Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws in Kansas
The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Kansas, 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 Kansas 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 |
The 35% floor is written as a total-transmission rule (film plus factory glazing) in K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(3), so it reaches any window carrying film, not just the front doors.
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 Kansas | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | A sun screening device on the windshield may run only along the top, above the AS-1 line, and must be nonreflective and not red, yellow, or amber. | K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(1) |
| Front side | At least 35% total light transmission. | K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(2)–(3) |
| Back side | At least 35% total light transmission by the letter of (a)(3); many Kansas guides describe windows behind the driver as unrestricted, which conflicts with the statute text. | K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(2)–(3) |
| Rear window | At least 35% total light transmission by the letter of (a)(3), and the film must be nonreflective. | K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(2)–(3) |
| SUV / van rear | No separate SUV or van rule in the statute; law enforcement vehicles are exempted, and a clear UV film of at least 78% transmittance is allowed on any window. | K.S.A. 8-1749a(c)–(f) |
| Reflection | All sun screening film must be nonreflective on every window; no numeric reflectance cap is given. | K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(1)–(2) |
| Banned colors | Red, yellow, and amber, on the windshield film. | K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(1) |
| Medical exemption | NoneNo medical exemption exists in this state. | K.S.A. 8-1749a |
| Meter tolerance | Not specified in statute | K.S.A. 8-1749a |
Penalties & how it's enforced
What happens if your tint is too dark.
K.S.A. 8-1749a: No 2025 or 2026 change located. K.S.A. 8-1749a keeps its long-standing structure: a top-strip windshield rule, a nonreflective requirement on every window, and a 35% total-transmission floor in (a)(3).
Medical exemption: none in this state
What the statute actually provides.
What Kansas drivers get wrong
Kansas writes its 35% rule in an unusual way. Instead of naming a per-window number, K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(3) says the total light transmission of any window carrying film may not drop below 35%, and it requires every window to stay nonreflective. On the windshield you get only a strip above the AS-1 line, and it cannot be red, yellow, or amber. Aggregator tables that call the rear windows unrestricted read past the actual text, so this page stays in draft until a first-party source reconciles the wording.
Common questions
What is the legal tint limit for front windows in Kansas?
The Kansas Highway Patrol and DMV guidance apply a 35% minimum to the front side windows. The number comes from K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(3), which caps total light loss at 35% for any window carrying a sun screening device, and the film must be nonreflective.
Can I tint the whole windshield in Kansas?
No. A sun screening device on the windshield may sit only along the top, above the AS-1 line, and it must be nonreflective and not red, yellow, or amber. A clear UV film of at least 78% transmittance is the only full-windshield material the statute allows.
Are the back windows unrestricted in Kansas?
Not by the statute. Many guides say the rear windows can be any darkness, but K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(3) sets a 35% total-transmission floor for any window with film, and (a)(2) requires the rear windows to be nonreflective. Treat the 35% floor as reaching the whole car until an official source says otherwise.
Does Kansas offer a medical exemption for window tint?
K.S.A. 8-1749a contains no physician-certification path. It exempts law enforcement vehicles and permits a clear 78% UV film, but it does not create a medical waiver for darker tint.
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.