Window Tint Laws by State (2026): Legal VLT Limits
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 18, 2026). · Reviewed by the RecordingLaw editorial team. · Law checked current as of August 8, 2026. · 8 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Window tint laws regulate how dark a vehicle's windows can be, measured in Visible Light Transmission (VLT), the percentage of light the tinted window lets through. Limits vary widely by state, and the front side window is the most strictly regulated. Most states set separate rules for sedans and SUVs, and several states changed their limits in 2025 and 2026.
What is VLT and how tint limits work
Visible Light Transmission is the share of visible light that passes through both the film and the underlying glass combined. A window rated at 35% VLT blocks 65% of visible light and allows 35% through. Because the underlying factory glass already absorbs some light (typically around 70 to 75% for standard automotive glass), adding a film further reduces the combined VLT.
States enforce a minimum combined VLT, not just a film rating. That means a film that reads 35% by itself may produce a combined reading below the legal minimum when measured on your actual vehicle. Always ask your installer to confirm the combined reading, not just the film specification.
Most states use a separate standard for the front side windows (the two windows beside the driver and front passenger) versus the rear side windows and the rear window. The windshield is treated differently still: almost every state prohibits tinting below the AS-1 line (the line marked on the glass near the top), allowing only a narrow non-reflective strip at the very top.
Measurement tools (VLT meters) are used by law enforcement and inspection stations. Many states build in a tolerance of plus or minus 3 to 7 percentage points to account for meter variation and glass aging.
The strictest and most permissive states
The strictest jurisdictions for front side windows essentially require glass that is nearly clear. New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, California, and the District of Columbia all set the front side minimum at 70% (California requires the film itself to allow at least 88% VLT, per CVC 26708(d)), which is the standard factory tint level. New Jersey, Vermont, and Delaware go further and prohibit any aftermarket film on front side windows entirely (factory glass only, with limited medical exceptions). Michigan allows only a non-reflective strip on the top 4 inches of the front side windows.
At the other end of the spectrum, New Mexico permits front side windows as dark as 20% VLT (80% of light blocked). Montana and Washington allow 24%. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas allow 25%. Colorado, South Carolina, and Wyoming allow 27 to 28%.
States in the middle cluster around 32 to 35% for the front side: Alabama, Arizona (33%), Connecticut, Florida (28%), Georgia (28%), Idaho, Indiana (30%), Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota (50%), Mississippi (28%), Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio (50%), Oregon (35% combined), South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia (50%), West Virginia, and Wisconsin (50%).
The loosest rules for back side and rear windows are common: more than half of states allow any darkness on those windows for SUVs and multipurpose vehicles, as long as dual outside mirrors give adequate rearward vision.
Windshield tint rules
Every state restricts windshield tinting far more tightly than side windows. The universal rule is that only a narrow non-reflective strip at the very top of the windshield is permitted. The strip is usually defined as above the AS-1 line (the line marked by the glass manufacturer for the mounting bracket area) or within the top 4 to 6 inches, depending on the state.
Below that strip, the windshield must remain fully transparent. Most states specify that the windshield must maintain at least 70% VLT across its full area. Missouri prohibits all aftermarket windshield screening except a factory-standard upper strip.
Some states add color restrictions for the windshield strip: California, Nevada, and Arizona ban red and amber. Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and New Mexico ban red, yellow, and amber. Texas bans red, blue, and amber. Oregon bans red, gold, yellow, amber, and black.
Iowa requires the entire windshield (not just a strip) to maintain at least 70% light transmittance.
Medical exemptions
Most states allow a vehicle owner with a documented photosensitive medical condition to apply darker tint than the standard limits. Common qualifying conditions include lupus, xeroderma pigmentosum, porphyria, albinism, and light-aggravated autoimmune conditions.
The typical process requires a written certification from a licensed physician or optometrist stating the patient's need for reduced light exposure. The driver keeps the certification in the vehicle and presents it if stopped. Some states issue an official permit or sticker through the DMV or state police.
