Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws in Oklahoma
The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Oklahoma, 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 Oklahoma 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 |
Every side and rear window is held to the same 25% floor. The darker rear glass you see on many SUVs and vans is factory glazing that meets FMVSS 205, which the statute exempts (§12-422(L)); it is not aftermarket film cut below 25%.
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 Oklahoma | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Nonreflective tint only on the topmost portion, no lower than the AS-1 line or 5 inches from the top (whichever is closer to the top), and not red or amber | §12-422(D)(11) |
| Front side | At least 25% light transmission (same floor as the other side windows) | §12-422(D)(1) |
| Back side | At least 25% light transmission, luminous reflectance no more than 25% | §12-422(D)(1) |
| Rear window | At least 25% light transmission for aftermarket film; factory glass on a multipurpose (truck-frame) vehicle meeting FMVSS 205 is exempt | §12-422(D)(1) |
| SUV / van rear | A multipurpose vehicle (built on a truck frame) with rear windows that already comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205 is outside the section, so factory privacy glass behind the driver is fine | §12-422(A)(5) |
| Reflection | Side and rear window film may reflect no more than 25% of light (luminous reflectance) | §12-422(D)(1) |
| Banned colors | ProhibitedRed and amber, on the windshield strip | §12-422(D)(11)(b) |
| Medical exemption | AllowedAvailable (details in the medical exemption section below). | §12-422(I) |
| Meter tolerance | Not specified in statute | §12-422 |
Penalties & how it's enforced
What happens if your tint is too dark.
No recent amendment: No 2025 or 2026 change to the tint numbers. The 25% side/rear floor and the AS-1 windshield strip are the long-standing rule; the pre-1996 10% allowance in subsection (D)(10) applies only to those older model years, not to current cars.
The medical exemption: how to qualify
For drivers with a documented light-sensitivity condition.
What Oklahoma drivers get wrong
Oklahoma keeps one number for the glass you can see the driver through: 25%. Front doors, back side windows, and the rear window all have to let at least a quarter of the light through, and film may bounce back no more than 25% of it. The darker rear glass on many SUVs and vans is not an exception cut into the film rule, it is factory glazing that already meets the federal standard, which the statute waves through. Aftermarket film still has to hold 25%.
Common questions
Is 20% tint legal in Oklahoma?
No. Every side and rear window must let through at least 25% of light, so 20% film is below the limit. The only rear glass allowed to be darker is factory privacy glass on a truck-frame multipurpose vehicle that already meets federal standard FMVSS 205.
Can I tint the front windshield in Oklahoma?
Only a nonreflective strip at the very top, no lower than the AS-1 line or 5 inches down from the top, whichever is closer to the top. It cannot be red or amber (§12-422(D)(11)).
Does Oklahoma give a medical exemption for window tint?
Yes. The Commissioner of Public Safety can issue a written exemption if a licensed physician attests that you need to be shielded from the sun. It covers a car you own or habitually ride in (§12-422(I)).
What is the penalty for illegal tint in Oklahoma?
It is a misdemeanor, sentenced under the general traffic penalty statute (47 O.S. §17-101). The person who sells or installs the film must also give you a bold-face written notice that side-window tint may be illegal in some other states.
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.