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For a vehicle required to be registered in Kansas, film on the side and rear windows must be nonreflective, and total light transmission, measured through film and glass together, may not be less than 35% when a sun screening device is used with other existing sun screening devices. No tolerance is stated. Windshield film must be nonreflective, not red, yellow or amber, and used only along the top, not below the AS1 line.
Source: K.S.A. 8-1749a; K.S.A. 8-1749b (definitions); K.S.A. 8-1749c (unlawful installation; penalty); K.S.A. 8-1701 (article 17 violations); K.S.A. 8-2116 (classification of traffic violations); K.S.A. 21-6602 (misdemeanor classes and confinement); K.S.A. 21-6611 (fines). Summary last checked against these sources on September 28, 2026.
| Window | Rule |
|---|---|
| Windshield | A sun screening device may be used only along the top of the windshield and may not extend below the AS1 line, which the statute describes as clearly defined and marked. The statute gives no inch figure. The device must be nonreflective and not red, yellow or amber ((a)(1)). A clear, colorless UV-blocking film may be applied under the conditions in subsection (c). |
| Front side windows | Film on the side wings and the side windows immediately to the right and left of the driver must be nonreflective ((a)(2)). Subsection (a)(3) says total light transmission shall not be less than 35% when a sun screening device is used in conjunction with other existing sun screening devices; its text is not limited to particular windows. Light transmission is measured through the film and the safety glazing together (8-1749b(b)). The statute states no tolerance. |
| Rear side windows | Film on the side windows behind the driver must also be nonreflective ((a)(2)), and the 35% total light transmission rule in (a)(3), as worded above, applies. The section names no exception for SUVs, trucks or multipurpose vehicles. Subsection (a)(3) does not apply to a window of a law enforcement motor vehicle ((b)). |
| Rear window | Film on the rear-most window must be nonreflective ((a)(2)), and the 35% total light transmission rule in (a)(3) applies, with the same law enforcement vehicle exception ((b)). |
| Reflectance and color | Film on the windshield and on every side and rear window must be nonreflective, which K.S.A. 8-1749b(d) defines as a product or material designed to absorb light rather than to reflect it. The statute states no reflectance percentage. The red, yellow or amber color ban is stated for the windshield ((a)(1)). |
| Installers | Installing a sun screening device on a motor vehicle that does not comply with K.S.A. 8-1749a is a class C misdemeanor (K.S.A. 8-1749c). No installer label or sticker requirement appears in the text read. Subsection (f) says the section does not prohibit labels, stickers or other informational signs required or permitted by state law. |
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).
Subsection (a) of K.S.A. 8-1749a covers motor vehicles required to be registered in Kansas and operated on its highways. The 35% light-transmission rule in (a)(3) does not apply to a window of a law enforcement motor vehicle ((b)). The section does not name SUVs, trucks or multipurpose vehicles, so the same rules apply to them. It bars head lamp coverings that are highly reflective or otherwise nontransparent when the lamps are not in operation ((g)). The superintendent of the highway patrol may adopt rules to carry out the section ((e)); no such rule was read for this page.
Kansas has no darker-tint medical exemption in the text read. Instead, subsection (c) lets a clear, colorless and transparent film go on the windshield, side wings, side windows or rear windows outside the rules of subsection (a) if all of these are met. The film has a minimum visible light transmittance of 78%. The glazing with the film meets FMVSS 205, including its 70% minimum light transmittance and AS-14 abrasion resistance. The film is designed to help the glass block ultraviolet A or B rays. The driver or occupant possesses a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist that identifies that person and states the film is necessary to safeguard that person's health. Film that tears, bubbles or is worn so it prohibits clear vision must be removed or replaced. A driver cited for not having the statement has 60 days to produce one in court or remove the film, and the court then dismisses the citation ((d)).
A person convicted of violating K.S.A. 8-1749a is guilty of a misdemeanor ((h)); the section states no class or fine. Installing a sun screening device that does not comply with 8-1749a is a class C misdemeanor (K.S.A. 8-1749c), which carries up to one month in county jail (K.S.A. 21-6602(a)(3)) and a fine of up to $500 (K.S.A. 21-6611(b)(3)).
For a vehicle required to be registered in Kansas, film on the front side windows, the side windows behind the driver and the rear-most window must be nonreflective (K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(2)). Total light transmission may not be less than 35% when a sun screening device is used in conjunction with other existing sun screening devices ((a)(3)). It is measured through the film and the glass together (8-1749b(b)). The statute states no tolerance.
Not under the text read. K.S.A. 8-1749a names no exception for SUVs, trucks or multipurpose vehicles, so the 35% and nonreflective rules apply to their side and rear windows too. The only vehicle-class exception is that the 35% rule does not apply to a window of a law enforcement motor vehicle ((b)).
No. Film on the windshield and on every side and rear window must be nonreflective (K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(1)-(2)), meaning a product or material designed to absorb light rather than to reflect it (8-1749b(d)). The statute sets no reflectance percentage. Head lamp coverings that are highly reflective or otherwise nontransparent when the lamps are off are also barred ((g)).
A sun screening device may be used only along the top of the windshield and may not extend below the AS1 line, which the statute describes as clearly defined and marked. The statute gives no inch figure. The device must be nonreflective and not red, yellow or amber (K.S.A. 8-1749a(a)(1)). A clear UV-blocking film that meets the conditions in subsection (c) is outside these rules.
Not for darker tint in the text read. Subsection (c) allows only a clear, colorless and transparent UV-blocking film with at least 78% visible light transmittance, on glazing that still meets FMVSS 205 (including 70% light transmittance). The driver or occupant must possess a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist. A driver cited for not having the statement has 60 days to produce it in court or remove the film ((d)).
K.S.A. 8-1749a(h) makes a violation a misdemeanor without stating a class or fine. Installing a non-compliant sun screening device is a class C misdemeanor (K.S.A. 8-1749c), punishable by up to one month in county jail (21-6602(a)(3)) and a fine of up to $500 (21-6611(b)(3)).
Running a tint shop in Kansas? See shop software for Kansas.
This page summarizes Kansas 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 inoperative any part of a device or element of design installed to comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard, 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.