Watch: How to check your state's tint laws in the SalesThumb mobile app (0:46)
Tint shops get this question every quote: "How dark can I go in my state?" Here's how VLT works and where to check your state's current limits.
How VLT works
VLT = Visible Light Transmission. The percentage of light the film + glass lets through. Lower = darker.
- 5% = limo tint (essentially private)
- 15-20% = very dark
- 35% = moderately dark, popular legal-front choice in many states
- 50% = light tint, often legal where 35% isn't
- 70% = nearly clear, often legal even where front is highly restricted
Most measurements account for the OEM glass (which is typically 75-80% VLT on its own). If your film is rated 35% VLT, the combined VLT through the window is 75% × 35% = 27%. Police officers measure the combined VLT, not the film rating.
Your state's rules
This article doesn't keep its own state-by-state table. For each state's current limits (front sides, rear sides, rear window, windshield strip, reflectance and medical exemptions), use the state's page under Window tint laws by state — /tint-laws/{state}, for example /tint-laws/texas. That's the single source on this site, with the statute cited.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and enforcement varies; confirm current requirements with the state.
Windshield rules
Most states allow only a "shade strip" on the windshield — typically the top few inches or down to the AS-1 line (a small marker stamped into most windshields). Some states set a VLT figure for the strip, some only a depth, and some allow no windshield film at all; check the state's /tint-laws page.
Windshield tint is easy to get wrong. Be conservative.
Medical exemptions
Many states issue medical exemption permits that allow darker tint than the standard limit. Conditions that qualify vary but typically include:
- Lupus
- Skin cancer or pre-cancerous condition
- Severe photosensitivity
- Specific ophthalmologic conditions
The customer needs documentation from a licensed physician, submits to the state DMV (or DPS, depending on state), and receives a permit they must keep in the vehicle. Some states issue a placard for the windshield.
When a customer presents a medical exemption permit:
- Verify the permit's expiration date
- Record it on the quote's Medical tint exemption card (type, who issued it, the certificate or permit number, and the expiration date). See Recording a customer's medical tint exemption.
- Photo-document the permit at install
- Apply the requested darker tint (the permit overrides standard VLT law)
While a current exemption is recorded on the quote, the customer isn't asked to sign the tint-compliance acknowledgement on the quote page or the invoice page, and the invoice page shows the exemption on file instead. The card doesn't store a copy of the document, so keep the paperwork as your state requires.
What to enforce in your shop
There's no per-state VLT table for you to configure — SalesThumb ships its own state limit table and checks against it. What you get is a compliance check on the quote, and an acknowledgement the customer signs before paying:
- The quote's compliance card. On a quote's detail page, a compliance card defaults the state from the customer's address and the vehicle class from the vehicle's body type (you can override either), then lets you enter the proposed VLT per window. It flags any window that violates that state's limit. The limits themselves are built in — you can't raise, lower, or add a state's numbers, so treat your state's /tint-laws page as the reference and the card as the check.
- The acknowledgement. The quote's compliance card doesn't collect a signature. When the VLT picks saved on the quote break the state's limit, the customer must sign a tint-compliance acknowledgement before paying — even with the service waiver off. On the public quote page, a Sign to continue card takes the place of the deposit's Pay button until they sign. On the public invoice page, they sign before paying. A signature on the quote page also covers the invoice made from that quote. If you also turn on the service waiver (Settings → Shop Profile), the invoice page asks for that first and the tint warning is folded into the same signature.
- Medical exemptions. Once the quote has a saved tint plan, a Medical tint exemption card appears below the compliance card. While a current exemption is recorded there, the tint-compliance acknowledgement isn't required.
- No send-blocking gate. VLT compliance doesn't block sending a quote — there's no Quality Control gate for it.
What you won't find: a configurable warning threshold or a per-state minimum you set yourself. The tint-compliance acknowledgement wording is fixed; only the general service waiver's wording is your own, set in Settings → Shop Profile.
Some shops refuse to install illegal tint. Some install whatever the customer wants and take the signed waiver. Pick your shop's policy and document it — the software gives you the waiver, not the policy.
Out-of-state vehicles
A customer with an out-of-state registration wants the shade that's legal back home. Generally the law of the state where the vehicle is driven applies, so check your own state's page before installing.
Some shops refuse out-of-state-only installs. Some install and let the customer take the risk.
Resources
- IWFA (International Window Film Association) keeps the most up-to-date state-by-state rules
- Your local DPS / DMV's website is the authoritative source
- Most film manufacturers (3M, LLumar, Madico, Solar Gard) publish per-state guides
Related
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where do I record a customer's medical tint exemption?
A: On the quote. Once the quote's Tint compliance card has an install state and window shades, a Medical tint exemption card appears below it. Enter the type, who issued it, the optional certificate or permit number, and the expiration date.
Q: Does a medical exemption skip the tint-law acknowledgement?
A: Yes. While a current exemption is recorded on the quote, the customer isn't asked to sign the tint-compliance acknowledgement on the quote page or the invoice page. After it expires, the acknowledgement is required again.
Q: Can I change the state VLT limits SalesThumb checks against?
A: No. The state limit table is built in. You can override the state and vehicle class on a quote's compliance card, but not the limits themselves.
Q: Does an illegal shade stop me from sending a quote?
A: No. VLT compliance doesn't block sending a quote. The customer signs a tint-compliance acknowledgement before paying instead: on the quote page before a deposit, or on the invoice page.