Alabama · verified August 2026

Window Tint Laws in Alabama

The current window tint limits in Alabama, verified August 2026. Where a figure is given it is a minimum visible light transmission for the glass and film measured together, so a higher percentage requires a lighter film.

What is the legal tint in Alabama?

Front side windows
32%
Back side windows
32% · any for SUVs/vans with dual mirrors
Rear window
32% · any for SUVs/vans
Windshield
Non-reflective strip above the AS-1 line
Medical exemption
Available

Measured against the other jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 33 require a lighter film than Alabama does and 14 allow a darker one.

Use the checker below to switch jurisdictions, or see every state and province side by side.

Verified August 2026 · General information, not legal advice — always confirm with your DMV, provincial authority, or installer before applying film.

Alabama: current tint limits

Front side windows
32%
Back side windows
32% · any for SUVs/vans with dual mirrors
Rear window
32% · any for SUVs/vans
Windshield
Non-reflective strip above the AS-1 line

Medical exemption: available with physician certification — paperwork generally must be carried in the vehicle.

Shade preview — front side window (minimum 32% VLT highlighted)

Our listed installers currently cover New York and New Jersey, with more regions on the way. Browse the full directory — every shop page states the city it serves and the limits it installs to.

Alabama compared with bordering jurisdictions

Tint is enforced where you are stopped, not where it was installed, so a legal install at home can be a ticket one line over. These are the jurisdictions sharing a land border with Alabama.

Alabama and bordering jurisdiction window tint limits
JurisdictionFront side windowsBack side windowsRear windowWindshieldMedical exemption
Alabama32%32% · any for SUVs/vans with dual mirrors32% · any for SUVs/vansNon-reflective strip above the AS-1 lineAvailable
Florida28% (±3%), max 25% reflectance15% (±3%) · 6% for multipurpose passenger vehicles15% (±3%) · 6% for multipurpose passenger vehiclesTransparent strip above the AS/1 lineAvailable
Georgia28% (±3% tolerance)15% (±3%) · exempt on multipurpose vehicles, buses and limousines15% (±3%) · exempt on multipurpose vehiclesNo tint below the top 6 inches; the strip may not be red or amberAvailable
Mississippi28%28%28%Strip above the AS-1 lineAvailable
Tennessee35%35% · any for SUVs/vans35% · any for SUVs/vansStrip above the AS-1 lineAvailable

Comparing more than the neighbors? The complete tables for all 50 states, D.C. and the 13 Canadian provinces and territories are on one page.

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 August 2026. Spot an error? Email info@carwraps.net.

Alabama tint law questions, answered

What is the legal tint limit in Alabama?

Front side windows: 32%. Back side windows: 32% · any for SUVs/vans with dual mirrors. Rear window: 32% · any for SUVs/vans. Where a figure is given it is a minimum VLT, meaning the share of light that must still pass through the glass and film together, so a higher number requires a lighter film.

Is 5% limo tint legal in Alabama?

Not on the front side windows: Alabama requires them to pass at least 32% of light, and 5% film blocks far more than that. Behind the driver the rules carry conditions, so check the back side and rear window rows above: 5% film only passes where a row allows any darkness.

What is the darkest legal tint in Alabama?

The darkest legal film on the front side windows in Alabama is 32% VLT. Of the shades shops commonly stock, 70%, 50% and 35% pass there, while 20% and 5% do not. Behind the driver the darkest legal shade depends on the back side and rear window rows listed above. A lower VLT number is a darker window.

Is a medical exemption for darker tint available in Alabama?

Yes. Alabama provides a medical exemption route for documented photosensitivity conditions. The paperwork has to travel in the vehicle, and an exemption attaches to the person's own car rather than to any car they drive.

What does Alabama allow on the windshield?

Non-reflective strip above the AS-1 line. The windshield is regulated separately from side glass everywhere in North America, so whatever shade is legal on the doors says nothing about what is permitted up front.

Is Alabama stricter than other states on window tint?

Alabama requires 32% on the front side windows. Of the jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 33 require a lighter film than that and 14 allow darker.