Loading
Loading
Florida allows front side tint passing at least 28% of light and reflecting at most 25%, as tested. Behind the driver, film passing at least 15% (6% on multipurpose passenger vehicles) and reflecting at most 35% is allowed. Windshield tint is allowed only in a transparent top strip outside the driver's direct forward viewing area. Do not treat the plus or minus 3% tolerance as extra room. FMVSS 205-compliant factory glazing is exempt.
Source: Fla. Stat. §§ 316.2951-316.2957 (including § 316.29545); Fla. Stat. § 316.29545 (medical and other exemptions); Fla. Stat. § 316.003 (definition of department); Fla. Stat. § 318.18 (civil penalties and court costs); Fla. Stat. § 775.082 (misdemeanor sentences); Fla. Stat. § 775.083 (misdemeanor fines and court costs); 49 C.F.R. § 571.205 (FMVSS 205); FLHSMV Procedure RS-48 (medical exemption certificates); FLHSMV Schedule of Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Vessel Title and Lien Fees (Rev. 04/26); FLHSMV form HSMV 83390 (medical exemption application). Summary last checked against these sources on September 19, 2026.
| Window | Rule |
|---|---|
| Front side windows | Sunscreening material is authorized if, when applied to and tested on the glass of these windows on the specific vehicle, it lets in at least 28% of visible light and has total solar reflectance of visible light no higher than 25%, measured on the nonfilm side. This covers the side wings and side windows on either side forward of or adjacent to the driver's seat. The statute gives one front-side figure for every motor vehicle, with no multipurpose-passenger-vehicle exception. Every percentage measurement is subject to a plus or minus 3 percent tolerance, but the statute does not say how it is applied, so do not treat it as room to go darker. |
| Rear side windows (windows behind the driver) | Film that lets in at least 15% of visible light, with total solar reflectance no higher than 35% (measured on the nonfilm side), is allowed on any motor vehicle. On a multipurpose passenger vehicle, sunscreening material that lets in at least 6%, with the same 35% reflectance cap, is allowed. The statute words the test as applied to and tested on the rear window glass of the specific vehicle. The plus or minus 3 percent tolerance applies here too, but the statute does not say how it is applied, so do not treat it as room to go darker. |
| Rear window | The same 15% (6% on multipurpose passenger vehicles) and 35% reflectance figures apply, because the rear window is among the windows behind the driver, and the same tolerance caveat applies. Separately, if the rear window is covered or treated with material that makes it nontransparent, the vehicle must have side mirrors on both sides that meet s. 316.294. That mirror condition is a separate provision from the light-transmittance limits. |
| Other coverings behind the driver | Perforated sunscreening material is allowed if, tested with the existing glazing or film, it has total reflectance no higher than 35% and light transmittance of no less than 30%. For material with different levels of reflectance, the statute measures the highest reflectance by dividing the area into 16 equal sections and averaging the overall reflectance, and no one section may measure above 50%. Louvered materials are allowed if the installation does not reduce driver visibility by more than 50 percent. Privacy drapes, curtains and blinds are allowed if held in an open and secure position while the vehicle is operated on a public road. |
| Windshield | Sunscreening material is not allowed on the windshield except along a strip at the top that is transparent and does not encroach upon the driver's direct forward viewing area, which the statute describes by reference to FMVSS 205 as the AS/1 portion of the windshield. The statute gives no strip depth in inches. Manufacturer glazing that complies with FMVSS 205 (s. 316.2957) and medical exemption certificates (s. 316.29545) are treated separately. Also allowed on the windshield: a certificate or paper required by law to be displayed; a device issued by a governmental entity or its designee for electronic toll payments; and a GPS or similar satellite receiver device used to obtain navigation, to improve driver safety as a component of safety monitoring equipment capable of providing driver feedback, or to otherwise route information while the vehicle is operated. |
| Reflectance and color | Front side windows: the sunscreening material must have total solar reflectance of visible light of no more than 25%. Behind the driver, the 35% cap applies to film and to perforated material; the statute sets no reflectance cap for louvered materials or drapes. The plus or minus 3 percent tolerance applies to these figures too, with no method stated. The statute bars material that makes a window nontransparent, alters its color, increases its reflectivity or reduces its light transmittance unless the material meets the limits above. The sections list no banned colors. |
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).
These limits cover sunscreening material and other coverings that make a window nontransparent or alter its color, reflectivity or light transmittance, on vehicles registered or required to be registered in Florida, except farm-husbandry vehicles. FMVSS 205-compliant factory glazing is outside them. Behind the driver, the statute separates multipurpose passenger vehicles from all others, not cars from SUVs. The department is directed to exempt law-enforcement vehicles used in undercover or canine operations from the "window sunscreening requirements" of ss. 316.2951-316.2957; since "window" excludes the windshield, it is unclear whether that reaches s. 316.2952. The department is also directed to exempt vehicles owned or leased by process servers certified under s. 48.29, or by private investigators or private investigative agencies licensed under chapter 493, but only from ss. 316.2953, 316.2954 and 316.2956; the statute does not name the windshield section, s. 316.2952, for them. Confirm any exemption with the department.
