State Window Tint Darkness (VLT%) Limits by Window Position

Every state sets its own minimum visible-light-transmittance (VLT) percentage for aftermarket window tint, and the limit is usually different for the windshield, front side windows, rear side windows, and rear window -- so the same tint film can be legal in one state and a ticket in the next, and legal on the back windows but not the front. States revise these numbers periodically (Iowa's front-side-window minimum dropped from 70% to 50% effective 1 July 2026 under House File 766, while Iowa's own implementing administrative rule, 761 IAC 450.7, still states the old 70% figure), and the free tint-shop guides that circulate are inconsistent about it: one popular guide's Iowa page, dated before the law was even signed, still shows 70%. A car owner or installer asking 'how dark can I legally tint my windows here' needs the current, per-window, per-state percentage from the statute itself.

Records83

Sources19

Verified2026-08-27

Review by2027-02-23

Licenceunknown

Cite as: State Window Tint Darkness (VLT%) Limits by Window Position, referencesource.org/state-window-tint-vlt-limits/, checked 2026-08-27.

The data

jurisdiction	window position	vlt min	condition	statute citation	vehicle class
Arizona	front side windows	thirty-three percent plus or minus three percent	Front side wing vents and windows that have a substance or material in conjunction with glazing material	Ariz. Rev. Stat. 28-959.01(A)(1)
Arizona	rear side windows		Side windows that are to the rear of the driver and rear windows that have a substance or material in conjunction with glazing material that has a luminous reflectance of thirty-five percent plus or minus three percent or less.	Ariz. Rev. Stat. 28-959.01(A)(6)
Arizona	rear window		Side windows that are to the rear of the driver and rear windows that have a substance or material in conjunction with glazing material that has a luminous reflectance of thirty-five percent plus or minus three percent or less.	Ariz. Rev. Stat. 28-959.01(A)(6)
Arizona	windshield		Transparent material that is installed, affixed or applied to the topmost portion of the windshield	Ariz. Rev. Stat. 28-959.01(A)(11)
California	front side windows	88 percent	clear, colorless, and transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the front seat	Cal. Veh. Code 26708(d)
California	rear side windows		Side windows that are to the rear of the driver	Cal. Veh. Code 26708(b)(4)
California	rear window		The rear window or windows, if the motor vehicle is equipped with outside mirrors on both the left- and right-hand sides of the vehicle that are so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway through each mirror for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle.	Cal. Veh. Code 26708(b)(8)
California	windshield		transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the topmost portion of the windshield if the following conditions apply: (1) The bottom edge of the material is at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver’s seat when measured from a point five inches in front of the bottom of the backrest with the driver’s seat in its rearmost and lowermost position with the vehicle on a level surface. (2) The material is not red or amber in color.	Cal. Veh. Code 26708(c)
Florida	front side windows	28 percent	the material has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than 25 percent as measured on the nonfilm side	Fla. Stat. 316.2953
Florida	windshield		Sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield, so long as such material is transparent and does not encroach upon the driver’s direct forward viewing area as more particularly described and defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 205 as the AS/1 portion of the windshield.	Fla. Stat. 316.2952(2)(b)
Illinois	windshield		a nonreflective tinted film may be used along the uppermost portion of the windshield if such material does not extend more than 6 inches down from the top of the windshield	625 ILCS 5/12-503(a)
Iowa	front side windows	fifty percent		Iowa Code 321.438(2)(a)(2), as amended by House File 766 (91st G.A.), effective 1 July 2026
Iowa	windshield	seventy percent		Iowa Code 321.438(2)(a)(1), as amended by House File 766 (91st G.A.), effective 1 July 2026
Maryland	front side windows	at least 35%	In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–912 of this article, there is affixed to any window of the vehicle any tinting materials added to the window after manufacture of the vehicle	Md. Code, Transp. 22-406(i)(1)(i)	vehicle registered under § 13–912
Maryland	rear side windows	at least 35%	In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–912 of this article, there is affixed to any window of the vehicle any tinting materials added to the window after manufacture of the vehicle	Md. Code, Transp. 22-406(i)(1)(i)	vehicle registered under § 13–912
Maryland	rear window	at least 35%	In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–912 of this article, there is affixed to any window of the vehicle any tinting materials added to the window after manufacture of the vehicle	Md. Code, Transp. 22-406(i)(1)(i)	vehicle registered under § 13–912
Maryland	front side windows	at least 35%	In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–913, § 13–917, or § 13–937 of this article, there is affixed to any window to the immediate right or left of the driver any window tinting materials added after manufacture of the vehicle	Md. Code, Transp. 22-406(i)(1)(ii)	vehicle registered under § 13–913, § 13–917, or § 13–937
Massachusetts	front side windows	thirty-five per cent	if the vehicle is equipped with two outside mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the driver has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, s. 9D(4)
Massachusetts	rear side windows	thirty-five per cent	if the vehicle is equipped with two outside mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the driver has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, s. 9D(4)
Massachusetts	rear window	thirty-five per cent	if the vehicle is equipped with two outside mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the driver has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, s. 9D(4)
Massachusetts	windshield		the use of any transparent material limited to the uppermost 6'' along the top of the windshield, provided such strip does not encroach upon the driver's direct forward viewing area	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, s. 9D(5)
