30% window tint
A window measuring 30% VLT lets 30% of visible light through and blocks 70%. A car's front side windows may measure 30% in 14 of the 51 places we cover, and a sedan's rear side windows in 32.
How it looks: Medium. Clear tint look with moderate privacy.
Where 30% is legal on front side windows
Allowed (14 of 51)
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, Wyoming
Too dark (37; the state’s minimum in brackets)
Alabama (32%), Alaska (70%), Arizona (33%), California (70%), Connecticut (35%), Delaware (50%), District of Columbia (70%), Hawaii (35%), Idaho (35%), Illinois (35%), Iowa (50%), Kansas (35%), Kentucky (35%), Maine (35%), Maryland (35%), Massachusetts (35%), Michigan (no front film), Minnesota (50%), Missouri (35%), Nebraska (35%), Nevada (35%), New Hampshire (70%), New Jersey (no front film), New York (70%), North Carolina (35%), North Dakota (35%), Ohio (50%), Oregon (50%), Pennsylvania (70%), Rhode Island (70%), South Dakota (35%), