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Massachusetts bars film that makes the windshield, front side windows, side windows just behind the front seats or rear window nontransparent or obscured, but exempts material on those side windows and the rear window with at least 35% light transmittance or at most 35% reflectance. No tolerance or separate SUV rule is stated. Transparent material may sit in the top 6 inches of the windshield, outside the driver's direct forward view.
Source: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 9D. Summary last checked against these sources on September 28, 2026.
| Window | Rule |
|---|---|
| Windshield | Exemption (5) covers transparent material limited to the uppermost 6 inches along the top of the windshield, provided the strip does not encroach on the driver's direct forward viewing area as described in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The 35% exemption in (4) does not list the windshield. The general rule in (2) bars film that makes the windshield nontransparent or obscured. The section states no light-transmittance figure for the strip. |
| Front side windows | Nontransparent or sunscreen material or window application on the side windows immediately to the right and left of the driver's seat is exempt if it has a visible light transmittance of not less than 35% or a total visible light reflectance of not more than 35% (exemption (4)). The statute joins the two tests with 'or' and states no plus or minus tolerance. Exemption (4) ends with a condition that the vehicle have two outside mirrors, placed after the rear window; the text does not say whether that condition also reaches the side windows. The registrar is directed to set measurement standards by rule; this page has not reviewed that rule. |
| Rear side windows | The same 35% light-transmittance or 35% reflectance test applies to the side windows immediately behind the driver's and front passenger's seats (exemption (4)). There is no separate figure for SUVs, trucks or vans, and the same unclear two-mirror condition applies. The section does not name side windows further back, such as a third row. Draperies, louvers and other special window treatments (other than those the section specifically designates) are allowed on a side window behind the driver if the vehicle has an outside mirror on each side, adjusted to give the driver a clear view of the highway behind (exemption (2)). |
| Rear window | The same 35% light-transmittance or 35% reflectance test applies to the rear window (exemption (4)). The exemption's text ends with the condition that the vehicle be equipped with two outside mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so the driver has a clear view of the highway behind. The wording does not make clear whether that condition covers only the rear window or the side windows as well. |
| Reflectance | Reflectance is one of the two alternative tests in exemption (4): total visible light reflectance of not more than 35%. The section does not ban reflective film outright and says nothing in it prohibits the manufacture or sale of reflective or nonreflective film in Massachusetts. It states no color restriction. |
| Installers and sellers | No person may manufacture, sell, offer for sale or trade, equip or operate a motor vehicle in Massachusetts in violation of the section. The section requires no installer label or certificate on the vehicle; the only sticker it requires is the registrar's medical-exemption sticker. A statement from the registrar that the glazing complies is prima facie evidence of compliance in a prosecution. |
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 9D applies to operating any motor vehicle on a public way or a way the public has a right of access to, and it states no separate rule for SUVs, trucks or multipurpose passenger vehicles. It names the side windows next to the driver and front passenger and the side windows immediately behind those seats; it does not name side windows further back, such as a third row. As worded, it does not apply to: motor vehicles manufactured with windshields and window glass areas equipped to the specifications of 49 CFR 571.205 (1); draperies, louvers or other special window treatments, other than those the section designates, on the rear window or a side window behind the driver when the vehicle has two outside mirrors (2); federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, licensed watch guard or patrol agencies, and college, university and hospital police agencies utilizing K-9 teams while on duty in a vehicle with two outside mirrors, where the text does not make clear whether the K-9 wording limits every agency listed (3); vehicles registered in another state, territory, country or province (6); or the rear side windows and rear window of a private passenger vehicle registered for public livery and hired for that purpose, an exclusion that does not include a taxicab (7).
A special window treatment or application that a licensed physician determines is necessary to protect the owner or operator of a private passenger motor vehicle who is light or photosensitive is exempt (exemption (8)). The application is made in writing to the medical advisory board established under section 8C and must be supported by a written attestation of necessity from a physician licensed in Massachusetts. If the board grants the exemption, the registrar issues a sticker that must be affixed to the side window next to the driver, and keeps a record of the stickers issued.
A violation of any provision of the section is punishable by a fine of not more than $250. On a third or subsequent conviction, the registrar must suspend the person's operator's license for up to 90 days.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 9D bars film that makes the windshield, the front side windows, the side windows immediately behind the front seats or the rear window nontransparent or obscured. It then exempts sunscreen material or window application on those side windows and the rear window with a visible light transmittance of not less than 35% or a total visible light reflectance of not more than 35% (exemption (4)). The statute joins the two tests with 'or' and states no tolerance. For the windshield, exemption (5) covers transparent material limited to the uppermost 6 inches that does not encroach on the driver's direct forward viewing area.
Section 9D has no separate figure for SUVs, trucks or multipurpose passenger vehicles; the 35% test in exemption (4) names windows, not vehicle types. It names the side windows immediately behind the front seats and the rear window but not side windows further back, such as a third row. As worded, the section does not apply to motor vehicles manufactured with windshields and window glass areas equipped to 49 CFR 571.205 specifications (exemption (1)). It also exempts the rear side windows and rear window of a private passenger vehicle registered and hired for public livery, but not a taxicab (exemption (7)).
Exemption (5) covers transparent material limited to the uppermost 6 inches along the top of the windshield, provided it does not encroach on the driver's direct forward viewing area as described in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The 35% exemption does not list the windshield, and the section states no light-transmittance figure for the strip.
Yes. A special window treatment that a licensed physician determines is necessary for a light- or photosensitive owner or operator of a private passenger motor vehicle is exempt. The written application goes to the medical advisory board under section 8C with a Massachusetts-licensed physician's written attestation. If granted, the registrar issues a sticker to be affixed to the side window next to the driver (exemption (8)).
No. Section 9D states that it does not apply to a vehicle registered in another state, territory, or another country or province (exemption (6)).
A violation is punishable by a fine of not more than $250. On a third or subsequent conviction, the registrar must suspend the operator's license for up to 90 days. The section also bars anyone from selling, equipping or operating a motor vehicle in violation of it, though it does not prohibit the manufacture or sale of reflective or nonreflective film.
Running a tint shop in Massachusetts? See shop software for Massachusetts.
This page summarizes Massachusetts 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.