Vehicle Law · Window Tint

Window Tint Laws in Washington

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

Official statuteRead word-for-word

against RCW 46.37.430(5) · app.leg.wa.gov

Read from the official source · Jul 8, 2026How we verify →

Have a shade in mind? Check your film's VLT in the Washington window tint checker →

Legal tint at a glance · Washington

24%

minimum visible light (VLT) on front side windows. Anything darker on the front is illegal.

Front side windows24% VLT min

Back & rear windows24% min

WindshieldTop 6 in, transparent

Max reflection35% max

Banned colorsRed · gold · yellow · black · mirror

Medical exemptionAllowed

PenaltyFine set by court schedule

StatuteRCW 46.37.430(5)

How dark you can legally go

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

WindshieldTop strip only

Transparent, top 6 inches, outside the AS-1 portion

Front side windowsMinimum 24% VLT

24%

Back side windowsMinimum 24% VLT

24%

Rear windowMinimum 24% VLT

24%

0% (fully blacked out)100% (clear glass)

Common tint shades, and whether they're legal here

What the shop sells, mapped to the Washington 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

Standard passenger cars shown. Manufacturer-designated trucks, motor homes, and MPVs may go below 24% behind the driver with ≤35% reflectance and dual mirrors (RCW 46.37.430(5)(b)).

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 Washington	Statute
Windshield	Transparent material along the top edge only: not into the AS-1 portion, no more than 6 inches from the top; clear UV film allowed	RCW 46.37.430(5)(e)
Front side	At least 24% light transmission (net film, film plus factory glass); only a single sheet of film allowed	RCW 46.37.430(5)(a)
Back side	At least 24% on standard passenger cars	RCW 46.37.430(5)(a)
Rear window	At least 24% on standard passenger cars	RCW 46.37.430(5)(a)
SUV / van rear	Vehicles the manufacturer identifies as trucks, motor homes, or multipurpose passenger vehicles (plus limousines, hearses, buses, and ambulances) may go below 24% behind the driver, if reflectance stays at or below 35% and the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides	RCW 46.37.430(5)(b)
Reflection	35% total reflectance or less	RCW 46.37.430(5)(a)
Banned colors	ProhibitedMirror-finish products; red, gold, yellow, or black material; brushed/sprayed-on liquid films	RCW 46.37.430(5)(g)
Medical exemption	AllowedAvailable (details in the medical exemption section below).	RCW 46.37.430(5)(d)
Meter tolerance	Not specified, no tolerance exists in the law	RCW 46.37.430

Penalties & how it's enforced

What happens if your tint is too dark.

Offense & fine

Traffic infraction. Dollar amount not specified in statute; set by court schedule (base $48 via court rule IRLJ 6.2(d); most infractions capped at $250 by RCW 46.63.110(1)). Unlawful installation: misdemeanor; unlawfully buying/selling installation: gross misdemeanor.

State inspection

Washington has no periodic safety inspection, illegal tint cannot cause an inspection failure; enforcement is roadside only.

Meter tolerance

Not specified, no tolerance exists in the law

Recent changes

-: No 2025–2026 change found; the substantive values are long-standing.

The medical exemption: how to qualify

For drivers with a documented light-sensitivity condition.

Available?

Allowed

How it works

Written verification from a licensed physician only (not an optometrist or ophthalmologist) that the operator or a passenger must be protected from sunlight, carried in the vehicle at all times. Per the State Patrol, "There is no form to complete or submit": no form, no DOL permit, no sticker.

Citation

RCW 46.37.430(5)(d) · official source →

What Washington drivers get wrong

Washington applies one honest number, 24% net film, counting the factory glass, to every window of a car, bans an unusual color list (red, gold, yellow, black, and any mirror finish), and allows only a single sheet of film per window. Trucks, motor homes, and MPVs may go darker behind the driver; there is no inspection program and no meter tolerance.

Common questions

Is 20% tint legal in Washington?

On a standard car, no, every window except the windshield must let through at least 24% of light (net of factory glass). On a manufacturer-designated truck, motor home, or MPV, 20% is legal behind the driver with dual mirrors.

Does Washington require a tint exemption form or sticker?

No. The medical exemption is simply a written verification from a licensed physician carried in the vehicle, the State Patrol confirms there is no form, permit, or sticker. Only a physician qualifies as the signer.

What colors of tint are illegal in Washington?

Red, gold, yellow, and black material are banned outright, along with mirror-finish products and brushed or sprayed-on liquid films (RCW 46.37.430(5)(g)).

Primary source

→ RCW 46.37.430(5)

Official text · app.leg.wa.gov

Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. 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.

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