Window Tint Laws in Delaware
The current window tint limits in Delaware, 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 Delaware?
- Front side windows
- 70% combined; aftermarket film must be certified to FMVSS 205
- Back side windows
- Any darkness
- Rear window
- Any darkness
- Windshield
- Strip above the AS-1 line
- Medical exemption
- Available
Measured against the other jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 0 require a lighter film than Delaware does and 40 allow a darker one. The identical front-side figure applies in Alaska, California, Washington, D.C., New Hampshire, New York.
Worth knowing: Delaware publishes no tint percentage of its own. Section 4313 of Title 21 incorporates the federal glazing standard instead, so the windshield and front doors are held to whatever FMVSS 205 required when the car was built, which is 70 percent on the glass a driver looks through. Aftermarket film is lawful there only where the assembly still passes and the car displays a certificate from the film manufacturer, and a validated inspection notice is a defense in court. Nothing behind the driver is regulated at all, with no mirror condition attached. The shop carries separate exposure under 4313A: an installer who fits illegal film is fined between $100 and $500 and must refund the customer the full price of the job. Antique and street rod glass is exempt, and a charge can be dismissed before trial once the film comes off.
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.
Delaware: current tint limits
Medical exemption: available with physician certification — paperwork generally must be carried in the vehicle.
Delaware publishes no tint percentage of its own. Section 4313 of Title 21 incorporates the federal glazing standard instead, so the windshield and front doors are held to whatever FMVSS 205 required when the car was built, which is 70 percent on the glass a driver looks through. Aftermarket film is lawful there only where the assembly still passes and the car displays a certificate from the film manufacturer, and a validated inspection notice is a defense in court. Nothing behind the driver is regulated at all, with no mirror condition attached. The shop carries separate exposure under 4313A: an installer who fits illegal film is fined between $100 and $500 and must refund the customer the full price of the job. Antique and street rod glass is exempt, and a charge can be dismissed before trial once the film comes off.
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.
Delaware 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 Delaware.
| Jurisdiction | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Windshield | Medical exemption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 70% combined; aftermarket film must be certified to FMVSS 205 | Any darkness | Any darkness | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Maryland | 35% | 35% on Class A cars; unrestricted on Class M, E and B registrations | 35% on Class A cars; unrestricted on Class M, E and B registrations | No tint below the AS-1 line or 5 inches from the top, whichever is less | Available |
| New Jersey | No aftermarket film (medical exemption only) | Any darkness | Any darkness | No aftermarket tint below the top 6 inches | Available |
| Pennsylvania | 70% | 70% · no limit for trucks/MPVs | 70% · none for trucks/MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
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.
Delaware tint law questions, answered
What is the legal tint limit in Delaware?
Front side windows: 70% combined; aftermarket film must be certified to FMVSS 205. Back side windows: Any darkness. Rear window: Any darkness. 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 Delaware?
Not on the front side windows: Delaware requires them to pass at least 70% of light, and 5% film blocks far more than that. Behind the driver the answer flips: Delaware sets no darkness floor on the back side or rear windows, so 5% limo film is fine there, subject to the mirror and vehicle-type conditions noted in the table.
What is the darkest legal tint in Delaware?
The darkest legal film on the front side windows in Delaware is 70% VLT under the headline figure; the full front-side rule above has the details. Of the shades shops commonly stock, 70% passes there, while 50%, 35%, 20% and 5% do not. Behind the driver there is no floor at all, so the darkest film available is legal on the back side and rear glass. A lower VLT number is a darker window.
Is a medical exemption for darker tint available in Delaware?
Yes. Delaware 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 Delaware allow on the windshield?
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 Delaware stricter than other states on window tint?
Delaware requires 70% combined; aftermarket film must be certified to FMVSS 205 on the front side windows. Of the jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 0 require a lighter film than that and 40 allow darker. The same front-side figure applies in Alaska, California, Washington, D.C., New Hampshire.
Is there anything unusual about the Delaware rule?
Delaware publishes no tint percentage of its own. Section 4313 of Title 21 incorporates the federal glazing standard instead, so the windshield and front doors are held to whatever FMVSS 205 required when the car was built, which is 70 percent on the glass a driver looks through. Aftermarket film is lawful there only where the assembly still passes and the car displays a certificate from the film manufacturer, and a validated inspection notice is a defense in court. Nothing behind the driver is regulated at all, with no mirror condition attached. The shop carries separate exposure under 4313A: an installer who fits illegal film is fined between $100 and $500 and must refund the customer the full price of the job. Antique and street rod glass is exempt, and a charge can be dismissed before trial once the film comes off.