Four states do not offer a medical exemption for window tint:
- Colorado (C.R.S. 42-4-227 contains no exemption process)
- Iowa (exemptions were removed in 2012)
- Hawaii (no medical exemption under the current statute)
- Nebraska (no exemption provision found in the statute)
Illinois has the narrowest exemption in the country: only a short list of specific diagnoses qualifies, including lupus, disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, albinism, and light sensitivity from traumatic brain injury.
Medical exemptions do not override all rules. Kansas, for example, limits medical exemptions to clear UV-blocking film of at least 78% VLT rather than allowing dark tint.
Reflectivity and color limits
Beyond the VLT minimum, most states cap how reflective or metallic a tint film can appear. Mirrored and metallic films that bounce significant light back toward other drivers are widely prohibited. Common reflectivity ceilings are 20% (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Wyoming, Virginia), 25% (Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas), 35% (Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Washington), and 13% (Oregon, the strictest).
Some states ban reflective film outright without specifying a percentage: Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Ohio, Rhode Island area rules, and others.
Color bans are common for windshield strips. Red and amber are banned in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas. Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and New Mexico add yellow. Oregon and Washington also ban gold, yellow, black, and mirror-finish film. Alaska requires tint to be green, gray, bronze, or neutral smoke; other colors are not permitted anywhere on the vehicle.
Hawaii bans red, yellow, amber, and blue tint colors on all windows. Kentucky bans red or yellow tint, a rule its statute applies to the windshield.
Recent changes (2025-2026)
Several states updated their window tint rules in 2025 and 2026, and knowing the effective dates matters if your vehicle was tinted before a change.
Louisiana lowered the front and back side window minimum from 40% to 25% under Act 143 (HB 119), effective August 1, 2025. Vehicles tinted to 25% or darker are now legal if the tint was applied after that date.
North Dakota lowered the side and rear minimum from 50% to 35% under HB 1340, effective August 1, 2025. Previously tinted vehicles at 35% or better are now clearly legal.
Utah lowered the front side minimum from 43% to 35% under HB 112, effective May 7, 2025. The old 43% standard no longer applies.
Hawaii passed Act 129 in May 2025, which removed the vehicle-type distinction for rear windows (both passenger cars and multipurpose vehicles may now go any darkness on the rear), raised penalties for violations, and added a window roll-down requirement at police stops.
Iowa passed HF 766, signed May 15, 2026, lowering the front side minimum from 70% to 50%. The change took effect July 1, 2026 and is now in force: Iowa's front side and sidewing windows currently require at least 50% VLT (the windshield stays at 70%).
North Carolina changed its inspection rules effective December 1, 2025 under Session Law 2025-47: tint is no longer checked at annual safety inspections. Roadside enforcement by officers continues under the same VLT standards.
Window tint limits by state: complete table
The table below shows the legal VLT minimum for each jurisdiction. A higher number means you must let more light through (lighter tint). "Any" means no VLT minimum applies (though other rules such as dual-mirror requirements may still apply).
| State | Front side VLT | Back side / rear side | Rear window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 32% | 32% sedans; any for SUVs/MPVs with dual mirrors | 32% sedans; any for SUVs/MPVs |
| Alaska | 70% | 40% | 40% |
| Arizona | 33% | Any (no minimum) | Any with dual mirrors |
| Arkansas | 25% | 25% sedans; 10% trucks/MPVs | 10% |
| California | 70% (film must allow 88% alone) | Any | Any with dual mirrors |
| Colorado | 27% | Any if front/windshield allow 70%; otherwise 27% | Any if front/windshield allow 70%; otherwise 27% |
