Loading
Loading
California allows clear, colorless film on front side windows if the film alone has 88% or more visible light transmittance, the glass with the film meets the federal 70% minimum, plus other conditions. Section 26708 exempts rear side windows, and the rear window when both outside mirrors show 200 feet of road. Windshields allow non-red, non-amber material at least 29 inches above the driver's seat; buses and some trucks face a federal rule.
Source: Cal. Veh. Code §§ 26708, 26708.2, 26708.5, 26708.7, 26710, 26701(d), 34500, 34500.7, 415, 40000.1, 42001, 40303.5, 40610, 40611, 40616, 49 C.F.R. 393.60; Veh. Code § 26708.2 (sun-screening devices); Veh. Code § 26708.5 (installing film; tinted safety glass); Veh. Code § 26708.7 (peace officer agency vehicles); Veh. Code § 26710 (defective windshield or rear window; section 34500 vehicles); Veh. Code § 26701(d) (red, blue, amber aftermarket material); Veh. Code § 34500 (vehicles regulated by the CHP); Veh. Code § 34500.7 (federal motor carrier regulations); Veh. Code § 415 (motor vehicle defined); Veh. Code § 40000.1 (violations are infractions); Veh. Code § 42001 (infraction fines); Veh. Code § 40303.5 (promise to correct, equipment infractions); Veh. Code §§ 40610-40616 (notice to correct violation); 49 C.F.R. 393.60 (glazing; windshield condition and tinting on commercial vehicles); CHP General Order 100.5 (regulated vehicle devices, revised December 2023), aftermarket tinting. Summary last checked against these sources on September 19, 2026.
| Window | Rule |
|---|---|
| Windshield | Transparent material is allowed on the topmost portion of the windshield if its bottom edge is at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver's seat, measured from a point five inches in front of the bottom of the backrest with the seat in its rearmost and lowermost position and the vehicle on a level surface. The other conditions are that the material is not red or amber, has no opaque lettering (other lettering does not affect primary colors or distort vision through the windshield), and does not reflect sunlight or headlight glare into the eyes of occupants of oncoming or following vehicles to any greater extent than the windshield without it (section 26708(c)). Section 26708(b) also exempts certain small stickers and devices in specified areas, and section 26708(e) allows clear, colorless ultraviolet film for a driver with a dermatologist's certificate (see Medical exemptions). For vehicles listed in section 34500, including buses and truck tractors, section 26710(b) separately makes it unlawful to operate the vehicle on a highway when the windshield's condition is other than described in 49 C.F.R. 393.60(c). That federal rule requires the windshield to be free of discoloration or damage in the area above the height of the top of the steering wheel (excluding narrow borders at the top and sides), except for tinting that meets 393.60(d), which allows tinting when the glazing has parallel luminous transmittance of at least 70% in the portions marked as having it. This page does not resolve how the section 26708(c) allowance fits with that rule for those vehicles. |
| Front side windows | Clear, colorless, transparent film is allowed on the front side windows, the ones to the immediate left and right of the front seat, if all five conditions in section 26708(d) are met. First, the film itself has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88%. Second, the window glazing with the film applied meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205, including its 70% minimum light transmittance and AS-14 abrasion resistance. Third, the film is designed and manufactured to enhance the glass's ability to block ultraviolet A rays. Fourth, the driver has, in their possession or in the vehicle, a certificate signed by the installing company certifying that the windows with the film meet these requirements and identifying the installing company and the film's manufacturer by full name and street address. If the owner installed the film, the certificate is instead signed by the film's manufacturer, certifying that the windows with the film installed per its instructions meet these requirements and identifying the manufacturer by full name and street address. Fifth, film that tears or bubbles, or is worn enough to prohibit clear vision, must be removed or replaced. The 88% figure applies to the film alone; the 70% figure applies to the glass with the film on it. A reading of the finished window measures glass plus film, so it relates to the 70% figure, not to the film's own 88%, and the statute states no measuring method. Other film on the front side windows is not allowed under section 26708(a)(1) unless another listed exception applies, such as the section 26708(e) dermatologist film. Section 26708(b)(10) sun-screening devices are a separate medical exception for removable devices, not for permanent film: they must be held in place by means allowing ready removal (section 26708.2(a)) and cannot be used during darkness (see Medical exemptions). |
| Rear side windows | Section 26708 does not apply to side windows to the rear of the driver, and it states no visible light transmittance limit for them. Red, blue and amber translucent aftermarket material is separately restricted (see Reflectance or color). |
| Rear window | Section 26708 does not apply to the rear window or windows if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both the left and right sides, located to show the driver the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear, and it states no visible light transmittance limit in that case. Without both mirrors, the general ban on material applied to the rear window in section 26708(a)(1) applies, subject to the section's other exceptions. |
| Reflectance or color | Film under section 26708(d) is clear, colorless and transparent, and section 26708 states no numeric reflectance limit for it. Windshield material under section 26708(c) is not red or amber and does not add glare for occupants of oncoming or following vehicles. Section 26701(d) makes it unlawful to sell, offer for sale or operate a vehicle equipped with red, blue or amber translucent aftermarket material in its partitions, windows, windshields or wind deflectors. Medical sun-screening devices cannot have a reflective quality above 35% on either the inner or outer surface (section 26708.2(d)). |
VLT (visible light transmission) is the percentage of visible light that passes through a window or film; a higher number means lighter tint. Most state limits are measured on the finished window (glass and film together). Where a rule is stated for the film itself, the table says so. Some states also limit reflectance, the share of light bounced back off the surface (a mirror-like look).
