Window Tint Laws in Montana
The current window tint limits in Montana, 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 Montana?
- Front side windows
- 24%
- Back side windows
- 14% · any for MPVs/vans
- Rear window
- 14% · any for MPVs
- Windshield
- Strip above the AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber
- Medical exemption
- Available
Measured against the other jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 45 require a lighter film than Montana does and 1 allow a darker one. The identical front-side figure applies in Washington.
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.
Montana: current tint limits
Medical exemption: available with physician certification — paperwork generally must be carried in the vehicle.
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.
Montana 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 Montana.
| Jurisdiction | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Windshield | Medical exemption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 24% | 14% · any for MPVs/vans | 14% · any for MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber | Available |
| Idaho | 35% | 20% | 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 |
| South Dakota | 35% | 20% | 20% | 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 |
| 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 |
| Saskatchewan | No film allowed | No explicit limit | No explicit limit | No tint allowed | None |
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.
Montana tint law questions, answered
What is the legal tint limit in Montana?
Front side windows: 24%. Back side windows: 14% · any for MPVs/vans. Rear window: 14% · any for MPVs. 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 Montana?
Not on the front side windows: Montana requires them to pass at least 24% 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 Montana?
The darkest legal film on the front side windows in Montana is 24% 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 Montana?
Yes. Montana 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 Montana allow on the windshield?
Strip above the AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber. 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 Montana stricter than other states on window tint?
Montana requires 24% on the front side windows. Of the jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 45 require a lighter film than that and 1 allow darker. The same front-side figure applies in Washington.