| Connecticut | 35% | 35% sedans; any for SUVs/vans/MPVs | Any with dual mirrors |
| Delaware | No aftermarket tint (medical waiver excepted) | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors |
| District of Columbia | 70% standard; 55% minivans | 50% standard; 35% minivans | 50% standard; 35% minivans |
| Florida | 28% | 15% sedans; 6% SUVs/MPVs | 15% sedans; 6% MPVs |
| Georgia | 28% | 15% sedans; any for SUVs/vans/buses/limos | 15% sedans; any for SUVs/MPVs |
| Hawaii | 35% | Any (2025 Act 129) | Any (2025 Act 129) |
| Idaho | 35% | 20% | 35% |
| Illinois | 35% (up to 50% if rear windows are untinted or factory-tinted) | Same range as front, or any darkness with dual mirrors if the front side is left untinted | Same as back side |
| Indiana | 30% | Not regulated (no VLT floor) | 30% |
| Iowa | 50% (was 70%; HF 766, eff. July 1, 2026) | Any | Any |
| Kansas | 35% | 35% | 35% |
| Kentucky | 35% | 18% sedans; 8% for SUVs/vans/trucks | 18% sedans; 8% for SUVs/MPVs |
| Louisiana | 25% (from 40%, eff. Aug 2025) | 25% | 12% |
| Maine | 35% | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors |
| Maryland | 35% | 35% sedans; darker for SUVs/vans with dual mirrors | 35% sedans; darker for SUVs/vans |
| Massachusetts | 35% | 35% | 35% |
| Michigan | No aftermarket tint (top 4-inch strip only) | Any | Any (under 35% reflectance) |
| Minnesota | 50% | 50% (some vehicle types exempt) | 50% (some vehicle types exempt) |
| Mississippi | 28% | 28% | 28% |
| Missouri | 35% | No restriction specified | No restriction |
| Montana | 24% | 14% sedans; any for MPVs/vans/buses | 14% sedans; any for MPVs |
| Nebraska | 35% | 20% sedans; any for MPVs/vans/buses | 20% sedans; any for MPVs |
| Nevada | 35% (7% tolerance) | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors |
| New Hampshire | 70% | 35% | 35% |
| New Jersey | Prohibited (no aftermarket tint) | Any | Any |
| New Mexico | 20% | 20% sedans; any for MPVs/vans/buses | 20% sedans; any for MPVs |
| New York | 70% | 70% sedans | 70% sedans; any with dual mirrors |
| North Carolina | 35% (32%+ presumed compliant) | 35% | 35% |
| North Dakota | 35% (from 50%, eff. Aug 2025) | 35%; any with dual mirrors | 35%; any with dual mirrors |
| Ohio | 50% | Any | Any |
| Oklahoma | 25% | 25% sedans; any for MPVs with dual mirrors | 25% sedans; any for MPVs |
| Oregon | 35% combined (film must be 50%+) | 35% sedans; any for MPVs with dual mirrors | 35% by vehicle type |
| Pennsylvania | 70% | 70% sedans; no restriction for trucks/MPVs | 70% sedans; none for trucks/MPVs |
| Rhode Island | 70% | 70% sedans; any for trucks/MPVs with dual mirrors | 70% sedans; any for MPVs |
| South Carolina | 27% | 27% sedans; any for SUVs/vans/pickups | 27% sedans; any for SUVs/MPVs |
| South Dakota | 35% | 20% | 20% |
| Tennessee | 35% | 35% sedans; any for SUVs/vans/MPVs | 35% sedans; any for SUVs/MPVs |
| Texas | 25% | Any | 25% (any with dual mirrors) |
| Utah | 35% (from 43%, eff. May 2025) | Any | Any with dual mirrors |
| Vermont | Prohibited (no aftermarket tint) | Any with dual mirrors | Any with dual mirrors |
| Virginia | 50% | 35% sedans; any for MPVs/pickups | 35% sedans; any for MPVs |
| Washington | 24% | 24% (some vehicle types exempt) | 24% (some vehicle types exempt) |
| West Virginia | 35% | 35% sedans; any for trucks/buses/MPVs | 35% sedans; any for MPVs |
| Wisconsin | 50% | 35% | 35% |
| Wyoming | 28% | 28% sedans; any for SUVs/pickups/vans | 28% sedans; any for MPVs |
Legal information notice: This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Window tint limits vary by state and change over time, and enforcement depends on local practice and your specific vehicle. For a definitive answer, check your state DMV or consult a local attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is VLT in window tint?
VLT stands for Visible Light Transmission. It is the percentage of visible light that passes through a tinted window. A window rated at 35% VLT allows 35% of light through and blocks 65%. A higher VLT percentage means lighter (less dark) tint. States set a minimum VLT, which means you must let at least that much light through.
Which states allow the darkest window tint?
