Window Tint Laws in South Carolina
The current window tint limits in South Carolina, verified July 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.
- Front side windows
- 27%
- Back side windows
- 27% · any for SUVs/vans/pickups
- Rear window
- 27% · 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, 38 require a lighter film than South Carolina does and 7 allow a darker one. The identical front-side figure applies in Colorado.
Use the checker below to switch jurisdictions, or see every state and province side by side.
Verified July 2026 · General information, not legal advice — always confirm with your DMV, provincial authority, or installer before applying film.
South Carolina: 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.
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; the film itself must rate 88%+ VLT | Any darkness | Any darkness with dual outside mirrors | Top strip only, bottom edge 29+ inches above the seat; not 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% (±3%), max 25% reflectance | 15% (±3%) · 6% for multipurpose passenger vehicles | 15% (±3%) · 6% for multipurpose passenger vehicles | Transparent strip above the AS/1 line | Available |
| Georgia | 28% (±3% tolerance) | 15% (±3%) · exempt on multipurpose vehicles, buses and limousines | 15% (±3%) · exempt on multipurpose vehicles | No tint below the top 6 inches; the strip may not be red or amber | 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% if nothing behind the driver is below 35%, otherwise 50% | No statutory limit | No statutory limit (dual side mirrors required) | 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% 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 |
| 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 below the top 6 inches | 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% on sedans, wagons, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles; no limit if the vehicle is classified MPV or truck | Any darkness with dual side mirrors, otherwise 70% | 70%, except the uppermost 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 multipurpose vehicles and pickups | 35% · any for multipurpose vehicles and pickups | No darkening film; clear film permitted since July 2026 | 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.
South Carolina tint law questions, answered
What is the legal window tint limit in South Carolina?
Front side windows: 27%. Back side windows: 27% · any for SUVs/vans/pickups. Rear window: 27% · 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 a medical exemption for darker tint available in South Carolina?
Yes. South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina stricter than other states on window tint?
South Carolina requires 27% on the front side windows. Of the jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 38 require a lighter film than that and 7 allow darker. The same front-side figure applies in Colorado.