Michigan	front side windows		a tinted film may be used along the top edge of the windshield and the side windows or sidewings immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger if the material does not extend more than 4 inches from the top of the windshield, or lower than the shade band, whichever is closer to the top of the windshield	Mich. Comp. Laws 257.709(1)(a)
Michigan	rear side windows		The use of a nonreflective, smoked or tinted glass, nonreflective film, perforated window screen, or other decorative window application on the rear window or a side window to the rear of the driver.	Mich. Comp. Laws 257.709(3)(b)
Michigan	rear window		The use of a nonreflective, smoked or tinted glass, nonreflective film, perforated window screen, or other decorative window application on the rear window or a side window to the rear of the driver.	Mich. Comp. Laws 257.709(3)(b)
Michigan	windshield		a tinted film may be used along the top edge of the windshield and the side windows or sidewings immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger if the material does not extend more than 4 inches from the top of the windshield, or lower than the shade band, whichever is closer to the top of the windshield	Mich. Comp. Laws 257.709(1)(a)
Minnesota	front side windows	50 percent plus or minus three percent	when any side window or rear window is composed of or treated with any material so as to obstruct or substantially reduce the driver's clear view through the window	Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4(3)
Minnesota	rear side windows	50 percent plus or minus three percent	when any side window or rear window is composed of or treated with any material so as to obstruct or substantially reduce the driver's clear view through the window	Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4(3)
Minnesota	rear window	50 percent plus or minus three percent	when any side window or rear window is composed of or treated with any material so as to obstruct or substantially reduce the driver's clear view through the window	Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4(3)
Minnesota	windshield		when the windshield is composed of, covered by, or treated with any material which has the effect of making the windshield more reflective or in any other way reducing light transmittance through the windshield	Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4(1)
Missouri	front side windows	thirty-five percent or more plus or minus three percent	front sidewing vents or windows located immediately to the left and right of the driver that have a sun-screening device, in conjunction with safety glazing material	Mo. Rev. Stat. 307.173.1
Missouri	windshield		all sun-screening devices applied to the windshield of a motor vehicle are prohibited	Mo. Rev. Stat. 307.173.1
Nevada	front side windows	not less than 35 percent with a tolerance of 7 percent	A window that is to the immediate right or left of the driver if the window is: (1) Nonreflective	Nev. Rev. Stat. 484D.440(3)(a)
Nevada	rear side windows		A side window that is to the rear of the driver, or a rear window, if the vehicle has outside mirrors on each side that are located so as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway through each mirror for a distance of not less than 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle.	Nev. Rev. Stat. 484D.440(3)(b)
Nevada	rear window		A side window that is to the rear of the driver, or a rear window, if the vehicle has outside mirrors on each side that are located so as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway through each mirror for a distance of not less than 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle.	Nev. Rev. Stat. 484D.440(3)(b)
Nevada	windshield		Any transparent material that is installed, affixed or applied to the topmost portion of the windshield	Nev. Rev. Stat. 484D.440(3)(c)
New York	front side windows	seventy percent	the sidewings or side windows of which on either side forward of or adjacent to the operator's seat	N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law 375(12-a)(b)(2)
New York	rear window	seventy percent	A rear window may have a light transmittance of less than seventy percent if the vehicle is equipped with side mirrors on both sides of the vehicle so adjusted that the driver thereof shall have a clear and full view of the road and condition of traffic behind such vehicle.	N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law 375(12-a)(b)(4)
New York	rear side windows	seventy percent	if it is classified as a station wagon, sedan, hardtop, coupe, hatchback or convertible	N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law 375(12-a)(b)(3)	station wagon, sedan, hardtop, coupe, hatchback or convertible
New York	windshield	seventy percent	unless such materials are limited to the uppermost six inches of the windshield	N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law 375(12-a)(b)(1)
North Carolina	front side windows	thirty-five percent (35%)	A vehicle window that, by use of a light meter approved by the Commissioner, measures a total light transmission of more than thirty-two percent (32%) is conclusively presumed to meet this restriction.	N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-127(b)(1)
North Carolina	rear side windows	thirty-five percent (35%)	A vehicle window that, by use of a light meter approved by the Commissioner, measures a total light transmission of more than thirty-two percent (32%) is conclusively presumed to meet this restriction.	N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-127(b)(1)
North Carolina	rear window	thirty-five percent (35%)	A vehicle window that, by use of a light meter approved by the Commissioner, measures a total light transmission of more than thirty-two percent (32%) is conclusively presumed to meet this restriction.	N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-127(b)(1)
North Carolina	windshield		The windshield of the vehicle may be tinted only along the top of the windshield and the tinting may not extend more than five inches below the top of the windshield or below the AS1 line of the windshield, whichever measurement is longer.	N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-127(b)
Ohio	front side windows	fifty per cent plus or minus three per cent	is not red or yellow in color	Ohio Admin. Code 4501-41-03(A)(3)