New Mexico has the darkest legal front side window tint at 20% VLT. Montana and Washington allow 24%. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas allow 25%. Colorado and South Carolina allow 27 to 28%. For back side and rear windows, more than half of all states allow any darkness for SUVs and multipurpose vehicles with dual outside mirrors.
Which states have the strictest window tint laws?
The strictest front side window rules belong to New Jersey, Vermont, and Delaware (aftermarket tint effectively prohibited), Michigan (top 4-inch strip only), and California, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and DC (all require 70% VLT, which is essentially the standard factory glass level).
Is windshield tint legal?
Almost every state allows only a non-reflective tint strip at the very top of the windshield, above the AS-1 line or within the top 4 to 6 inches. Tinting the main portion of the windshield below that line is illegal in all 50 states and DC. Some states (such as California and Texas) allow a clear UV-blocking film across the entire windshield as long as it does not reduce visible light.
Can I get a medical exemption for darker window tint?
Most states offer a medical exemption for people with photosensitive conditions such as lupus, xeroderma pigmentosum, porphyria, or albinism. A physician or optometrist must certify the need, and the driver must carry the paperwork in the vehicle. Four states do not offer a medical exemption: Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Nebraska.
Do SUVs have different window tint rules than sedans?
Yes, in many states. Most states apply the same front side window limit to all vehicle types, but allow SUVs, vans, and trucks to go any darkness on the windows behind the driver seat, as long as dual outside mirrors provide a clear rearward view. States with no SUV distinction (applying the same limit to all windows) include Kansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Massachusetts, and others.
What is the penalty for illegal window tint?
Penalties range from a correctable fix-it ticket (California, Nevada, Kentucky) to a misdemeanor charge (Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Hawaii). Most first-offense fines fall between $50 and $500. Some states add points to your driving record. DC has among the highest fines, up to $5,000 for repeat offenders. New Jersey imposes up to $1,000 for a first offense.
Does factory tint count toward the legal VLT minimum?
Yes. The legal VLT is measured as the combined reading of the window glass plus any film. Factory glass typically transmits around 70 to 75% of visible light. Any aftermarket film added to factory glass further reduces the combined VLT. North Dakota explicitly states that factory tint counts toward the cumulative measurement.
Did any states change their window tint laws recently?
Yes. Louisiana lowered its front and rear side limit from 40% to 25% in August 2025. North Dakota lowered its limit from 50% to 35% in August 2025. Utah lowered its front side limit from 43% to 35% in May 2025. Hawaii expanded freedom on rear windows in 2025. Iowa lowered its front side limit from 70% to 50% on July 1, 2026, under HF 766, and that change is now in effect. North Carolina stopped checking tint at safety inspections in December 2025.
Are mirrored or reflective tints legal?
Usually no. Most states prohibit highly reflective, mirrored, or metallic-appearance tint on vehicle windows. Some states set a specific reflectance cap (Oregon is strictest at 13%; many others cap at 20 to 35%). Others flatly prohibit reflective or metallic film. A standard non-reflective charcoal or gray film is the safest choice everywhere.
Updates
Updated Iowa's front side tint limit to reflect that the July 1, 2026 reduction from 70% to 50% (HF 766) is now in force. Corrected the Georgia row to the state's current 28%/15% standard (O.C.G.A. 40-8-73.1, as amended by 2026 HB 1161, effective July 1, 2026), corrected the Illinois row to remove an inaccurate sedan/SUV framing not found in the statute, and corrected the Indiana row to show that Indiana does not regulate back side (non-front-door) windows at all.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Corrected California's front-side window tier to 70% (it was misplaced in the 32-35% group) and removed an invented dual-mirror condition on California and New York back-side/rear-side windows that the cited statutes do not impose.
Added California to the 70% VLT tier lists and aligned the Kentucky entries with KRS 189.110: an 8% floor for SUVs, vans, and trucks, reflectivity caps rather than an outright ban, and the red-or-yellow windshield color rule.
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Reviewed and approved by an editor
State-by-state comparison
Each state guide below is paired with the governing statute our editors adjudicated for it, held in our own legal record and verified against the official source.