Florida's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues sunscreening medical exemption certificates under s. 316.29545 to people with lupus, any autoimmune disease, or another medical condition that requires limited exposure to light. A certificate entitles the person to have sunscreening material on the windshield, side windows and windows behind the driver that would otherwise violate ss. 316.2951 to 316.2957. It is issued for one specific vehicle, identified on the certificate by make, model, year and vehicle identification number, and it is nontransferable and void when that vehicle is sold or transferred. The department's form says the certificate has no expiration date. The department's procedure says vehicles titled and registered in Florida are eligible, and that the certificate is issued to the registered owner, who need not be the person with the condition. On where to keep it, the procedure's display section says the certificate should be in the possession of the vehicle's operator, while a worked example in the same procedure says to keep it in the glove compartment. The application form (HSMV 83390) lists lupus, dermatomyositis, albinism, total or facial vitiligo and xeroderma pigmentosum, plus an "other" box for another autoimmune disease or condition that requires limited exposure to light. An original application needs a certification signed by a physician or another qualifying provider the form names, such as a physician assistant, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner under a licensed physician's protocol. A per-vehicle fee applies; the statute lets the department charge one, and the department's own documents state different amounts ($6.45 in the procedure, $6.50 on the form and $5.50 in its April 2026 fee schedule), so check the current amount before applying.
A driver whose vehicle violates the windshield, front side window or behind-the-driver rules commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation under chapter 318. Section 318.18(2) sets a $30 base penalty for nonmoving traffic violations. Among the amounts added on top are $18 in court costs for a nonmoving infraction under s. 318.18(12)(a), a further $2.50 court cost under s. 318.18(12)(c), a $12.50 administrative fee under s. 318.18(19) and a $10 assessment under s. 318.18(20). Other court costs can apply, and a county board may add a surcharge of up to $30 by ordinance under s. 318.18(14), so the amount due is well above $30. Replacing or repairing material that was legally installed is not a violation of ss. 316.2951 to 316.2954. The reduced-fine repair-affidavit option in s. 318.18(2)(c) names violations of ss. 316.2935 and 316.610, not the tint sections. Anyone who sells or installs sunscreening material in violation of any provision of ss. 316.2951 to 316.2955 is guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, which in the ordinary case allow up to 60 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. A higher fine is possible where s. 775.083(1)(f) or (g) applies (for example, double the pecuniary gain or loss), and court costs are added under s. 775.083(2).
Florida allows tint on front side windows that, as tested on the vehicle, pass at least 28% of light and reflect no more than 25%. Behind the driver, film passing at least 15% of light (6% on multipurpose passenger vehicles) and reflecting no more than 35% is allowed, including on the rear window. Sunscreening material is allowed on the windshield only along a transparent strip at the top that stays out of the driver's direct forward viewing area. Each percentage carries a plus or minus 3% tolerance, but the statute does not say how it is applied, so it is not room to go darker. Manufacturer glazing that complies with FMVSS 205 is exempt, and a medical exemption certificate can allow more.
It depends on the window and the vehicle. Behind the driver, film that lets in at least 15% of light and reflects no more than 35% meets the film rule, and multipurpose passenger vehicles may use material down to 6%. On front side windows, 15% is below the 28% minimum. Because the statute measures the material as applied to and tested on the specific vehicle's glass, a film's own rating does not by itself show whether the finished window passes, so have the finished window measured before relying on it.
Only for windows behind the driver, and only if the vehicle is a multipurpose passenger vehicle as Fla. Stat. 316.2951(2) defines it: a motor vehicle with motive power designed to carry 10 persons or fewer that is constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation. Front side windows have no such exception; the 28% minimum applies to every vehicle. Body style does not decide it. A vehicle outside that definition is held to the 15% figure for film behind the driver. The statute does not list models, so confirm how your specific SUV, pickup or van is classified before choosing film.
Installers and sellers of sunscreening material must give the purchaser a pressure-sensitive, self-destructive, nonremovable, vinyl-type film label stating that the material complies with ss. 316.2951 to 316.2954, and the installer must affix it to the inside left door jamb. The label must also show the material's trade name and the installer's or seller's business name. Labeling is not required for factory glazing that complies with FMVSS 205. By the statute's text, a seller or installer who violates any provision of ss. 316.2951 to 316.2955, which includes the label duty, is guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor.
Do not count on it. The statute says every percentage measurement required by ss. 316.2951 to 316.2954 is subject to a tolerance of plus or minus 3 percent, but it does not say how officers or courts apply that margin. A reading from a light meter approved by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is presumed accurate and admissible in evidence at the trial of an infraction under those sections. Choosing film that, on the finished window, measures at or above each minimum light transmittance and at or below each maximum reflectance avoids relying on the margin.
Several groups are exempt from some or all of the limits. Manufacturer tinting or glazing that complies with or is permitted by FMVSS 205 falls outside ss. 316.2951 to 316.2956. A vehicle covered by a state medical exemption certificate may carry sunscreening material that would otherwise violate ss. 316.2951 to 316.2957. The statute also directs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to exempt law enforcement vehicles used in undercover or canine operations from the window sunscreening requirements of ss. 316.2951 to 316.2957. Because the statute defines window to exclude the windshield, it does not clearly say whether that exemption reaches the windshield section, s. 316.2952. It also directs the department to exempt vehicles owned or leased by certified process servers or by licensed private investigators or investigative agencies from ss. 316.2953 (front side windows), 316.2954 (windows behind the driver) and 316.2956 (penalties). That second exemption does not name the windshield section, s. 316.2952. The statute does not describe how these exemptions are documented, so confirm with the department before relying on one.
Read the full Florida breakdown
Running a tint shop in Florida? See shop software for Florida.
This page summarizes Florida 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.