Section 26708 applies to a person driving any motor vehicle and sets no separate limits by vehicle type, though a few exceptions depend on it. Section 26710(b) covers windshields on vehicles listed in section 34500, including buses and some trucks. Vehicles an agency owns or leases for its peace officers' on-duty use are exempt from the side and rear window rules (section 26708.7). Tinted safety glass is allowed under section 26708.5(b) only if it meets U.S. DOT glazing standards and is installed where those standards permit that glass type. The statute gives no tolerance or measuring method. The statute text applies to anyone driving a motor vehicle in California and, in the sections reviewed, has no exemption for vehicles registered in another state. Federal glazing rules are not covered.
California has two medical routes, and neither allows darker permanent film: the first covers removable sun-screening devices, and the second covers clear, colorless film that still needs 88% visible light transmittance by itself. First, section 26708(b)(10) exempts sun-screening devices meeting section 26708.2 on the side windows on either side of the front seat if the driver or a front-seat passenger has in their possession a letter or other document signed by a licensed physician and surgeon (person must be shaded from the sun due to a medical condition) or by a licensed optometrist (due to a visual condition). Under section 26708(b)(10), these devices cannot be used during darkness. Section 26708.2 requires that a device be held in place by means allowing ready removal, such as a frame, a rigid material with temporary fasteners, or a flexible roller shade. A device using transparent material must be green, gray or a neutral smoke color and have luminous transmittance of not less than 35%. A device using nontransparent louvers or other alternating patterns of opaque and open sections must have an essentially uniform pattern over the entire surface except framing and supports, at least 35% of the device area open, and no individual louver or opaque section over 3/16 inch in projected vertical dimension. No device may have a reflective quality above 35% on either the inner or outer surface. Second, section 26708(e) allows clear, colorless, transparent film on the windshield, side or rear windows if the driver has, in their possession or in the vehicle, a certificate signed by a licensed dermatologist certifying that the person should not be exposed to ultraviolet rays because of a medical condition that necessitates clear, colorless, transparent film. That film still needs at least 88% visible light transmittance by itself, must be designed and manufactured to enhance the glass's ability to block ultraviolet A rays, and must be removed or replaced if it tears, bubbles or is worn enough to prohibit clear vision. The glass with the film must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205, including its 70% minimum light transmittance and AS-14 abrasion resistance. Both routes rest on a signed letter or certificate: the device route needs the letter in the person's possession, and the dermatologist route allows the certificate to be in their possession or in the vehicle. Neither route requires a state permit or sticker under sections 26708(b)(10), 26708(e) or 26708.2. Section 26708.5(a) separately bars any person from placing, installing, affixing or applying transparent material that alters the color or reduces the light transmittance of the windshield or side or rear windows, except as provided in section 26708(b), (c) or (d); it does not name (e), and this page does not resolve how the two fit together.
Section 26708 states no penalty of its own. Under Vehicle Code 40000.1, violating a provision of the code is an infraction unless that article provides otherwise. Section 42001(a) sets the fine at up to $100 for an infraction, up to $200 for a second infraction within one year of a prior infraction that resulted in a conviction, and up to $250 for a third or later infraction within one year of two or more prior infractions that resulted in convictions, except as the code provides otherwise. That is the base fine limit only; this page does not cover court fees or assessments that may be added. For an equipment infraction under Division 12 of the Vehicle Code, where section 26708 sits, an arresting officer must permit the person to sign a promise to correct unless the officer finds evidence of fraud or persistent neglect, an immediate safety hazard, or that the person does not agree to, or cannot, promptly correct it (sections 40303.5(e) and 40610). The notice states an estimated reasonable time to correct and prove correction, not to exceed 30 days (section 40610(d)). A police department, the California Highway Patrol, a sheriff or another law enforcement agency regularly engaged in enforcing the Vehicle Code can certify the correction (section 40616(c)), and on proof of correction the court clerk collects a $25 transaction fee unless the notice is processed only by the issuing agency and no record of the action is sent to the court (sections 40610 and 40611). Willfully violating the written promise, or willfully failing to deliver proof of correction, is a misdemeanor (section 40616). For a windshield or rear window that does not comply, section 26710(c) separately directs the inspecting officer to require the driver to make it conform within 48 hours, and allows the officer to arrest the driver, give a notice to appear, and require proof of correction in court.
