Colorado requires every window except the windshield to let at least 27% of light through — front side, rear side, and the rear window all share the same floor. The one way to legally go darker in back: the front side windows and windshield both have to measure at least 70% VLT, and the vehicle needs outside mirrors on both sides. This is set by Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-227, the same statewide.
Colorado VLT limits by window
- Front side windows (driver + front passenger): must allow at least 27% VLT — the same floor that applies to every non-windshield window by default.
- Rear side windows and rear window: also at least 27% VLT, unless the front side windows and windshield both measure at least 70% VLT — in that case, the rear windows can be any darkness, but only with outside mirrors on both sides.
- Windshield: the windshield's main viewing area must allow at least 70% VLT. A separate non-transparent strip is allowed across the top, but only down to 4 inches from the top edge — that strip itself has no VLT floor to hit; it just can't be red or amber, can't distort vision or color perception, and can't add glare beyond an untreated windshield.
- Reflectance: no numeric cap — Colorado bans any window from presenting a "metallic or mirrored appearance" outright, regardless of what VLT it reads at.
- Color: a windshield strip can't be red or amber, and no film may distort color perception or otherwise obstruct vision.
Medical exemptions Colorado's statute doesn't include a medical exemption for darker tint — an unusual gap compared to most states, and one that trips up installers who assume every state offers one. C.R.S. 42-4-227 makes no provision for a physician-certified waiver, and secondary reporting on the point is inconsistent, so don't treat "medical necessity" as a defense here without confirming current practice directly with the Colorado State Patrol or CDOT first.
Enforcement and penalties Driving with noncompliant tint is a class B traffic infraction in Colorado; installing, manufacturing, or selling tint that doesn't meet the standard is a class A traffic infraction — a meaningfully stricter classification aimed at shops, not just drivers. Colorado's traffic-infraction penalty schedule (C.R.S. 42-4-1701) lists a base penalty assessment around $50 for a class B infraction, with court surcharges added on top — check the current schedule or a local court for the exact total, since surcharge amounts change more often than the base fine.
What this means when you're quoting a job Colorado's installer-facing class A infraction should worry a shop more than the driver's fine — selling a customer film that doesn't clear 27% (or a truly light front that clears 70% to unlock a dark rear) puts the shop's own citation exposure on the line, not just the customer's. A [window tint shop software](/industries/tint) tool that checks Colorado's 27%/70% split before the quote goes out keeps that liability off the shop's books.
Frequently asked questions
What is the darkest legal tint in Colorado? Every window except the windshield must allow at least 27% VLT. The only way to go darker in back is if the front side windows and windshield both measure at least 70% VLT, with outside mirrors on both sides.
Is 20% tint legal in Colorado? Not on the front side windows, and not on the rear windows either — unless the front and windshield are essentially untinted (70%+ VLT), in which case any darkness is legal in back.
Does Colorado allow a medical exemption for darker tint? No — C.R.S. 42-4-227 doesn't include a medical-exemption provision, unlike most states. Confirm current practice with the Colorado State Patrol before assuming one applies.
Can a shop get in trouble for installing illegal tint, not just the driver? Yes. Installing, manufacturing, or selling noncompliant tint is a class A traffic infraction in Colorado — a stricter classification than the class B infraction that applies to driving with it.
Is mirrored or reflective tint legal in Colorado? No. Colorado bans any window from presenting a metallic or mirrored appearance outright, with no numeric reflectance threshold to work under instead.
This is general information based on Colorado's public statutes and reporting on C.R.S. 42-4-227, not legal advice — enforcement can vary and laws change over time, so confirm specifics with the Colorado State Patrol, CDOT, or a licensed attorney before you install, buy, or contest a citation.
Related
- State-by-state window tint laws (VLT limits) - Colorado shop market + VLT summary - Window tint percentages: what VLT, 5%, 20%, 35% mean - Window tint laws by state: the 2025 reference