Texas requires window film to let 25 percent or more of light through on the front side windows. Side windows behind the driver are exempt, and the rear window is exempt if the vehicle has an outside mirror on each side that shows the driver the road for at least 200 feet to the rear. Reflectance on tinted front side windows is capped at 25%, and a sunscreening device on the windshield can't extend below the AS-1 line or more than five inches from the top, whichever is closer to the top. This is set by Texas Transportation Code Sec. 547.613, not county rule, so it's the same statewide.
Texas VLT limits by window
- Front side windows (driver + front passenger): must allow 25 percent or more light transmission in combination with the window. Meter readings vary, so shops should quote a film that reads comfortably above the line, not right at it.
- Back side windows: side windows to the rear of the driver are exempt from the statute's tint restriction. Rear window: exempt if the vehicle is equipped with an outside mirror on each side that reflects a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear. The statute doesn't set a specific 25% floor for the rear window; without those mirrors, the general prohibition on material that reduces light transmission or obstructs the operator's view applies. DPS's rule (37 TAC 21.3(c)(4)(B)) and web page, however, call for the rear window to have 25% or more light transmission and 25% or less luminous reflectance when the vehicle lacks a qualifying mirror on both sides.
- Reflectance: capped at 25% on front side windows.
- Windshield: a sunscreening device is allowed if, combined with the windshield, it has 25 percent or more light transmission and 25 percent or less luminous reflectance, isn't red, blue, or amber, and doesn't extend below the AS-1 line or more than five inches from the top of the windshield, whichever is closer to the top.
Medical exemptions
Texas Transportation Code 547.613(e) makes it a defense to prosecution that the defendant or a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the violation is required for a medical reason to be shielded from direct rays of the sun. It is a defense raised when charged, not a permit or certification program in the statute text. DPS's rule (37 TAC 21.3(e)) separately allows tint darker than 25% on every window except the windshield when the driver or an occupant carries a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist, and DPS says it stopped issuing exemption certificates on January 1, 2019. If you're relying on either, ask the Texas DPS or an attorney what documentation to carry.
Enforcement and penalties
Under Sec. 547.613(a), operating a vehicle with material on a window that obstructs or reduces the operator's clear view, or placing or attaching material that alters color or reduces light transmission, is an offense that is a misdemeanor. That includes installers and manufacturers. A business that installs tint without the label required by Section 547.609 commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 under 547.613(a-1). We haven't verified other fine amounts, so confirm with the court handling a citation.
What this means when you're quoting a job
The 25% floor on the front side windows plus the outside-mirror caveat on the rear window is the kind of detail that's easy for a front-desk employee to get wrong on a truck or van missing a passenger-side mirror. Quoting a dark rear window without checking mirrors is how a shop installs a technically illegal rear window on a customer's vehicle. A window tint shop software tool with a Texas-specific compliance check at quote time catches that before the film goes on, not after a customer gets a ticket.
Frequently asked questions
What is the darkest legal tint in Texas? Front side windows must let 25 percent or more of light through. Side windows behind the driver are exempt, and the rear window is exempt if the vehicle has an outside mirror on each side showing the road for at least 200 feet to the rear.
Is 5% tint legal in Texas? Not on the front side windows — 5% is well under the 25% VLT floor. Side windows behind the driver are exempt from the tint restriction, and the rear window is exempt if the vehicle has an outside mirror on each side.
Do I need a sticker or certificate for legal tint in Texas? Installers must place a label complying with Section 547.609 between the film and the glass, and a business that doesn't commits a misdemeanor under 547.613(a-1). The medical provision is a defense to prosecution, not a certificate program.
Can I get a ticket for tint that was installed by a shop? Yes, the driver can be cited. The statute also makes it an offense for an installer or manufacturer to place or attach the material, so shops have exposure too — which is why quoting a legal shade at the point of sale matters.
Does Texas require dual mirrors for dark rear tint? The rear window is exempt from the statute's restriction if the vehicle has an outside mirror on each side that shows the driver at least 200 feet of highway to the rear. Without that, the general rule in 547.613(a) applies to the rear window and the statute doesn't set a separate percentage for it, but DPS's rule and web page call for 25% or more light transmission and 25% or less luminous reflectance on the rear window in that case.
This is general information based on Texas's public statutes and reporting on Transportation Code Sec. 547.613, not legal advice — enforcement can vary by jurisdiction and laws change over time, so confirm specifics with the Texas DPS or a licensed attorney before you install, buy, or contest a citation.
Related
- State-by-state window tint laws (VLT limits) - Texas shop market + VLT summary - Window tint percentages: what VLT, 5%, 20%, 35% mean - North Carolina window tint law changes for 2026 - Georgia window tint law changes: HB 1161 explained