The tint question car owners ask most isn't "what film should I get" — it's "what's legal in my state?" Here's the scannable answer.
Front side window VLT % by state
Lower VLT % = darker tint. A state listed at 35% means tint cannot let less than 35% of visible light through.
Strictest (front side ≥ 50% VLT, or no aftermarket allowed)
- New Jersey, Vermont: NO aftermarket tint on front sides
- California: clear, colorless film only, 88% VLT on the film itself and 70% for glass plus film; New York, Pennsylvania: 70%
- New Hampshire: 70%
- Iowa: 50% on the front side windows since July 1, 2026 (House File 766); windshield 70%
- Michigan: no film on the front side windows except a strip along the top edge (4 inches or less); not a VLT percentage
- Virginia: 50% front sides, 35% on the windows behind the driver (multipurpose passenger vehicles and pickups are exempt behind the driver)
- Minnesota: 50%, plus or minus 3%
- Wisconsin: 50% front sides, 35% rear sides and rear (glass plus film, 3% tolerance, no reflective film)
- Ohio: 50%
- Oregon: the film itself at least 50% on side and rear windows, and at least 35% total with the glass
Mid-range (35-49%)
- Connecticut, North Carolina: 35%
- Tennessee: 35% on every window (windshield material may not take the windshield below 70%)
- Maryland (35%), Massachusetts (35% light transmittance, or at most 35% reflectance)
- Maine: 35% (net of glass and film; windows behind the driver have no figure with outside mirrors on both sides)
- Idaho: 35% front sides and rear window, 20% rear side windows (each plus or minus 3%)
More permissive (25-34%)
- Florida: 28%
- South Carolina: 27% (one nonreflective film, combined with the factory glass; behind the driver it covers pickups but not multipurpose passenger vehicles)
- Georgia: 28% front sides, 15% rear windshield and rear sides under HB 1161 (effective July 1, 2026)
- Arizona: 33% plus or minus 3% (with 35% plus or minus 3% reflectance)
- Indiana: 30% on front-door side windows and the rear window (the statute does not list rear side windows)
- Mississippi: 28% (all windows)
Most permissive (25% and under)
- Texas: 25%
- Oklahoma: 25%
- New Mexico: 20% (nonreflective film, outside mirrors on both sides)
Important caveats
- Multi-purpose vehicles (SUVs, trucks, vans) often get more permissive limits on rear side windows + back glass
- Medical exemptions exist in nearly every state — your state DOT can issue a waiver
- Windshield: most states allow tint above the AS-1 line (a manufacturer-drawn line ~5-6 inches below the top of the windshield)
- Enforcement varies dramatically by county
Full per-state references with VLT specs and windshield rules
Each state has its own detail page with current limits, windshield rules, hub cities, and market context:
- Texas
- Florida
- California
- New York
- Arizona
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Ohio
- Browse all 50 states
Recent law changes
Two states' tint rules changed recently: North Carolina removed tint from its annual vehicle inspection and added a roll-down-for-officers rule effective December 1, 2025 — its 35% VLT limit itself didn't move. Georgia's HB 1161 replaced the flat 32% VLT limit with 28% for front side windows and a darker 15% for the rear windshield and rear side (door) windows, effective July 1, 2026.
What we tell customers
"Look up the limit for your state on our /regions page, then add 5-10% above the minimum to give yourself a safety margin. State enforcement testers' measurements are calibrated within about ±3%, so being right at the legal limit can still get you a ticket."
A note for shops
Your shop-management software should warn you at the quote-builder stage if you're quoting below the state's legal minimum. This is a quiet operational risk that bites shops every year — a customer files a complaint after getting pulled over, and the shop is liable for installing illegal film if the records show they sold a 20% VLT film into a 35%-limit state.
SalesThumb's quote builder shows the state limit inline + flags any below-limit selection. It doesn't block you from quoting (medical exemptions exist) but it makes sure the front desk consciously chooses.