Window Tint Laws: How Dark Can You Legally Go?
Every U.S. state and Canadian province writes its own rule for how much light a tinted window must still let through, and the spread is enormous: the same film that is factory-legal in New Mexico is a ticket in Manhattan and an ordered removal in Toronto. Pick your jurisdiction below to see the current limits, then use the tables further down to compare all 64 jurisdictions side by side.
Verified July 2026 · General information, not legal advice — always confirm with your DMV, provincial authority, or installer before applying film.
New York: current tint limits
Medical exemption: available with physician certification — paperwork generally must be carried in the vehicle.
Bill S9226/A5306 (50% VLT, 7% tolerance) passed both houses in June 2026 but is UNSIGNED — 70% remains the enforced law. Tint is checked at annual inspection.
Ready to tint legally? Browse window tint shops in New York, our ranked NYC tint picks, or the full directory to find an installer who works to your jurisdiction's rules every day.
United States: tint limits in all 50 states + D.C.
Figures are for aftermarket film on passenger sedans; most states let SUVs, vans, and trucks run darker behind the driver, noted per row. Recent movers: Louisiana, North Dakota, and Utah all loosened their limits in 2025, and Iowa's front-side minimum dropped to 50% on July 1, 2026.
| Jurisdiction | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Windshield | Medical exemption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 32% | 32% · any for SUVs/vans with dual mirrors | 32% · any for SUVs/vans | Non-reflective strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Alaska | 70% | 40% | 40% | Strip above the AS-1 line; approved colors only | Available |
| Arizona | 33% | Any darkness | Any with dual mirrors | Strip above the AS-1 line; no red or amber | Available |
| Arkansas | 25% | 25% · 10% for trucks/MPVs | 10% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| California | 70% combined (film itself must rate 88%+) | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors | Top 4-inch strip only; no red or amber | Available |
| Colorado | 27% | 27% (any if front + windshield allow 70%+) | 27% (same exception) | Strip above the AS-1 line; no reflective film | None |
| Connecticut | 35% | 35% · any for SUVs/vans | Any with dual mirrors | Non-reflective strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Delaware | No aftermarket film (medical waiver only) | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Washington, D.C. | 70% · 55% for minivans | 50% · 35% for minivans | 50% · 35% for minivans | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Florida | 28% | 15% · 6% for SUVs/vans | 15% · 6% for SUVs/vans | Non-reflective strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Georgia | 32% | 32% · any for SUVs/vans/pickups | 32% · any for SUVs/vans | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Hawaii | 35% | Any darkness (2025 law) | Any darkness (2025 law) | No tint below the AS-1 line | None |
| Idaho | 35% | 20% | 35% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Illinois | 35% (sedans, all windows 35%) · 50% for SUVs/vans | 35% sedans · any for SUVs/vans | 35% sedans · any for SUVs/vans | Top 6-inch strip only | Available |
| Indiana | 30% | 30% | 30% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Iowa | 50% (lowered from 70% effective July 1, 2026) | Any darkness | Any darkness | Entire windshield must keep 70%+ transmittance | None |
| Kansas | 35% | 35% | 35% | Strip above the AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber | Available |
| Kentucky | 35% | 18% · any for SUVs/vans/trucks | 18% · any for SUVs/vans | Strip above the AS-1 line; no metallic film | Available |
| Louisiana | 25% (lowered from 40% in Aug 2025) | 25% | 12% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Maine | 35% | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors | Strip above the AS-1 line; no reflective film | Available |
| Maryland | 35% | 35% · darker allowed for SUVs/vans | 35% · darker for SUVs/vans | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Massachusetts | 35% | 35% | 35% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Michigan | No film except a top 4-inch strip | Any darkness | Any (under 35% reflectance) | Top 4-inch strip only | Available |
| Minnesota | 50% | 50% (some vehicle types exempt) | 50% (some types exempt) | No aftermarket tint | Available |
| Mississippi | 28% | 28% | 28% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Missouri | 35% | No specific limit | No specific limit | Factory-style upper strip only | Available |
| Montana | 24% | 14% · any for MPVs/vans | 14% · any for MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber | Available |
| Nebraska | 35% | 20% · any for MPVs/vans | 20% · any for MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber | None |
| Nevada | 35% (with 7% meter tolerance) | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors | Strip above the AS-1 line; no red or amber | Available |
| New Hampshire | 70% | 35% | 35% | No aftermarket windshield tint | Available |
| New Jersey | No aftermarket film (medical exemption only) | Any darkness | Any darkness | No aftermarket tint | Available |
| New Mexico | 20% — the darkest front-side allowance in the U.S. | 20% · any for MPVs/vans | 20% · any for MPVs | Top 5-inch strip or AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber | Available |
| New York | 70% | 70% · any behind the driver with dual mirrors on some configurations | Any with dual mirrors (70% on sedans without) | Strip above the AS-1 line (top 6 inches) | Available |
| North Carolina | 35% (32%+ readings presumed compliant) | 35% | 35% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| North Dakota | 35% (lowered from 50% in Aug 2025) | 35% · any with dual mirrors | 35% · any with dual mirrors | 70%+ across the windshield | Available |
| Ohio | 50% | Any darkness | Any darkness | 70%+ or strip above the AS-1 line; no reflective film | Available |
| Oklahoma | 25% | 25% · any for MPVs with dual mirrors | 25% · any for MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Oregon | 35% combined (film must rate 50%+) | 35% · any for MPVs with dual mirrors | 35% by vehicle type | Strip above the AS-1 line; strictest reflectivity cap (13%) | Available |
| Pennsylvania | 70% | 70% · no limit for trucks/MPVs | 70% · none for trucks/MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Rhode Island | 70% | 70% · any for trucks/MPVs with dual mirrors | 70% · any for MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| South Carolina | 27% | 27% · any for SUVs/vans/pickups | 27% · any for SUVs/vans | Non-reflective strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| South Dakota | 35% | 20% | 20% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Tennessee | 35% | 35% · any for SUVs/vans | 35% · any for SUVs/vans | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Texas | 25% | Any darkness | 25% (any with dual mirrors) | Strip above the AS-1 line; no red/blue/amber | Available |
| Utah | 35% (lowered from 43% in May 2025) | Any darkness | Any with dual mirrors | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Vermont | No aftermarket film (medical exemption only) | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors | No aftermarket tint | Available |
| Virginia | 50% | 35% · any for MPVs/pickups | 35% · any for MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Washington | 24% | 24% (some vehicle types exempt) | 24% (some types exempt) | Top 6-inch strip; no gold/yellow/black/mirror film | Available |
| West Virginia | 35% | 35% · any for trucks/buses/MPVs | 35% · any for MPVs | Top 5-inch strip | Available |
| Wisconsin | 50% | 35% | 35% | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Wyoming | 28% | 28% · any for SUVs/pickups/vans | 28% · any for MPVs | Top 5-inch strip or AS-1 line | Available |
Canada: tint limits by province and territory
Canada runs stricter up front than almost any U.S. state: nine of thirteen jurisdictions prohibit aftermarket film on front side windows outright, and medical exemptions are largely absent. Behind the driver, by contrast, most provinces allow any darkness so long as the vehicle keeps both outside mirrors.
