Wyoming Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits

Wyoming law requires front side windows to allow at least 28% of visible light through, with the same 28% minimum applying to back side and rear windows on sedans. Multipurpose passenger vehicles, along with trucks, buses, motor homes, ambulances, and limousines, are exempt from the darkness limit on windows behind the driver. Separately, any vehicle that adds tint to a window behind the operator must carry both a left and a right outside rearview mirror.

What is the legal tint limit in Wyoming?

Wyoming sets its window tint limits under W.S. 31-5-962. To understand the numbers, keep this rule in mind: higher VLT percentages mean lighter (less dark) tint, and lower VLT percentages mean darker tint. A window rated at 28% VLT blocks 72% of visible light and allows only 28% to pass through. That is a fairly dark film and is among the more permissive front-side standards in the country.

For sedans, the 28% minimum applies to all three window zones: front side windows, back side windows, and the rear window. Wyoming then carves out an exemption by vehicle type. W.S. 31-5-962(h) provides that the requirements of the section do not apply to windows behind the driver of trucks, buses, motor homes, ambulances, limousines and multipurpose passenger vehicles, or to windshields on motorcycles or motor-driven cycles. On those vehicles the windows behind the driver carry no darkness limit. Front side windows still must meet the 28% minimum on every vehicle.

Whether your vehicle counts as a multipurpose passenger vehicle is decided by the statutory definition, not by how the vehicle is marketed. W.S. 31-5-962(a)(iv) defines the term as a motor vehicle "designed to carry ten (10) persons or less which is constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation." A body-on-frame SUV or a pickup fits that description. A car-platform crossover or a unibody minivan with no off-road features does not clearly fit it, and neither does a station wagon. If you drive a crossover rather than a truck-based SUV, treat the 28% rear limit as the safe assumption unless you can point to the truck chassis or the off-road construction the definition requires.

The mirror requirement is not a multipurpose-vehicle rule. W.S. 31-5-962(g) is a standalone sentence: "If any sunscreen device or tinting film is added to any windows behind the operator, one (1) left and one (1) right outside rearview mirror shall be required." It is triggered by the presence of tint behind the operator, not by the type of vehicle, so a sedan tinted to the lawful 28% on its back side and rear windows needs both outside mirrors just as an SUV with blacked-out rear glass does. Subsection (h) lifts the darkness limits for the listed vehicle types and says nothing about mirrors, so (g) reaches those vehicles as well.

Windshield tint rules in Wyoming

Wyoming permits non-reflective tint only along the top of the windshield. Under W.S. 31-5-962(c), the device "may not extend downward beyond the AS-1 line or more than five (5) inches from the top of the windshield, whichever is closer to the top of the windshield." The two measures are not alternatives you choose between: the more restrictive one always controls. If the AS-1 line on your vehicle sits more than five inches below the top of the glass, the five-inch measure governs; if the AS-1 line sits higher than five inches from the top, the AS-1 line governs. Below whichever boundary applies, in the primary driving vision area, no aftermarket film is permitted.

The non-reflective requirement matters: whatever film goes on the windshield strip must not increase the reflectivity of the glass. Wyoming also caps luminous reflectance on any window at 20%, which rules out mirrored, metallic, or chrome-effect films across all window positions. These films reflect light back toward other drivers and can create dangerous glare conditions, which is why they are regulated separately from VLT.

Wyoming's windshield rule specifically bans red, yellow, and amber sunscreening devices under W.S. 31-5-962(c), separate from the 20% reflectance cap that applies to all windows under 31-5-962(f). The reflectance cap additionally rules out mirrored, bright silver, and chrome-effect films across every window position.

Medical exemptions

Wyoming's primary vehicle statute, W.S. 31-5-962(m), does provide a formal medical exemption procedure. A vehicle operated by, or regularly used to transport, a person with a medical condition that makes them susceptible to harm from sunlight or bright artificial light may be equipped with sun shading or tinting films on any or all of its windows, reducing light transmission to as low as 25%. The windshield is treated differently: the same subsection requires the main windshield area to stay at or above 70% VLT even under the exemption, except for the upper 5 inches or the AS-1 line, whichever is closer to the top, which may go as dark as the general 25% floor.

