Car Window Tint Laws by State in 2023
Discover the Legal Window Tint Percentage & Window Tint Laws by State Across the US
Importance of understanding car window tinting laws by State
Understanding car window tinting laws by state is of utmost importance. These laws dictate the permissible limits for tint darkness and reflectivity, as well as any specific restrictions on which windows can be tinted. Complying with these laws is crucial to avoid potential fines, penalties, or even legal issues.
By staying informed about car window tinting laws in your state, you can ensure that your vehicle’s window tint is within the legal limits. This knowledge helps you make informed decisions when choosing the right tint for your car, ensuring both compliance and personal preferences are met.
Moreover, understanding car window tinting laws enables you to maintain visibility and safety on the road. Excessive tint darkness can hinder your vision, especially at night or in adverse weather conditions, increasing the risk of accidents. By adhering to the specified limits, you can strike a balance between style, privacy, and safety
Understanding Window Tinting Terminology & Measurement
When it comes to window tinting, understanding the terminology and measurement is key to making informed decisions. At Car Tinting Laws, we provide you with a clear explanation of the essential terms and measurements related to window tinting.
Visible Light Transmission (VLT): A measure of the amount of light that passes through the window, expressed as a percentage. Higher VLT percentages indicate lighter or more transparent window tint.s,
Front-side window tint %: Front-side window tint percentage indicates how dark the tint is on the front windows of a vehicle. It shows the amount of light allowed through the tint. Laws regulate this darkness for safety reasons.
Back-side window tint %: Back-side window tint percentage refers to the level of darkness or opacity of the window tint applied to the rear windows of a vehicle. Like front-side window tint, this percentage indicates how much light is allowed to pass through the tint and into the interior of the car. It’s important to follow local regulations to ensure the tint darkness complies with the law.
Rear window tint %: Rear window tint percentage refers to the darkness of the window tint applied to the rear window of a vehicle. This percentage indicates how much light is allowed to pass through the tint and into the car’s interior. Compliance with local regulations is crucial to ensure the tint darkness is within legal limits.
Windshield tint %: The front window of a vehicle that provides visibility to the driver and typically includes the area above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line. Windshield tint percentage refers to the level of darkness or opacity of the window tint applied to the windshield of a vehicle. Unlike side and rear windows, regulations usually restrict or prohibit any tinting on the windshield or allow only a minimal level to ensure visibility and safety for the driver. It’s essential to check local laws and regulations to comply with the allowable tint percentage on the windshield.
Reflectivity: Window tinting film that reflects a significant amount of light.
Color: Refers to the hue or shade of the window tint.
AS-1 Line: The topmost portion of the windshield, usually marked by the manufacturer, where tinting restrictions may apply.
Window Tint Laws by State Chart
While window tinting is legal almost everywhere, the legal limits for tinted windows can vary from state to state. Before you go out to get your car windows tinted, you need to first make sure how much window tint is legal in the state you live in. The following chart outlines the window tint percentage by state.
State name | Front Side Windows | Back Side Windows | Rear Windows | Windshield | Reflectivity | Other Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
32% | 32% | 32% | 6 inches | don’t have permission to use more than 20% reflective tint | None | |
70% | 40% | 40% | 5 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | no red, yellow, or amber tinting is allowed | |
33% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | red and amber are not permitted. back window tinting requires the use of dual side mirrors | |
25% | 25% | 10% | 5 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | none | |
70% | any | any | 4 inches | no more reflective than a standard window | red, amber, and blue are not allowed, dual side mirrors are required for back tinted windows | |
27% | 27% | 27% | 4 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | red and amber are not permitted, and back window tinting requires the use of dual side mirrors | |
35% | 35% | any | non-reflective tint above the as-1 line | no more than 21% reflective | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
70% | any | any | non-reflective tint above the as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
28% | 15% | 15% | A nonreflective tint is allowed above the as-1 line | no more than 25% reflective | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
32% | 32% | 32% | 6 inches | no more than 20% reflective | red and amber are not allowed | |
35% | 35% | 35% | no inch requirement must allow 70% light | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
35% | 20% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
35% | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | must be non-reflective | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
30% | 30% | 30% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 25% reflective | none | |
70% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no excessive reflections are allowed, but not specified | none | |
35% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | red, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows | |
35% | 18% | 18% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 25% reflective | none | |
40% | 25% | 12% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | none | |
35% | any | any | 4 inches | must be non-reflective | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows. | |
35% | 35% | 35% | 5 inches | no law | red, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows. | |
35% | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | no more than 35% reflective | must have dual side mirrors required for back tinted windows. | |
any percent, but only 4 inches from the top of the window | any | any | 4 inches | no more than 35% reflective | none | |
50% | 50% | 50% | none allowed | no more than 20% reflective | none | |
28% | 28% | 28% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | none | |
35% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows | |
