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Kentucky allows front side window film that, tested on 1/8-inch clear glass, passes at least 35% of light and reflects at most 25%. Behind the driver, film tested the same way must pass 18% (8% on multipurpose passenger vehicles) and reflect at most 35%. Windshield material must pass 70% and not be red or yellow, except a transparent top strip outside the AS/1 area. Each figure has a plus or minus 3% tolerance.
Source: KRS 189.110; KRS 189.010(20)-(23); KRS 189.990(1)(a); KRS 189.010 (definitions: reflectance, sunscreening material, transmittance, window); KRS 189.990 (penalties); KRS 532.090 (misdemeanor imprisonment); KRS 534.040 (misdemeanor fines). Summary last checked against these sources on September 28, 2026.
| Window | Rule |
|---|---|
| Windshield | No sign, sunscreening material, product or covering may be on the windshield except: a certificate or other paper required by law to be displayed; sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield, if it is transparent and does not encroach on the driver's direct forward viewing area, which the statute defines by reference to FMVSS 205 as the AS/1 portion; or sunscreening material or another product used with the windshield's safety glazing that has a light transmittance of at least 70% and is not red or yellow (subsection (2)). The statute gives no strip depth in inches. The 70% figure is subject to the plus or minus 3 percent tolerance in subsection (7). |
| Front side windows | Sunscreening material on the side wings and side windows forward of or adjacent to the driver's seat is allowed if, when tested on 1/8-inch clear glass, it has a light transmittance of at least 35% in the visible light range and a total solar reflectance of visible light of no more than 25%, measured on the nonfilm side (subsection (3)). The test is of the material on clear glass, not of the finished window. The statute gives one front-side figure for every vehicle type. Every percentage measurement is subject to a tolerance of plus or minus 3 percent (subsection (7)); 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, tested on 1/8-inch clear glass, has a light transmittance of at least 18% and a total solar reflectance of visible light of no more than 35% (measured on the nonfilm side) is allowed (subsection (4)(a)). On multipurpose passenger vehicles, sunscreen material tested the same way may pass as little as 8%, with the same 35% reflectance cap. The statute does not name SUVs, pickups or vans, and KRS 189.010 does not define multipurpose passenger vehicle, so whether a given vehicle qualifies is not settled by the text. The plus or minus 3 percent tolerance in subsection (7) applies. |
| Rear window | The rear window is one of the windows behind the driver, so the same 18% (8% on multipurpose passenger vehicles) and 35% reflectance figures apply (subsection (4)). Separately, a rear window that is made nontransparent is allowed only if the vehicle has side mirrors on both sides (subsection (5)). A representation of the American flag up to 5 by 8 inches may be displayed in a lower corner of the rear window (subsection (10)). |
| Perforated material (behind the driver) | Perforated sunscreening material is allowed if, tested with the existing glazing or film, it has a total reflectance of visible light of no more than 35% and a light transmittance of no less than 30% (subsection (4)(b)). For material with different levels of reflectance, the area is divided into 16 equal sections and the overall reflectance averaged, and no single section may measure above 50%. |
| Reflectance and color | Front side windows: total solar reflectance of visible light no more than 25% (subsection (3)). Windows behind the driver: no more than 35% for film and for perforated material (subsection (4)). Windshield material under subsection (2)(c) must not be red or yellow. Subsections (3) and (4) bar material that makes a window nontransparent or alters its color, increases its reflectivity or reduces its light transmittance, except as the section permits. The tolerance in subsection (7) covers these percentages too. |
| Installer label and installation | Each installer or seller of sunscreening material must provide the purchaser a pressure-sensitive, self-destructive, nonremovable, vinyl-type film label stating that the material complies with KRS 189.010(20) to (23) and subsections (1) to (5), and the installer must affix it to the inside left door jamb (subsection (6)). The label must state the material's trade name and the installer's or seller's business name. No label is required for factory glazing that complies with FMVSS 205. No one may install tint that fails the light transmission standards in subsections (2) to (4), and such material must be removed immediately (subsection (8)). |
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).
