Loading
Loading
North Carolina requires every window except the windshield to have at least 35% light transmission, 20% or less reflectance, and nonreflective tint that is not red, yellow or amber. Exceptions include windows behind the driver of a multipurpose vehicle, such as a minivan or pickup truck, exempt from the 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits. Windshield tint is allowed only along the top, down to five inches or the AS1 line, whichever is longer.
Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-127(b)-(g); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-4.01(27), (31) (definitions); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.23 (Class 3 misdemeanor punishment); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-176(a)-(b) (default infraction penalty); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-183.2(a), (a1) (vehicles subject to a safety inspection); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-183.3(a) (safety inspection contents); N.C. Session Law 2025-47, ss. 21-22 (medical permits, roll-down rule, inspection change); NCDMV Tinted Window Waiver application (03/2026); NCDMV Emissions & Safety page, window tinting section (rev. 7/29/2026). Summary last checked against these sources on September 19, 2026.
| Window | Rule |
|---|---|
| Front side windows | At least 35% total light transmission and 20% or less reflectance, with tint that is nonreflective and not red, yellow or amber. On a meter approved by the Commissioner, a reading above 32% is conclusively presumed to meet the 35% requirement; the presumption does not extend to the reflectance or color rules. The multipurpose-vehicle exemption covers only windows behind the driver; the statute does not define 'behind the driver', so its text does not say whether a front passenger window counts. Other exceptions (for example limousines, ambulances, motor homes, law enforcement vehicles, out-of-state registration or a medical permit) can apply to any window of the vehicles they cover. |
| Rear side windows | The same light-transmission, reflectance and color rules as the front side windows. A window of a multipurpose vehicle that is behind the driver is exempt from the 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits, but the nonreflective and color rule still applies. A multipurpose vehicle is a passenger vehicle designed to carry 10 or fewer passengers that is either built on a truck chassis or has special features designed for occasional off-road operation; the statute says a minivan and a pickup truck are multipurpose vehicles. |
| Rear window | The same light-transmission, reflectance and color rules as the front side windows. Exempt from the 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits: the rear window of a property-hauling vehicle (defined as a vehicle used for the transportation of property, including semitrailers and trailers) and the rear window of a multipurpose vehicle, which is behind the driver. The nonreflective and color rule still applies to those windows. |
| Windshield | Tint is allowed only along the top of the windshield and may not extend more than five inches below the top or below the AS1 line, whichever measurement is longer; Chapter 20 of the General Statutes does not define the AS1 line. An untinted clear film that does not obstruct vision but reduces or eliminates ultraviolet radiation may be applied. G.S. 20-127(c) says the windshield restrictions apply without exception. Separately, subsection (b1) says that, notwithstanding subsection (b), a window of a vehicle subject to 49 CFR Part 393 must comply with that Part. |
| Reflectance and color | Every window except the windshield must have light reflectance of 20% or less, and tint that is nonreflective and not red, yellow or amber. The statute's exceptions lift only the 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits, so by its wording the nonreflective and color rule stays in place. |
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 rules cover windows of any vehicle operated on a highway or public vehicular area. The 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits do not apply to a window of an excursion passenger vehicle, motor home, ambulance, limousine, law enforcement vehicle, or vehicle with a medical exception permit; the rear window of a property-hauling vehicle; a window behind the driver of a multipurpose vehicle; or a window of a vehicle registered in another state that meets its home state's requirements. A window of a vehicle subject to 49 CFR Part 393 must comply with that Part, notwithstanding the state limits. The meter presumption states no plus or minus tolerance.
A person who suffers from a medical condition that causes photosensitivity to visible light may obtain a medical exception permit. The applicant applies in writing to the Drivers Medical Evaluation Program and has a doctor complete the required medical evaluation form; NCDMV's application form is returned to its Medical Review Program. A permit is valid for five years from the date of issue unless a shorter time is directed, and renewal requires a medical recertification. A person may hold no more than four valid permits at one time. Each permit specifies the vehicle, the windows that may be tinted and the permitted levels of tinting, and it must be carried in the vehicle when the vehicle is driven on a highway. The 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits do not apply to a window of a vehicle for which a permit has been issued. The Division of Motor Vehicles also gives the permit holder a sticker for the lower left-hand corner of the rear window, designed to tell prospective purchasers that the windows do not meet the tint limits, and it is placed between the window and the tinting when the tinting is installed. Failure to display the sticker is an infraction punishable by a $200 fine. Separately, the statute says the windshield restrictions apply without exception; NCDMV's application form describes a windshield allowance that the statute's text does not mention, and this page relies on the statute.