24% | 14% | 14% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 35% reflective | none | |
35% | 20% | 20% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 35% reflective | unclear on side mirrors, but red, amber, and yellow are not permitted | |
35% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no law | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | |
no tinting allowed | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
no tinting allowed | any | any | no tinting is allowed | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
20% | 20% | 20% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no law | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
70% | 70% | any | 6 inches | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
35% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | red, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows | |
50% | any | any | no more than 70% | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
50% | any | any | no more than 70% | no more reflective than a standard window | none | |
25% | 25% | 25% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 20% reflective | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
35% | 35% | 35% | 6 inches | no more than 13% reflective | red, green, yellow, black, and amber tints are not allowed and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows | |
70% | 70% | 70% | none allowed | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
70% | 70% | 70% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no law | none | |
27% | 27% | 27% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | must be non-reflective | red, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows | |
35% | 20% | 20% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | none | |
35% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | none | |
25% | 25% | any | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 25% reflective | red, amber, and blue are not allowed. dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
43% | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back tinted windows | |
no tinting allowed | any | any | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no metallic or mirrored tinting | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
50% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no more than 20% reflective | red, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows | |
24% | 24% | 24% | 6 inches | no more than 35% reflective | red, green, yellow, black, and amber tints are not allowed and must have dual side mirrors for back-tinted windows | |
Washington D.C. | 70% | 50 percent for cars, 35 percent for multi-purpose vehicles | 50 percent for cars, 35 percent for multi-purpose vehicles | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no law | none |
35% | 35% | 35% | 5 inches | 20% reflective | red, amber, and yellow are prohibited and must have dual side mirrors for back tinted windows | |
50% | 35% | 35% | tinting allowed to the top of the manufacturer’s as-1 line | no law | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows | |
28% | 28% | 28% | 5 inches or as-1 line, whichever comes first | no more than 20% reflective | dual side mirrors are required for back-tinted windows |
Window Tint Laws By State Map
The level of tint allowed for front side window in all 50 states
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Penalties for Non-Compliance refer to the consequences that individuals or entities may face for failing to adhere to specific laws, regulations, or requirements. The penalties can vary depending on the nature of the non-compliance and the jurisdiction in which it occurs.
Fines and ticketing for violating window tinting laws
Violations of window tinting laws can result in fines and tickets imposed by the relevant authorities. The specific fines may vary depending on the severity of the violation, local regulations, and any previous offenses committed by the individual. Typically, initial offenses carry lower fines compared to subsequent violations. The fine amounts can range from nominal sums to several hundred dollars.
Alongside monetary penalties, law enforcement officers may issue tickets to individuals found in violation of window tinting laws. These tickets generally require payment of a fine and can also result in the accumulation of points on the individual’s driving record. The accrual of excessive points on a driving record may lead to heightened insurance premiums and potentially even suspension of the individual’s driving privileges, contingent upon the jurisdiction’s regulations.
Potential consequences for improper tint removal or modification
Improper removal or modification of window tinting can also have adverse consequences. It is crucial to adhere to proper procedures and comply with applicable regulations when engaging in tint removal or modification.
If the tint is removed or modified in a manner that violates the law, the vehicle owner may be subject to penalties akin to those associated with non-compliance with tinting laws. These penalties may include fines, the issuance of tickets, and the potential accumulation of points on the individual’s driving record.
Furthermore, improper tint removal or modification can lead to damage to the vehicle’s windows or the tinting film itself. This can entail additional expenses for the vehicle owner, such as the cost of repairing or replacing the windows or acquiring new tinting film.
More about Window Tint Laws By State
What is the legal tint in the states?
The legal tint limit varies by state. It is determined by the maximum allowable Visible Light Transmission (VLT) percentage, which specifies how much light must pass through the window. The limits differ for different windows of the vehicle.
Why Is Window Tint Illegal In Some States?
Reasons for Window Tint Restrictions: Window tint can be illegal in some states due to concerns about driver visibility, law enforcement visibility into vehicles, and maintaining public safety by ensuring clear lines of sight on the road.
Which state has the strictest tint laws?
Several states, including California, New York, and Illinois, are known for having strict window tint laws. These states have comprehensive regulations and relatively low VLT limits for certain windows.
In What State Is 5% Tint Legal?
Generally, a 5% tint is considered very dark and is often illegal for front side windows and windshields in most states. However, laws may allow darker tints for rear side windows and rear windshields in certain states. It is important to consult the specific laws of a state to determine if 5% tint is legal there.
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