Ohio	rear side windows		outside left and right rear view mirrors are required if the sunscreening material is applied to the rear window	Ohio Admin. Code 4501-41-03(A)(4)
Ohio	rear window		outside left and right rear view mirrors are required if the sunscreening material is applied to the rear window	Ohio Admin. Code 4501-41-03(A)(4)
Ohio	windshield	seventy per cent plus or minus three per cent	is not red or yellow in color	Ohio Admin. Code 4501-41-03(A)(2)
Oregon	front side windows	35 percent or more	The tinting material has a light transmittance of 50 percent or more	Or. Rev. Stat. 815.221(2)
Oregon	rear side windows		may be applied to all windows of a multipurpose passenger vehicle that are behind the driver. This subsection applies only to vehicles that are equipped with rearview mirrors on each side of the vehicle.	Or. Rev. Stat. 815.221(4)	multipurpose passenger vehicle
Oregon	rear window		may be applied to all windows of a multipurpose passenger vehicle that are behind the driver. This subsection applies only to vehicles that are equipped with rearview mirrors on each side of the vehicle.	Or. Rev. Stat. 815.221(4)	multipurpose passenger vehicle
Oregon	rear side windows	35 percent or more	The tinting material has a light transmittance of 50 percent or more	Or. Rev. Stat. 815.221(2)
Oregon	rear window	35 percent or more	The tinting material has a light transmittance of 50 percent or more	Or. Rev. Stat. 815.221(2)
Oregon	windshield		may be applied to the top six inches of a windshield. Tinting material may not be applied to any other portion of the windshield.	Or. Rev. Stat. 815.221(3)
Pennsylvania	front side windows	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	1998 & Newer Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	rear side windows	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	1998 & Newer Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	rear window	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	1998 & Newer Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	windshield	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	1998 & Newer Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	front side windows	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	All Other Vehicles
Pennsylvania	rear side windows		No Requirement	67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	All Other Vehicles
Pennsylvania	rear window		No Requirement	67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	All Other Vehicles
Pennsylvania	windshield	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	All Other Vehicles
Pennsylvania	front side windows	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Medium/Heavy Trucks & Buses
Pennsylvania	rear side windows		No Requirement	67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Medium/Heavy Trucks & Buses
Pennsylvania	rear window		No Requirement	67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Medium/Heavy Trucks & Buses
Pennsylvania	windshield	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Medium/Heavy Trucks & Buses
Pennsylvania	front side windows	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Pre-1998 Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	rear side windows	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Pre-1998 Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	rear window		VESC-20*	67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Pre-1998 Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	windshield	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Pre-1998 Passenger Cars
Pennsylvania	front side windows	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Trucks & Multi-Purpose Passenger Vehicles
Pennsylvania	rear side windows		No Requirement	67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Trucks & Multi-Purpose Passenger Vehicles
Pennsylvania	rear window		No Requirement	67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Trucks & Multi-Purpose Passenger Vehicles
Pennsylvania	windshield	70%		67 Pa. Code Ch. 175, Table X	Trucks & Multi-Purpose Passenger Vehicles
Virginia	front side windows	50 percent	unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side of such motor vehicle, so located as to reflect to the driver of the vehicle a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle	Va. Code 46.2-1052(D)(2)
Virginia	rear side windows		applying to the rear side windows or rear window of any multipurpose passenger vehicle or pickup truck sun-shading or tinting films that reduce the total light transmittance of such window or windows below 35 percent	Va. Code 46.2-1052(H)	multipurpose passenger vehicle or pickup truck
Virginia	rear window		applying to the rear side windows or rear window of any multipurpose passenger vehicle or pickup truck sun-shading or tinting films that reduce the total light transmittance of such window or windows below 35 percent	Va. Code 46.2-1052(H)	multipurpose passenger vehicle or pickup truck
Virginia	rear side windows	35 percent	unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side of such motor vehicle, so located as to reflect to the driver of the vehicle a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle	Va. Code 46.2-1052(D)(1)
Virginia	rear window	35 percent	unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side of such motor vehicle, so located as to reflect to the driver of the vehicle a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle	Va. Code 46.2-1052(D)(1)
Virginia	windshield		No film or darkening material may be applied on the windshield except to replace the sunshield in the uppermost area as installed by the manufacturer of the vehicle. However, clear film may be applied to a windshield	Va. Code 46.2-1052(F)
Washington	front side windows	twenty-four percent	where the vehicle is equipped with outside rearview mirrors on both the right and left	Wash. Rev. Code 46.37.430(5)(a)
Washington	rear side windows	twenty-four percent	where the vehicle is equipped with outside rearview mirrors on both the right and left	Wash. Rev. Code 46.37.430(5)(a)
Washington	rear window	twenty-four percent	where the vehicle is equipped with outside rearview mirrors on both the right and left	Wash. Rev. Code 46.37.430(5)(a)
Washington	windshield		A greater degree of light reduction is permitted along the top edge of the windshield as long as the product is transparent and does not extend into the AS-1 portion of the windshield or extend more than six inches from the top of the windshield.	Wash. Rev. Code 46.37.430(5)(e)