Driving a vehicle on a highway or public vehicular area with a window that does not meet the tint limits is a Class 3 misdemeanor. Applying tint that does not meet the limits is also a Class 3 misdemeanor, but the statute states it only for a window of a vehicle that is subject to a safety inspection in North Carolina. G.S. 20-183.2(a) describes that vehicle as a motor vehicle that is subject to registration under Article 3 of Chapter 20, is not subject to inspection under 49 CFR Part 396, and is not a house trailer or a trailer whose gross weight is less than 4,000 pounds; historic vehicles and school buses titled to a local board of education are excepted. Session Law 2025-47 removed window tint from the safety inspection as of December 1, 2025 but did not amend the applying offense, so by its wording that offense can still reach a person who applies non-compliant tint to a vehicle meeting that description; this page has not confirmed how it is enforced now that tint is no longer inspected. Under the general sentencing statute, unless a specific offense provides otherwise, the maximum fine for a Class 3 misdemeanor is $200, and a person with no more than three prior convictions receives a fine only; a person with four or more prior convictions is outside that fine-only rule. Court costs and other consequences are not covered here. On a charge of driving with an unlawfully tinted window, it is a defense that the tint was removed within 15 days after the charge and the window now meets the limits; the person must produce, in court or to the prosecutor before trial, a certificate from the Division of Motor Vehicles or the Highway Patrol showing the window complies. The statute states no such defense for the applying charge. A medical permit holder who does not display the required sticker commits an infraction punishable by a $200 fine.
Unless an exception applies, every window except the windshield must allow at least 35% of light through, reflect 20% or less, and use tint that is nonreflective and not red, yellow or amber (G.S. 20-127(b)). The windshield may be tinted only along the top, no more than five inches below the top or below the AS1 line, whichever measurement is longer. A window that measures more than 32% on an approved meter is conclusively presumed to meet the 35% requirement.
Pickups and minivans: yes, for windows behind the driver. G.S. 20-127(c)(9) exempts a window of a multipurpose vehicle that is behind the driver from the 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits, and it says a minivan and a pickup truck are multipurpose vehicles. SUVs: it depends. The statute does not mention SUVs. It defines a multipurpose vehicle as a passenger vehicle designed to carry 10 or fewer passengers that either is constructed on a truck chassis or has special features designed for occasional off-road operation, so an SUV qualifies only if it meets that definition; otherwise, unless another exception applies, the 35% and 20% reflectance limits govern its rear windows. The statute does not define 'behind the driver'. The rear window of a property-hauling vehicle is also exempt from those limits, and that definition does not name SUVs either. The nonreflective and color rule still applies to these windows.
A window that measures more than 32% total light transmission on a meter approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles is conclusively presumed to meet the 35% requirement, so a reading of 33% or 34% is presumed to meet it (G.S. 20-127(b)(1)). At 32% or less that presumption does not apply, and the statute still requires at least 35%. The presumption covers only the light-transmission requirement, not the 20% reflectance limit or the nonreflective and color rule.
The 35% light-transmission and 20% reflectance limits do not apply to a window of a vehicle that is registered in another state and meets the requirements of the state where it is registered (G.S. 20-127(c)(10)). The exceptions lift only those two limits, so by the statute's wording the nonreflective and color rule stays in place. The statute says the windshield restrictions apply without exception, and subsection (b1) says a vehicle subject to 49 CFR Part 393 follows that Part notwithstanding subsection (b).
The driver of a vehicle with tinted windows must roll down the driver-side window when a law enforcement officer approaches, and must roll down the passenger window if the officer approaches from the passenger side (G.S. 20-127(g), added by S.L. 2025-47 and effective December 1, 2025). Section 20-127 states no separate penalty for it. G.S. 20-127 is in Part 9 of Article 3 of Chapter 20, and G.S. 20-176(a) makes a violation of a Part 9 provision an infraction unless the violation is declared a misdemeanor or felony; G.S. 20-176(b) allows a penalty of up to $100 unless a specific penalty is provided. That is a reading of those two sections, not a penalty the statute states for this rule.
A person with a medical condition that causes photosensitivity to visible light can apply in writing to the Drivers Medical Evaluation Program, and the person's doctor completes the required evaluation form. A permit lasts five years from issue unless a shorter time is directed, and renewal requires medical recertification. It names the vehicle, the windows and the tint levels, and must be carried in the vehicle. The Division of Motor Vehicles also gives the permit holder a sticker for the lower left-hand corner of the rear window, placed between the window and the tint when the tint is installed; failing to display it is an infraction with a $200 fine.
Read the full North Carolina breakdown
Running a tint shop in North Carolina? See shop software for North Carolina.
This page summarizes North Carolina 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.