Each statute shown is the same adjudicated anchor its state guide renders, independently verified against primary sources. A dash means not yet adjudicated in our record — never that no law exists.
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 28 (Transportation), Chapter 3 (TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE REGULATION), Article 16 (Equipment)
§ 28-959.01Materials on windows or windshield; exceptions; requirements; violation; definitionsIn forcecited in 4 of our articles
A. This section does not apply to: 1. Front side wing vents and windows that have a substance or material in conjunction with glazing material that has a light transmission of thirty-three percent plus or minus three percent and a luminous reflectance of thirty-five percent plus or minus three percent. 2. Front side wing vents and windows that have a substance or material not attached in conjunction with glazing material that is used by a vehicle operator on a moving vehicle during daylight hours as provided in section 28-922. 3. Rearview mirrors. 4. Adjustable nontransparent sun visors that are mounted forward of the side windows and that are not attached to the glass. 5. Signs, stickers or other materials that are either: (a) Displayed in a seven inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver. (b) Displayed in a five inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest the driver. 6. Side windows that are to the rear of the driver and rear windows that have a substance or material in conjunction with glazing material that has a luminous reflectance of thirty-five percent plus or minus three percent or less. 7.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-01 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at azleg.gov
Cited in 2 court opinionsMost recently applied by a court: 2016
Leading cases:
- State of Arizona v. Jesus Ramiro Moreno (Court of Appeals of Arizona 2014, 236 Ariz. 347)“…vehicle based on mistaken view of the law). 4Under A.R.S. § 28-959.01(A)(1), window tint on the front-side wi…”
- State v. Meza-Contreras (Court of Appeals of Arizona 2016)“…er that obstructs or restricts the driver’s clear view. See A.R.S. § 28-959.01.B; see also A.R.S. § 28- 1594 (An offic…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Arizona Dashcam Laws: Rules for Dashboard Cameras in Vehicles, Arizona Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide), Arizona Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits
California Vehicle Code
§ 26708In forcecited in 4 of our articles
(a) (1) A person shall not drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows. (2) A person shall not drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle that obstructs or reduces the driver’s clear view through the windshield or side windows. (3) This subdivision applies to a person driving a motor vehicle with the driver’s clear vision through the windshield, or side or rear windows, obstructed by snow or ice. (b) This section does not apply to any of the following: (1) Rearview mirrors. (2) Adjustable nontransparent sunvisors that are mounted forward of the side windows and are not attached to the glass.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-01 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
Cited in 56 court opinionsMost recently applied by a court: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):California courts read section 26708(a)(2) to require an objective basis that an object actually obstructed the driver's view. People v. White (2003) held an air freshener on a mirror did not justify a stop where the officer never said it blocked his view; People v. Colbert (2007) found such a basis on fuller testimony.
Leading cases:
- People v. White (California Court of Appeal 2003, 132 Cal. Rptr. 2d 371)✓An officer stopped a car for a tree-shaped air freshener on the mirror; the court held section 26708(a)(1) does not reach an object not affixed on the windshield, and that with no testimony the view was obstructed there was no reasonable basis under subdivision (a)(2).
- People v. Colbert (California Court of Appeal 2007, 68 Cal. Rptr. 3d 912)✓An officer stopped a car for a 4.75-inch tree air freshener on the mirror and testified from his own experience how an object that size hides cars and pedestrians; the court held that testimony gave an objectively reasonable basis under section 26708(a)(2).
