Window Tint Laws in New Mexico
The current window tint limits in New Mexico, 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 New Mexico?
- Front side windows
- 20% — the darkest front-side allowance in the U.S.
- Back side windows
- 20% · any for MPVs/vans
- Rear window
- 20% · any for MPVs
- Windshield
- Top 5-inch strip or AS-1 line; no red/yellow/amber
- Medical exemption
- Available
Measured against the other jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 47 require a lighter film than New Mexico does and 0 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.
New Mexico: 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.
New Mexico 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 New Mexico.
| Jurisdiction | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Windshield | Medical exemption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Arizona | 33% | Any darkness | Any with dual mirrors | Strip above the AS-1 line; 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 |
| Oklahoma | 25% | 25% · any for MPVs with dual mirrors | 25% · any for MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Texas | 25% | Not regulated | 25% (any with dual mirrors) | Strip above the AS-1 line at 25%+; 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 |
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.
New Mexico tint law questions, answered
What is the legal tint limit in New Mexico?
Front side windows: 20% — the darkest front-side allowance in the U.S.. Back side windows: 20% · any for MPVs/vans. Rear window: 20% · 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 New Mexico?
Not on the front side windows: New Mexico requires them to pass at least 20% 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 New Mexico?
The darkest legal film on the front side windows in New Mexico is 20% VLT under the headline figure; the full front-side rule above has the details. Of the shades shops commonly stock, 70%, 50%, 35% and 20% pass there, while 5% does 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 New Mexico?
Yes. New Mexico 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 New Mexico allow on the windshield?
Top 5-inch strip or 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 New Mexico stricter than other states on window tint?
New Mexico requires 20% — the darkest front-side allowance in the U.S. on the front side windows. Of the jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 47 require a lighter film than that and 0 allow darker.