Utah Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits

Utah law requires front side windows to allow at least 35% of visible light through (35% VLT minimum), a limit that took effect on May 4, 2022 under SB 149. Back side and rear windows may be tinted to any darkness.

What is the legal tint limit in Utah?

Utah's front side window tint limit changed on May 4, 2022, when SB 149, the Tinted Vehicle Windows Amendments, took effect. The prior limit was 43% VLT; it is now 35% VLT. That means the film and glass combined must allow at least 35% of visible light to pass through your front side windows under current Utah law.

A higher VLT percentage is lighter; a lower percentage is darker. A 35% VLT film is noticeably tinted while still permitting a substantial amount of light. The old 43% limit was lighter (less dark); the current 35% allows drivers to go moderately darker on their front windows than before.

Back side and rear windows have no VLT minimum in Utah. Any level of darkness is permitted on those windows. The mirror rule is broader than the rear window, though. Except for compliant windshield material, a motor vehicle with tinting or nontransparent material on any window must be equipped with rear-view mirrors on both the left and right side. That requirement does not depend on the rear window being tinted, and it does not depend on the tint obstructing your view: a car with legal 35% front side tint and clear rear glass is covered.

Utah does not draw a distinction between sedans and multipurpose vehicles (SUVs, vans, trucks) for back side or rear windows. The any-darkness rule applies to all vehicle types behind the driver.

The statute allows no more than a 5% variance when a peace officer meters the light transmittance, so a front side window reading modestly below 35% may still be treated as compliant. That variance is written into the front side window standard alone; the 70% windshield requirement carries no variance. It is also not a plus-or-minus tolerance in both directions: a 40% reading complies because it exceeds the 35% floor, not because of any allowance. Installers should still target close to the stated VLT to avoid the borderline range during enforcement.

Windshield tint rules in Utah

Utah's windshield rules are specific. The windshield as a whole must allow at least 70% of visible light to pass through. The statute bars only a windshield that allows less than 70% light transmittance, so a reading of exactly 70% complies. Non-transparent material, including dark tint film, is permitted only in two limited zones: above the AS-1 line or the top 4 inches of the windshield (whichever is lower), or in a small lower-left corner area no larger than 3 inches by 4 inches.

The small lower-left exception is unusual compared to most states and exists to accommodate certain factory configurations. Outside these two zones, the windshield must remain clear and allow at least 70% light transmittance.

Metallic or mirrored film is prohibited on all windows under Utah law, and that prohibition applies to the windshield strip as well. If you are adding a sun strip, choose a non-metallic, non-mirrored film that stays within the permitted zones.

Medical exemptions

Utah Code 41-6a-1635, the state's window tint statute, does not contain a medical exemption, physician-certification process, or waiver for darker front-window tint. Utah Highway Patrol's own window-tint guidance likewise describes no such process. The statute's only carve-outs are the AS-1/4-inch windshield strip, the 3-by-4-inch lower-left windshield corner, and the general any-darkness allowance already permitted on back side and rear windows.

If sunlight sensitivity is a genuine concern, the available legal options are the any-darkness back side and rear windows (with dual outside mirrors) or a clear, non-tinting UV-blocking film on the front windows and windshield that does not reduce visible light transmission below the legal minimums. Contact the Utah Driver License Division or Department of Public Safety directly to confirm whether any administrative accommodation exists before installing tint that exceeds the 35% front-window minimum.

How tint is measured and certified

Utah uses a VLT meter to measure the combined light transmission through both the glass and the applied film. Because factory glass already absorbs some light, the combined reading will always be darker than the film's standalone rating. Before purchasing film, ask your installer to measure the factory glass VLT so you can calculate what aftermarket film will keep you above the 35% combined minimum.

The 5% metering variance in the front side window standard provides some practical leeway, and a reading of 31% on a 35%-rated front window may fall within it. That variance does not extend to the 70% windshield standard. Targeting 37-40% film on top of lightly tinted factory glass gives you a safer margin.

Utah Code 41-6a-1635 does not itself require a tint compliance sticker or label. Ask your installer about current practice, as many professional tinters apply a label citing the film's VLT and the installer's contact information as a courtesy even when not mandated. Keeping the manufacturer's film certificate in the glove box is always a good precaution.

Penalties for illegal tint in Utah

Non-compliant window tint in Utah is an infraction under Utah Code 41-6a-1635(9). An infraction is a criminal offense rather than a civil violation: it is defined and punished in Utah's Criminal Code. What sets it apart is that it carries no jail. A person convicted of an infraction may not be imprisoned and is instead subject to a fine, forfeiture, disqualification, or some combination, and where no punishment is specified the fine may be set as for a class C misdemeanor. Utah law enforcement officers may cite a driver during a roadside stop if the tint appears to violate the VLT requirements.

Since May 7, 2025, Utah Code 41-6a-1635(10) also bars a peace officer from requesting that the Motor Vehicle Division or Driver License Division revoke or suspend your vehicle registration or driver license over a violation, or multiple violations, of the windshield or front side window limits. That subsection was added by HB 112, the 2025 bill on motor vehicle safety inspection modifications, which left every tint percentage unchanged.

After receiving a citation, you will typically need to remove or replace the non-compliant film and may be asked to provide proof of correction. Because it is an infraction, the financial consequences are modest compared to misdemeanor states, but the cost of having film professionally removed and replaced can exceed the fine itself.

The simplest way to avoid a citation is to choose compliant film from the start and have it installed by a reputable shop that will verify the combined VLT before the vehicle leaves the bay.

If you want to tint your windows in Utah

The key number is 35% VLT on front side windows, the standard in effect since May 4, 2022. If your vehicle still carries tint installed under the older 43% rule, that film remains legal: the change allowed darker tint, so film that met the old 43% standard still exceeds the 35% minimum. You can now go as dark as 35% on front windows, where the prior limit was 43%.

Start by measuring your factory glass. Many dealerships can tell you the factory VLT. Then choose a film whose combined VLT with the factory glass will be 35% or higher. Ask your installer to verify the combined reading before you drive away.

For back side and rear windows, any darkness works, but make sure your vehicle has rear-view mirrors on both the left and right side, which the statute requires whenever any window carries tinting. Metallic and mirrored films are not permitted on any window, so stay with conventional dyed, carbon, or ceramic films.

Utah does not offer a medical exemption for darker front-window tint, so a documented light-sensitivity condition does not change the 35% minimum on those windows. Ask your installer about any compliance labels or certificates to keep in the vehicle.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Window tint limits vary by state and change, and enforcement depends on local practice and your specific vehicle. For a definitive answer, check your state DMV or consult a local attorney.

For more state tint rules, see the Window Tint Laws by State hub. Utah drivers may also want to review Utah Windshield Mounting Restrictions for related vehicle glass regulations.

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