- Klarfeld v. State of California (California Court of Appeal 1983, 142 Cal. App. 3d 541)✓A tint installer and car owners challenged sections 26708 and 26708.5 as vague; the court held the terms are not unconstitutionally vague and declared applied tint may not go on the windshield or front side windows, but may go behind the driver if the car has required mirrors.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: California Dashcam Laws: Mounting Rules, Audio Recording, and Evidence (2026), California Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits, California Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide)
Louisiana Revised Statutes
§ 32:361.1View outward or inward through windshield or windows; obscuring prohibitedIn forcecited in 5 of our articles
A. As used in this Section and regulations applicable thereto, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context of use clearly indicates otherwise: (1) "Distributor" means any person or company who markets, delivers, or distributes any sun screening device for motor vehicles in Louisiana. (2) "Installer" means any person or company who affixes, places, fastens, or secures any sun screening device to any windshield or window of a motor vehicle in Louisiana. (3) "Light transmission" means the ratio of the amount of total light to pass through the product or material, including any glazing material, to the amount of total light falling on the product or material and the glazing. (4) "Luminous reflectance" means the ratio of the amount of total light that is reflected outward by the product or material to the amount of total light falling on the product or material. (5) "Manufacturer" means a person who engages in the manufacture or assembly of a vehicle sun screening device, or who fabricates, laminates, or tempers a safety glazing material, incorporating, during the manufacturing process, the capacity to reflect or reduce the transmission of light.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-01 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
Cited in 11 court opinionsMost recently applied by a court: 2025
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):State v. Dillon (1996) rejected commerce clause and privacy challenges to section 32:361.1 and held the observed tint violation gave reasonable cause to stop. State v. Hunt (2009) held an officer had reasonable suspicion at the stop inception from tint so dark he could not see the driver's silhouette, measured only afterward.
Leading cases:
- State v. Dillon (Louisiana Court of Appeal 1996, 670 So. 2d 278)“…hey noted the vehicle's windows were tinted in violation of La.R.S. 32:361.1. After stopping the vehicle, the office…”
- Regis v. Department of Police (Louisiana Court of Appeal 2013, 115 So. 3d 638)“…isciplinary letter to Sgt. Regis, finding that she violated La. R.S. 32:361.1(B) 1 by operating her personal vehicle…”
- State v. Hunt (Supreme Court of Louisiana 2009, 25 So. 3d 746)✓An officer stopped a car whose side windows were so dark he could not see the driver's silhouette, later measuring 5 percent light transmission; the court held he had reasonable suspicion of a tint violation under the statute and vacated the suppression order.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Louisiana Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide), Louisiana Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law
§ 375EquipmentIn forcecited in 5 of our articles
Equipment. 1. (a) Every motor vehicle, operated or driven upon the public highways of the state, shall be provided with adequate brakes and steering mechanism in good working order and sufficient to control such vehicle at all times when the same is in use, and a suitable and adequate horn or other device for signaling, which horn or device shall produce a sound sufficiently loud to serve as a danger warning but shall not be used other than as a reasonable warning nor be unnecessarily loud or harsh. (b) Every such motor vehicle shall be equipped with suitable wipers or other device which shall clear a sufficient area of the windshields to provide reasonable driving vision. (i) The use or placing of posters or stickers on windshields or rear windows of motor vehicles other than those authorized by the commissioner, is hereby prohibited. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a summons for operating a motor vehicle in violation of this subparagraph shall only be issued when there is reasonable cause to believe that the person operating such motor vehicle has committed a violation of the laws of this state other than a violation of this subparagraph.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-01 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.nysenate.gov
Cited in 254 court opinionsMost recently applied by a court: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):New York courts apply section 375 mainly in suppression rulings. People v. Biggs (2022) applied the tint provision, section 375(12-a)(b), and stated the test is whether the officer reasonably believed the windows were over-tinted; People v. Bookman (2015) found probable cause under section 375(30) for an ornament hung from the mirror.
Leading cases:
- The People v. Rebecca Guthrie (New York Court of Appeals 2015, 25 N.Y.3d 130)“…ng that its windows were excessively tinted in violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 375 (12-a) (b) (4) (People v Estrella,…”
- People v. Pealer (New York Court of Appeals 2013, 20 N.Y.3d 447)✓An officer following a gray Subaru stopped it for an illegal rear window sticker under section 375(1)(b)(i) and arrested the driver for DWI; a footnote rejected the suppression claim, stating that no exception exists for infractions characterized as de minimis.
- People v. Biggs (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York 2022, 175 N.Y.S.3d 117)✓Officers stopped a Nissan at night for dark rear window tint and a marijuana odor; the majority held the officer's testimony that he could not see into the car met the test of a reasonable belief the windows were over-tinted under section 375(12-a)(b).