California allows clear, colorless, transparent film on front side windows if all five conditions in section 26708(d) are met: the film itself has at least 88% visible light transmittance; the glass with the film meets federal standard 205, including its 70% minimum and AS-14 abrasion resistance; the film is designed to help the glass block ultraviolet A rays; the driver has, in their possession or in the vehicle, a certificate from the installing company (or from the film's manufacturer if the owner installed the film); and the film is removed or replaced if it tears, bubbles or wears enough to prohibit clear vision. Side windows behind the driver are outside Vehicle Code 26708, as is the rear window when both outside mirrors show at least 200 feet of road. The windshield has its own rules, described in the rules table on this page, and federal glazing rules are not covered here.
Section 26708 does not apply to side windows behind the driver and states no visible light transmittance limit for them. It also does not apply to the rear window if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides that show the driver at least 200 feet of road to the rear; without both mirrors, the section's general ban on material applied to rear windows applies, subject to its other exceptions. Section 26701(d) separately makes it unlawful to sell or operate a vehicle equipped with red, blue or amber translucent aftermarket material in its windows, and federal glazing rules are not covered here.
Yes, in two limited forms, and neither allows darker permanent film. A driver or front-seat passenger with a signed letter from a licensed physician and surgeon, or from a licensed optometrist, may use removable sun-screening devices that meet section 26708.2 on the side windows beside the front seat, but not during darkness. Devices using transparent material need luminous transmittance of at least 35%, and devices using nontransparent louvers or alternating opaque and open patterns need at least 35% of the device area open. Separately, section 26708(e) allows a driver with a licensed dermatologist's certificate to have clear, colorless film on the windshield, side or rear windows, but that film still needs at least 88% visible light transmittance by itself, and the glass with the film must meet the federal 70% minimum.
Section 26708 prohibits material on the windshield except where it lists an exception. One is transparent, non-red, non-amber material on the topmost portion, with its bottom edge at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver's seat, no opaque lettering, and no added glare for occupants of oncoming or following vehicles (section 26708(c)). Another is clear, colorless ultraviolet film for a driver with a dermatologist's certificate (section 26708(e)), and section 26708(b) exempts certain small stickers and devices. Tinted safety glass is governed separately by section 26708.5(b), which allows it only if it meets U.S. DOT safety glazing standards and is installed in a location those standards permit for that type of glass. Vehicles listed in section 34500 also have a separate windshield rule under section 26710(b), described in the windshield row of the rules table on this page.
Mostly not: section 26708 applies to a person driving any motor vehicle and does not divide its rules by passenger car, SUV, truck or van, though a separate windshield rule applies to vehicles listed in section 34500. Vehicle Code section 415 defines a motor vehicle as a vehicle that is self-propelled. Which rule applies depends on the window and the conditions, such as the front side windows or a rear window with both outside mirrors. A few exceptions depend on the vehicle, including a wide-angle lens on the side window opposite the driver of a vehicle over 80 inches wide and vehicle safety technology on section 34500 vehicles that are subject to section 34500.7 (section 26708(b)(9) and (14)). Section 26710(b) makes it unlawful to operate a vehicle described in section 34500, which includes buses, schoolbuses, modified limousines, truck tractors and certain larger trucks, on a highway when the windshield's condition is other than described in 49 C.F.R. 393.60(c). That federal rule requires the windshield to be free of discoloration or damage in the area above the height of the top of the steering wheel, except for tinting that meets 393.60(d); this page does not resolve how it fits with the section 26708(c) allowance. Federal glazing rules are otherwise not covered here.
It depends on the window. Film that passes 35% of visible light does not fit the front side window conditions in section 26708(d), or the dermatologist film conditions in section 26708(e), both of which call for clear, colorless film with at least 88% visible light transmittance on the film itself. Behind the driver, section 26708 states no visible light transmittance limit for side windows, or for the rear window when both outside mirrors show at least 200 feet of road, so that film is outside that section, though section 26701(d) color rules and federal glazing rules are separate. California's 35% figures appear in the rules for removable medical sun-screening devices (section 26708.2).
Read the full California breakdown
Running a tint shop in California? See shop software for California.
This page summarizes California statute and regulation text for general information and is not legal advice. It covers passenger vehicles with aftermarket film (film added after the vehicle left the factory) and includes SUV, van and truck rules where the state sets different ones. Some vehicle types, such as limousines, buses, commercial and law-enforcement vehicles, and factory glass are treated differently in some states, and whether a vehicle registered in another state is covered depends on the state; see “Who this covers” above. Federal glazing rules (FMVSS 205, 49 CFR 571.205) apply separately from state law, and 49 U.S.C. 30122 bars manufacturers, distributors, dealers, rental companies and motor vehicle repair businesses from knowingly making required safety equipment inoperative, so installers should check both. Laws change and enforcement varies; confirm current requirements with the state before tinting. Before tinting, ask the installer to measure your glass and confirm the finished window will meet the limit; afterward, ask for a reading on a light-transmission meter and keep it.