| Jurisdiction | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Windshield | Medical exemption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | No film allowed | Any darkness | Any darkness (dual mirrors required) | No tint allowed | None |
| British Columbia | No film allowed | Any darkness | Any darkness (dual mirrors required) | Top 7.5 cm strip only | None |
| Manitoba | 50% | Any darkness | Any darkness | Top 12.7 cm strip only | Available |
| New Brunswick | 70% | Any darkness | Any darkness | 70%+ transmittance required | Available |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | No film allowed | Any darkness | Any darkness | No tint allowed | None |
| Northwest Territories | No film allowed | Any darkness | Any darkness | No tint allowed | None |
| Nova Scotia | No film allowed | Any darkness (no explicit limit) | Any darkness (no explicit limit) | No tint allowed | None |
| Nunavut | No film allowed | No explicit limit | No explicit limit | No tint allowed | None |
| Ontario | No film allowed (vehicles made after Jan 1, 2017) | Any darkness | Any darkness | No aftermarket tint | None |
| Prince Edward Island | No film allowed | Any darkness | Any darkness | No tint allowed | None |
| Quebec | 70% (glass + film combined, measured by the SAAQ) | Any darkness | Any darkness | Top 15 cm strip only | None |
| Saskatchewan | No film allowed | No explicit limit | No explicit limit | No tint allowed | None |
| Yukon | 70% | No explicit limit | 70% | 70%+ transmittance required | None |
How to read these numbers
Three details trip up more drivers than the percentages themselves. First, the limit applies to the combined reading of glass plus film, and factory glass is never perfectly clear, so a film's box rating always overstates what a meter will read on the car. Second, the windshield is its own category everywhere: below the AS-1 line (the small marking near the top corner of the glass), meaningful tint is illegal across both countries, whatever the side windows allow. Third, reflectivity is regulated separately from darkness, and mirrored or metallic film fails in most jurisdictions even at a legal VLT.
Sources: state statutes and DMV publications including NY VTL §375(12-a), Cal. Vehicle Code §26708, Texas Transp. Code §547.613, La. R.S. 32:361.1 (as amended 2025), Iowa HF 766 (2026), NH RSA 266:58-a, the SAAQ's Quebec standards, and provincial highway traffic regulations, cross-checked against 2026-current legal references. Last verified July 2026. Spot an error? Email info@carwraps.net.
Tint law questions, answered
What does a VLT percentage on window tint actually measure?
VLT (Visible Light Transmission) is the share of visible light that makes it through the glass and the film together. A 70% VLT window passes 70% of light and blocks 30%; a 5% "limo" window passes almost none. Every tint law in North America is written as a minimum VLT you must still let through, so a HIGHER number means a LIGHTER legal requirement.
Why does my legal film still fail a tint meter test?
Because the law measures glass plus film combined, not the film alone. Factory glass already blocks a slice of light, typically transmitting only 70 to 80% brand new, so a film labeled 35% installed on that glass can meter in the twenties. Ask your installer for the combined reading on your actual windows before they cut film.
Which parts of North America ban front window tint completely?
In the U.S., New Jersey, Vermont, and Delaware prohibit aftermarket film on front side windows, and Michigan allows only a four-inch top strip. In Canada the ban is the norm rather than the exception: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, PEI, and the territories all prohibit front side film, leaving Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Yukon as the only jurisdictions with a numeric allowance.
Can a doctor's note let me run darker tint than my state allows?
In most U.S. states, yes: a physician-certified photosensitivity condition (lupus and xeroderma pigmentosum are the classic examples) supports a medical exemption, with paperwork that must stay in the vehicle. Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Nebraska offer no exemption process at all, and Canadian provinces generally provide none either, so check the row for your jurisdiction before assuming a note will protect you.
What happens if I drive my legally tinted car into a stricter state?
Enforcement follows the law of the road you are on, but in practice most states extend courtesy to vehicles registered elsewhere that comply with their home state's rules. The risk rises when you relocate: once you register locally, local limits apply, and inspection states like New York will fail glass that was perfectly legal where the car came from.