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: New York Dashcam Laws: Legality, Mounting Rules, and Evidence Use, New York Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits, New York Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide)
Texas Transportation Code
§ 547.613RESTRICTIONS ON WINDOWSIn forcecited in 4 of our articles
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person commits an offense that is a misdemeanor: (1) if the person operates a motor vehicle that has an object or material that is placed on or attached to the windshield or side or rear window and that obstructs or reduces the operator's clear view; or (2) if a person, including an installer or manufacturer, places on or attaches to the windshield or side or rear window of a motor vehicle a transparent material that alters the color or reduces the light transmission. (a-1) A person in the business of placing or attaching transparent material that alters the color or reduces the light transmission to the windshield or side or rear window of a motor vehicle commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 if the person: (1) places or attaches such transparent material to the windshield or side or rear window of a motor vehicle; and (2) does not install a label that complies with Section 547.609 between the transparent material and the windshield or side or rear window of the vehicle, as applicable.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-01 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at statutes.capitol.texas.gov
Cited in 14 court opinionsMost recently applied by a court: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):State v. Exiga (2002) held DPS exceeded its rulemaking authority by extending window tint standards to pre-1988 vehicles that section 547.613(b) exempts, so a stop of a 1985 vehicle could not rest on tint. Johnson v. State (2007) upheld a stop where an officer correctly reading 547.613 would have suspected illegal mirrored tint.
Leading cases:
- Johnson v. State (Texas Court of Appeals, 10th District (Waco) 2007, 237 S.W.3d 390)✓A trooper stopped Johnson for mirrored one-way tint while relying on an outdated DPS rule; the court held an officer correctly reading Transportation Code 547.613 and its current rules could still have suspected the tint fell below 25 percent light transmittance.
- State v. Luis Exiga (Texas Court of Appeals, 13th District 2002)“…transmission," except as specifically allowed by statute. Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 547.613 (a), (b) (Vernon 1999). However, thes…”
- Christopher Fred Burleson v. State (Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Austin) 2001)“…windows having a light transmission of 35 percent or less. Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 547.613(a)(1), (b)(2) (West 1999).1 Appellant…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Texas Dashcam Laws: Legality, Placement Rules, and Evidence Use, Texas Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits, Texas Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide)
Revised Code of Washington
§ 46.37.430Safety glazing—Sunscreening or coloring.In forcecited in 3 of our articles
(1)(a) No person may sell any motor vehicle as specified in this title, nor may any motor vehicle as specified in this title be registered unless such vehicle is equipped with safety glazing material of a type that meets or exceeds federal standards under 49 C.F.R. Sec. 571.205. (b) The foregoing provisions apply to all passenger-type motor vehicles, including passenger buses and school buses, but in respect to trucks, including truck tractors, the requirements as to safety glazing material apply to all glazing material used in doors, windows, and windshields in the drivers' compartments of such vehicles except as provided by subsection (4) of this section.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-01 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
Cited in 1 court opinionsMost recently applied by a court: 2019
Leading cases:
- United States v. Jose Miranda-Jimenez (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2019)“…le’s windows were likely improperly tinted in violation of Wash. Rev. Code § 46.37.430(5)(a). The officer’s mistake as to the…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Washington Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits, Washington Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide)
Search our full record of US law — 2.1 million sections, every state + federal →
Sources and References
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Tinting Regulations (Ala. Code 32-5C-1 to 32-5C-7)(alea.gov).gov
- Arizona Revised Statutes, A.R.S. 28-959.01 (Window Tinting)(azleg.gov).gov
- California Vehicle Code, Section 26708 (Sun Screening and Window Tinting)(leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).gov
- Louisiana Revised Statutes, La. R.S. 32:361.1 (Window Tinting, as amended by 2025 Act 143)(legis.la.gov).gov
- New York Vehicle and Traffic Law, VTL 375(12-a) (Window Tinting Restrictions)(nysenate.gov).gov
- Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 547 Subchapter F, Section 547.613 (Window Tinting)(statutes.capitol.texas.gov).gov
- Washington Revised Code, RCW 46.37.430 (Sun Screening Material on Motor Vehicle Windows)(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- North Carolina General Statutes, N.C.G.S. 20-127 (Windows and Windshield)(ncleg.gov).gov