The windshield rule in subsection (2) applies to any motor vehicle operated on a public highway, road or street; the side, rear side and rear window rules in subsections (3) to (5) apply to motor vehicles required to be registered in Kentucky. KRS 189.010(23) defines window to exclude the windshield, roof-mounted viewing devices and any viewing device under 150 square inches. Under subsection (12), a window treated in a manner approved by federal statute or regulation that was part of the vehicle at manufacture, or a replacement that meets those requirements, is not restricted by the section. Behind the driver, the statute separates multipurpose passenger vehicles from other vehicles rather than cars from SUVs, and KRS 189.010 does not define that term, so this page cannot say whether a particular SUV, pickup or van qualifies.
None found in the text read. KRS 189.110, KRS 189.010 and KRS 189.990 contain no medical exemption process. Carve-outs in the section include factory windows treated in a manner approved by federal statute or regulation (subsection (12)), the 8% allowance behind the driver on multipurpose passenger vehicles (subsection (4)(a)), and an American flag representation up to 5 by 8 inches in a lower corner of the rear window (subsection (10)).
A person who violates KRS 189.110 is fined not less than $20 nor more than $100 for each offense under KRS 189.990(1)(a). A person who applies sunscreening material in violation of the section is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor on conviction (KRS 189.110(9)). KRS 532.090(2) caps a Class B misdemeanor jail term at 90 days, and KRS 534.040(2)(b) sets a fine of up to $250 for a Class B misdemeanor, except as otherwise provided for an offense defined outside that code. Tint that fails the light transmission standards must be removed immediately (KRS 189.110(8)).
On front side windows, film that, tested on 1/8-inch clear glass, passes at least 35% of visible light and reflects no more than 25% (KRS 189.110(3)). Behind the driver, including the rear window, film tested the same way must pass at least 18% and reflect no more than 35%; multipurpose passenger vehicles may go down to 8% (subsection (4)(a)). On the windshield, material must pass at least 70% and not be red or yellow, or be a transparent strip at the top that stays out of the AS/1 area (subsection (2)). Every percentage carries a plus or minus 3 percent tolerance (subsection (7)), which the statute does not explain how to apply.
It depends on the window. Behind the driver, film that tests at 20% on 1/8-inch clear glass is above the 18% minimum, provided its reflectance is no more than 35%. On the front side windows, 20% is below the 35% minimum. The statute states its test as the material on 1/8-inch clear glass, not a meter reading of your finished window, and it does not say how officers measure, so go by the film's rating on clear glass and do not count on the plus or minus 3 percent tolerance.
Only if the vehicle is a multipurpose passenger vehicle, and only behind the driver: such vehicles may use sunscreen material that tests at 8% or more with reflectance of no more than 35% (KRS 189.110(4)(a)). The statute does not name SUVs, pickups or vans, and KRS 189.010 does not define multipurpose passenger vehicle, so body style alone does not decide it. Front side windows have no such exception; the 35% minimum applies to every vehicle type.
Yes. Each installer or seller must provide a pressure-sensitive, self-destructive, nonremovable, vinyl-type film label stating that the material complies with the law, and the installer must affix it to the inside left door jamb (KRS 189.110(6)). The label must show the material's trade name and the installer's or seller's business name. Factory glazing that complies with FMVSS 205 needs no label.
Only in limited ways. Sunscreening material is allowed along a strip at the top of the windshield if it is transparent and does not encroach on the AS/1 portion defined by FMVSS 205; the statute gives no strip depth in inches. Material used with the windshield's safety glazing is also allowed if its light transmittance is at least 70% and it is not red or yellow (KRS 189.110(2)).
None was found in the text read. KRS 189.110 and the related definitions and penalty sections contain no medical exemption process. Carve-outs in the section include factory windows treated in a manner approved by federal statute or regulation, the 8% allowance behind the driver on multipurpose passenger vehicles, perforated material behind the driver, and a small American flag display on the rear window.
Running a tint shop in Kentucky? See shop software for Kentucky.
This page summarizes Kentucky 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.