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Vehicle Law · Window Tint

Window Tint Laws in Mississippi

The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Mississippi, plus reflection limits, the medical exemption, and what a ticket costs.

Draft entry: figures pending statute verificationStatute §63-7-59Source law.justia.com
Legal tint at a glance · Mississippi
28%
minimum visible light (VLT) on front side windows. Anything darker on the front is illegal.
Front side windows28% VLT min
Back & rear windows28% min
WindshieldUppermost-area sun shield only
Max reflectionNo reflectance % in statute
Banned colorsNo color rule in statute
Medical exemptionAllowed
PenaltyUp to $1,000 / 3 months
Statute§63-7-59

How dark you can legally go

Visible-light transmission (VLT) allowed for each window.

WindshieldTop strip only
Sun shield only in the uppermost (manufacturer) area
Front side windowsMinimum 28% VLT
28%
Back side windowsMinimum 28% VLT
28%
Rear windowMinimum 28% VLT
28%
0% (fully blacked out)100% (clear glass)

Common tint shades, and whether they're legal here

What the shop sells, mapped to the Mississippi limit.

Film shadeFront sideBack & rear
70% (light)LegalLegal
50% LegalLegal
35% (factory look)LegalLegal
20% Too darkToo dark
5% (limo)Too darkToo dark

The 28% floor applies to every certified window. On pickups, vans, motor homes, RVs, SUVs, and multipurpose vehicles, any window behind the front two side windows may instead meet the federal light-transmittance minimum for that window (§63-7-59).

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 / windowLegal limit in MississippiStatute
WindshieldNo tinting film, glazing, or darkening material on the windshield except a sun shield in the uppermost area as authorized for manufacturers under federal law§63-7-59
Front sideAt least 28% light transmittance§63-7-59
Back sideAt least 28% on a passenger car; class exception for trucks, vans, and SUVs behind the front side windows§63-7-59
Rear windowAt least 28% on a passenger car; on pickups, vans, motor homes, RVs, SUVs, and multipurpose vehicles the rear and other windows behind the front two side windows may instead meet the federal minimum for that window§63-7-59
SUV / van rearYes: on a pickup, van, motor home, RV, SUV, or multipurpose vehicle, any window behind the front two side windows (including the rear window) may meet the federal light-transmittance minimum for that window instead of 28%.§63-7-59
ReflectionThe statute sets no luminous reflectance percentage for tint; it regulates light transmittance§63-7-59
Banned colorsThe statute names no prohibited tint color§63-7-59
Medical exemptionAllowedAvailable (details in the medical exemption section below).§63-7-59
Meter toleranceThe statute states "28% or more" and does not write in a metering tolerance§63-7-59

Penalties & how it's enforced

What happens if your tint is too dark.

Offense & fine
Installing, selling, or applying non-compliant tint, or reproducing the compliance label, is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to three months in county jail
State inspection
Tint compliance is certified by a label affixed to the lower left corner of the windshield after an inspection station tests the windows; a small per-test fee applies.
Meter tolerance
The statute states "28% or more" and does not write in a metering tolerance
Recent changes

-: No confirmed 2025–2026 change to the 28% floor. Bills have been introduced in past sessions to alter the standard, but the 28% light-transmittance requirement in §63-7-59 remains the operative rule.

The medical exemption: how to qualify

For drivers with a documented light-sensitivity condition.

Available?
Allowed
How it works
Allowed for a person a Mississippi-licensed physician diagnoses with a physical condition or disease that is seriously aggravated by minimum exposure to sunlight; a certificate must be displayed in the vehicle.
Citation
§63-7-59 · official source →

What Mississippi drivers get wrong

Mississippi runs its tint law through a windshield label: a certified inspection station tests the glass and affixes a sticker to the lower left corner confirming that every certified window lets in at least 28% of light. The windshield itself gets only a manufacturer-style sun shield across the top. Trucks, vans, and SUVs get a break behind the front side windows, where the federal minimum for that glass applies instead.

Common questions

What is the legal tint limit in Mississippi?

At least 28% light transmittance on the certified windows. A licensed inspection station tests the glass and places a compliance label on the lower left corner of the windshield (§63-7-59).

Can my SUV or truck have darker rear windows in Mississippi?

Yes. On pickups, vans, motor homes, RVs, SUVs, and multipurpose vehicles, any window behind the front two side windows (including the rear window) may meet the federal minimum for that window instead of the 28% figure.

Is there a medical exemption for tint in Mississippi?

Yes. A Mississippi-licensed physician must diagnose a physical condition or disease that is seriously aggravated by minimum exposure to sunlight, and a certificate must be displayed in the vehicle (§63-7-59).

Primary source
Miss. Code Ann. §63-7-59
Official text · law.justia.com
Draft: pending editorial review
The 28% VLT floor and the behind-front-side exception were confirmed on the Mississippi Code text through Justia (statute text reproduction), but not yet fetched verbatim from a .ms.gov page (dps.ms.gov returned a certificate error). Core numbers corroborated across the statute text and DPS-adjacent sources. Editorial standards →

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.