Where this came from

Every record above links the page it was taken from and quotes the sentence that states it. These are the 19 sources this dataset was assembled from.

azleg.govhttps://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00959-01.htm
leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=26708
flsenate.govhttps://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/316.2953
flsenate.govhttps://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/0316.2952
ilga.govhttps://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K12-503
legis.iowa.govhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/HF766.pdf
mgaleg.maryland.govhttps://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtr&section=22-406&enactments=false
malegislature.govhttps://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section9D
legislature.mi.govhttps://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-709
revisor.mn.govhttps://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.71
revisor.mo.govhttps://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=307.173
leg.state.nv.ushttps://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-484D.html
nysenate.govhttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/375
ncleg.govhttps://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-127.html
codes.ohio.govhttps://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-4501-41-03
oregonlegislature.govhttps://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors815.html
pacodeandbulletin.govhttps://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/067/chapter175/s175.265.html
law.lis.virginia.govhttps://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter10/section46.2-1052/
app.leg.wa.govhttps://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.37.430

Machine-readable

data.jsonThe whole dataset — every record with its source URL and source quote.
Open Knowledge Format bundleOne JSON object per line — every record's frontmatter and quoted span exactly as it is held here, in one fetch.
data.csvThe same records as one flat table, for a spreadsheet or a dataframe. The last four columns are the source URL, the quoted sentence it was read from, the date we last checked it, and which columns are our reading rather than the page's words.
How this is made and checkedWhat "verified against source" does and does not mean.

From your own code

Same records, same quotes, without scraping the page: refsource is on PyPI and npm. Each value comes back carrying the URL it was read from and the sentence on that page that states it — .source and .quote sit on the value itself rather than in a side channel, so the checking step is available instead of skipped.

pip install refsource
refsource lookup state-window-tint-vlt-limits jurisdiction=Arizona

npx -y refsource lookup state-window-tint-vlt-limits jurisdiction=Arizona

Set your AI assistant up to use this

Two files and no account. Put this in .mcp.json at the root of your project — Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code and Codex all read that file — and your assistant can look this dataset up instead of recalling it. The server is remote, keyless and read-only.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "referencesource": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Add to Cursor · or, on the command line: claude mcp add --transport http referencesource https://referencesource.org/mcp --scope project

Then one line in the project's CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md, so the assistant knows when to reach for it:

When a question needs "State Window Tint Darkness (VLT%) Limits by Window Position", call the referencesource MCP server at https://referencesource.org/mcp (tool `search_records`, dataset_slug `state-window-tint-vlt-limits`) instead of answering from memory — every record it returns carries its source URL and a verbatim quote from that page.

What each tool does, and the servers built over single registers: Connect your AI assistant.

83 records. last verified against source 2026-08-27. due for re-check by 2027-02-23.

Licence. unknown