20% window tint
A window measuring 20% VLT lets 20% of visible light through and blocks 80%. A car's front side windows may measure 20% in 1 of the 51 places we cover, and a sedan's rear side windows in 24.
How it looks: Dark. A common choice for rear windows.
Where 20% is legal on front side windows
Allowed (1 of 51)
Too dark (50; 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 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 20% is legal on back windows
Sedan rear side windows: allowed (24 of 51)
Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont
Sedan rear side windows: too dark (27)
Alabama (32%), Alaska (40%), Arkansas (25%), Colorado (27%), Connecticut (35%), District of Columbia (50%), Illinois (35%), Kansas (35%), Louisiana (25%), Maryland (35%), Massachusetts (35%), Minnesota (50%), Mississippi (28%), New Hampshire (35%), New York (70%), North Carolina (35%), Oklahoma (25%), Oregon (50%), Pennsylvania (70%), Rhode Island (70%), South Carolina (27%), Tennessee (35%), Virginia (35%), Washington (24%), West Virginia (35%), Wisconsin (35%), Wyoming (28%)
The rear windshield of a sedan may measure 20% in 25 of the 51 places, and an SUV, truck or van’s rear side windows in 25. Each state page has the full rules.
20% tint questions
What does 20% tint mean?
A window measuring 20% VLT lets 20% of visible light through and blocks 80%. How it looks: Dark. A common choice for rear windows.
Is 20% tint legal on front windows?
In 1 of the 51 places covered here (New Mexico). The other 50 require a lighter front window or don't allow front side film.
Is 20% tint legal on back windows?
On a sedan, 24 of the 51 places allow the rear side windows to measure 20%, and 25 allow it on the rear windshield. On an SUV, truck or van, 25 places allow 20% on the rear side windows.
Is 20% tint dark?
How it looks: Dark. A common choice for rear windows. Of the common shades, 15% is darker (it lets less light through) and 25% is lighter. The lower the number, the darker the tint.
Will 20% film measure 20% on my car?
Usually it measures darker. Factory glass already blocks some light, so 20% film on factory glass reads below 20% 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 20% 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.