-21.5, as amended by Act… |
| SUV / van rear | No longer a class-based split. | §291-21.5, as amended by Act… |
| Reflection | No metallic or mirror-like finish on the side windows; highly reflective films that read as mirrored are prohibited | §291-21.5 |
| Banned colors | Films creating a red, yellow, amber, or blue mirrored appearance are barred by the reflectivity rule; the statute does not otherwise list banned tint colors | §291-21.5 |
| Medical exemption | NoneNo medical exemption exists in this state. | §291-21.5 |
| Meter tolerance | ±6% variance built into the light-transmission specification | §291-21.5 |
Penalties & how it's enforced
What happens if your tint is too dark.
Act 129 (HB 226, 2025) (effective 2025-05-29): Act 129 (HB 226), signed May 29, 2025, was the first major tint change since 1983. It exempted the side windows to the rear of the driver and the rear window from the sunscreening requirement on all vehicle classes, keeping the 35% (±6%) floor only on the front side windows, added a compliance-certificate requirement, and raised the fines.
Medical exemption: none in this state
What the statute actually provides.
What Hawaii drivers get wrong
Hawaii rewrote its tint rules in 2025 for the first time since 1983. Act 129 kept the front side windows at 35% (±6%) but pulled the glass behind the driver out of the sunscreening rules entirely, so a sedan can now run the same dark rear side and rear windows an SUV or van always could, provided it has dual outside mirrors. The windshield still takes only a top strip above the AS-1 line, or the top four inches, and there is still no medical exemption anywhere in the statute.
Common questions
Did Hawaii change its window tint law in 2025?
Yes. Act 129 (HB 226), signed May 29, 2025, was the first major update since 1983. It removed the rear side windows and rear window from the sunscreening rules for every vehicle class, so sedans can now run dark rear glass, while the front side windows stay at 35% (±6%).
How dark can the rear windows be on a sedan in Hawaii now?
Any darkness. After Act 129 the side windows to the rear of the driver and the rear window are exempt from the sunscreening requirement on all vehicles, including sedans, as long as the car carries dual outside mirrors.
Does Hawaii allow a medical exemption for window tint?
No. HRS §291-21.5 contains no medical waiver, physician-certification path, or alternative VLT standard, and Act 129 did not add one. Every driver must meet the 35% (±6%) front-window floor.
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.