Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws in Idaho
The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Idaho, 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 Idaho 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 | Legal | Too dark |
| 5% (limo) | Too dark | Too dark | Too dark |
Idaho splits the behind-driver rule: the rear window keeps the 35% (±3%) front standard, but the side windows to the rear of the driver may go as low as 20% (±3%) (§49-944).
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 Idaho | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Tinting film may sit only above the AS-1 line; if the glass has no identifiable AS-1 line, film may not go below a line six inches down from the top of the exposed windshield | §49-944 |
| Front side | At least 35% (±3%), with luminous reflectance no more than 35% (±3%) | §49-944 |
| Back side | At least 20% (±3%) for the side windows behind the driver | §49-944 |
| Rear window | At least 35% (±3%), the same floor as the front side windows | §49-944 |
| SUV / van rear | No separate SUV, van, or MPV rule; the 20% rear-side and 35% rear-window floors apply to every vehicle class | §49-944 |
| Reflection | Film must be nonreflective, with luminous reflectance no more than 35% (±3%) | §49-944 |
| Banned colors | Not specified in statute; §49-944 sets transmittance and reflectance limits but names no banned colors | §49-944 |
| Medical exemption | AllowedAvailable (details in the medical exemption section below). | §49-944 |
| Meter tolerance | ±3% built into each transmittance and reflectance figure | §49-944 |
Penalties & how it's enforced
What happens if your tint is too dark.
-: No 2025 or 2026 change to the tint standards. Section 49-944 has carried the 35% front / 20% rear-side transmittance floors and the 35% reflectance cap for years.
The medical exemption: how to qualify
For drivers with a documented light-sensitivity condition.
What Idaho drivers get wrong
Idaho does something most states do not: it splits the windows behind the driver into two floors. The rear window has to meet the same 35% the front doors do, but the side windows to the rear of the driver may drop to 20%. Everything carries a ±3% tolerance and a 35% reflectance cap, and the windshield only takes film above the AS-1 line (or six inches from the top if there is no line).
Common questions
What is the legal front tint in Idaho?
Front side vents and the front side windows next to the driver must allow at least 35% of light, measured with a ±3% tolerance. Reflectance on that film may not exceed 35% (±3%).
Can the back side windows be darker than the front in Idaho?
Yes. Idaho Code §49-944 lets the side windows behind the driver go as dark as 20% (±3%), while the front doors stay at 35%. The rear window itself, though, keeps the 35% floor.
Does Idaho grant a medical tint exemption?
Yes. With written verification from a licensed physician that you need protection from sun or heat, the windshield may run at 70% (±3%) and the other windows at 20% (±3%). There is no state permit; the doctor letter carried in the vehicle is the exemption.
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.