The vehicle cannot be operated on Wyoming highways under this exemption unless the driver or an occupant carries a certificate issued by the director. The director issues that certificate only after receiving a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist identifying the person and stating, in the physician's or optometrist's professional opinion, that the tint is necessary to safeguard that person's health.

If you have a medical condition requiring reduced sun exposure, start by having your physician or optometrist prepare the required signed statement, then apply to the Wyoming Department of Transportation for the certificate before installing tint darker than the standard 28% limit.

How tint is measured and certified

Wyoming law enforcement uses VLT meters to check window tint compliance during roadside stops. The meter measures how much visible light passes through the glass and any applied film combined. The reading is compared to the legal standard for that window position.

Wyoming's statute does not specify a published measurement tolerance in the primary source. In practice, many states operate with an informal tolerance of a few percentage points, but Wyoming drivers and installers should target compliance that clearly meets the 28% front-side standard rather than relying on any assumed margin. Readings at or near the line can vary between different meters and environmental conditions.

Wyoming does not appear to require a mandatory compliance sticker or installer certification label under W.S. 31-5-962. However, keeping the installer's certificate showing the film's VLT rating in the vehicle is a practical safeguard. If a meter reading is close to the limit, the installer's documentation of the film specification can support your position that the tint is compliant when combined with the factory glass.

Penalties for illegal tint in Wyoming

Wyoming's window tint law falls under the state's vehicle equipment statutes at Title 31 of the Wyoming Statutes. While W.S. 31-5-962 does not itself list a dollar fine, Title 31's general penalty provision, W.S. 31-5-1201(b), makes a violation a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200 for a first conviction, up to $300 for a second conviction within a year, and up to $500, or up to 6 months in jail, for a third conviction within a year.

An officer who determines your tint is non-compliant can issue a citation at a roadside stop. The likely outcome is a fine and a requirement to remove the film and bring the vehicle into compliance. Wyoming's enforcement environment may vary somewhat between urban and rural counties, but the statutory requirement applies uniformly across the state.

Because Wyoming is a fairly permissive state with a 28% front-side limit, most aftermarket tint jobs that target a medium to light darkness level will clear the legal threshold. The greater risk of a violation typically comes from very dark or reflective films that exceed the 20% reflectance cap or go below the 28% VLT on the front side.

If you want to tint your windows in Wyoming

Choose your tint level based on where in your vehicle you are applying it. For front side windows, any film that keeps combined VLT at 28% or above is legal for all vehicle types. For back side and rear windows on a sedan, you still need 28% or above. If your vehicle falls inside the subsection (h) exemption, meaning a truck, bus, motor home, ambulance, limousine, or a multipurpose passenger vehicle as W.S. 31-5-962(a)(iv) defines it, there is no darkness limit on the windows behind the driver.

Before scheduling installation, confirm with your installer that the VLT rating applies to the combined reading of the film plus your vehicle's factory glass. Many modern vehicles come with factory glass that already reduces transmission by 10 to 20%, so a film rated at 35% VLT on plain glass might produce a combined reading below 28% on a vehicle with tinted factory glass. Your installer should measure the existing glass before recommending a film specification.

Avoid any film with luminous reflectance above 20%, including chrome, mirror, or highly metallic films. These are non-compliant on all windows under Wyoming law regardless of the VLT reading. After installation, ask your installer to meter all windows and provide a written record of the readings. Keep that document in your vehicle.

Whatever you drive, check your mirrors before tinting anything behind the operator. W.S. 31-5-962(g) requires one left and one right outside rearview mirror on any vehicle that adds film to a window behind the operator, and that applies to a sedan at the lawful 28% just as much as to an SUV with no darkness limit. An officer assessing your vehicle should be able to verify both mirrors are present and functioning.

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 state-by-state comparisons, see the Window Tint Laws hub. For related rules about what you can attach to or mount on your windshield, see Wyoming Windshield Mounting Restrictions.

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