15% window tint
A window measuring 15% VLT lets 15% of visible light through and blocks 85%. None of the 51 places we cover allow a car's front side windows to measure 15%; 19 allow it on a sedan's rear side windows.
How it looks: Dark. Faces inside are hard to make out in daylight.
Where 15% is legal on front side windows
Allowed (0 of 51)
None of the places we cover.
Too dark (51; the state’s minimum in brackets)
Alabama (32%), Alaska (70%), Arizona (33%), Arkansas (25%), California (70%), Colorado (27%), Connecticut (35%), Delaware (50%), District of Columbia (70%), Florida (28%), Georgia (28%), Hawaii (35%), Idaho (35%), Illinois (35%), Indiana (30%), Iowa (50%), Kansas (35%), Kentucky (35%), Louisiana (25%), Maine (35%), Maryland (35%), Massachusetts (35%), Michigan (no front film), Minnesota (50%), Mississippi (28%), Missouri (35%), Montana (24%), Nebraska (35%), Nevada (35%), New Hampshire (70%), New Jersey (no front film), New Mexico (20%), New York (70%), North Carolina (35%), North Dakota (35%), Ohio (50%), Oklahoma (25%), Oregon (50%), Pennsylvania (70%), Rhode Island (70%), South Carolina (27%), South Dakota (35%), Tennessee (35%), Texas (25%), Utah (35%), Vermont (no front film), Virginia (50%), Washington (24%), West Virginia (35%), Wisconsin (50%), Wyoming (28%)
Where 15% is legal on back windows
Sedan rear side windows: allowed (19 of 51)
Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Vermont
Sedan rear side windows: too dark (32)
Alabama (32%), Alaska (40%), Arkansas (25%), Colorado (27%), Connecticut (35%), District of Columbia (50%), Idaho (20%), Illinois (35%), Kansas (35%), Kentucky (18%), Louisiana (25%), Maryland (35%), Massachusetts (35%), Minnesota (50%), Mississippi (28%), Nebraska (20%), New Hampshire (35%), New Mexico (20%), New York (70%), North Carolina (35%), Oklahoma (25%), Oregon (50%), Pennsylvania (70%), Rhode Island (70%), South Carolina (27%), South Dakota (20%), Tennessee (35%), Virginia (35%), Washington (24%), West Virginia (35%), Wisconsin (35%), Wyoming (28%)
The rear windshield of a sedan may measure 15% in 21 of the 51 places, and an SUV, truck or van’s rear side windows in 20. Each state page has the full rules.
15% tint questions
What does 15% tint mean?
A window measuring 15% VLT lets 15% of visible light through and blocks 85%. How it looks: Dark. Faces inside are hard to make out in daylight.
Is 15% tint legal on front windows?
No. None of the 51 places covered here allow a car's front side windows to measure 15% VLT.
Is 15% tint legal on back windows?
On a sedan, 19 of the 51 places allow the rear side windows to measure 15%, and 21 allow it on the rear windshield. On an SUV, truck or van, 20 places allow 15% on the rear side windows.
Is 15% tint dark?
How it looks: Dark. Faces inside are hard to make out in daylight. Of the common shades, 5% is darker (it lets less light through) and 20% is lighter. The lower the number, the darker the tint.
Will 15% film measure 15% on my car?
Usually it measures darker. Factory glass already blocks some light, so 15% film on factory glass reads below 15% on a tint meter. Most state limits apply to that finished reading, so a shop checks the installed window, not the number on the film box.
General information, not legal advice. “Allowed” means a window measuring 15% meets the state’s minimum; tolerances and vehicle class can change the answer. Counts come from SalesThumb’s statute-checked state pages (latest check 2026-09-28). Laws change and enforcement varies; confirm current requirements with the state before installing or buying film.