Are Tints Legal? Everything You Need to Know About Window Tinting Laws in the US

The automotive tint industry is worth $3.14 billion . It provides a range of benefits and increases the aesthetic appeal of your car.
Drivers may still ask, are tinted windows legal? The answer depends on where you're at and how dark your windows are.
Window tinting laws differ from state to state, are unique to each type of vehicle, and are based on percentages of light reaching through the glass. Knowing them all helps you avoid nasty fines. Read our guide for a detailed description of how tinted your windows and windshield can be in every part of the country.

There are pros and cons to car window tinting. Knowing them helps you understand why drivers continue to tint their windows despite the potential legal repercussions.
Pros include reduced UV exposure, car interior protection, and increased safety and privacy. Cons include reduced visibility, legal issues, and maintenance and installation costs.
There are certain terms you need to know to understand window tinting laws.
Officers measure how dark a window tint is by determining the visible light transmission percentage or VLT.
Front side windows are in front of the driver and passenger. Rear side windows are any side windows behind them, including rear-seat passenger side windows.
When window tinting laws regulate reflection, they're determining whether or not your tint can include a metallic or reflective film.
There are medical exemptions to window tint laws. These include conditions such as lupus, melanoma, and photosensitivity.
If you do have a medical exemption, you need to have documentation at the ready. It should include a prescription expiration date, the exempt vehicle, the applicable medical condition, a note from your doctor, and the permitted tint percentage. Knowing how to check if tinted windows are legal is also essential to avoid fines. Find an online database to check the rules in your area.

The average allowable window tint percentage for front side windows is 40%.
The exact VLT regulations you must meet are:

no tint allowed in New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont
top 4" only in Michigan
20% in New Mexico
24% in Montana, Washington
25% in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas,
27% in Colorado, South Carolina,
28% in Florida, Massachusets, Mississippi, and Wyoming
30% in Indiana
32% in Alabama and Georgia
33% in Arizona
35% in Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia
40% in Louisiana
43% in Utah
50% in Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin
70% in California, D.C., Delaware, Iowa, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island

The regulations for rear side and back windows also differ for each state and vehicle. They include:

no limit in Arizona, California, Delaware, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Vermont
12% with no limit on SUVs and vans for back windows and 25% on rear side windows with no limit on SUVs and vans in Louisiana
14% with no limits on SUVs and vans in Montana
15% for all vehicles in Florida
20% with no limit on SUVs and vans in New Mexico and South Dakota
20% on rear side windows and 35% on back windows with no limits on SUVs and vans in Idaho
20% for passenger vehicles and 35% for SUVs and vans in Nebraska
24% with no limit on SUVs and vans in Washington
25% with no limit for SUVs and vans in Oklahoma
25% for passenger side windows but 10% for SUVs and vans and 10% for back windows in Arkansas
27% for all vehicles in Colorado
27% with no limits for SUVs and vans in South Carolina
28% for all vehicles in Massachusets
28% on passenger vehicles with no limit on SUVs and vans in Mississipi and Wyoming
30% with no limit for SUVs and vans in Indiana
32% with no limit for SUVs and vans in Alabama and Georgia
35% for rear passenger vehicle windows but no limits for SUVs, vans, and back windows in Connecticut and North Carolina
35% for rear and back windows with no limits for SUVs and vans in Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oregon, Virginia, and West Virginia
35% for all vehicles in Kansas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin
40% for passenger vehicles but no tint permitted for SUVs and vans in Alaska
50% for passenger vehicles and 35% for SUVs and vans in D.C.
50% with no limits on SUVs and vans in Minnesota
70% for passenger rear side windows but no limits on SUVs or vans and no limits for back windows in New York
70% with no limits on SUVs and vans in Pennsylvania

Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey do not allow windshield tinting.
Certain states allow you to tint your windshield down to the AS1 marking, a manufacturer's line near the top of a windshield. They include:

Arizona
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Massachusets
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
North Carolina
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Wisconsin

Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, and Washington allow for a 6" shade band. Alaska, Arkansas, Maryland, andWest Virginia allows for a 5" shade band.
California, Colorado, Maine, and Michigan allow for a 4" shade band. D.C., Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming allow a 5" shade band or a tint that reaches the AS1 marking.
Hawaii, North Dakota, and Ohio allow for a tint of up to 70% on the windshield.

In Alabama, Georgia, Lousiana, your windshield cannot be more than 20% reflective. In Indiana, Kentucky, it must be no more than 25% reflective. In Arizona, Idaho, it must be no more than 35% reflective.
Your windshield must be non-reflective in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, and Maryland. There is no limit in D.C. In Connecticut, the front windows can be up to 21% reflective, but the rear windows can go up to 27%. In Florida, front windows can be up to 25% reflective and rear windows can go up to 35%.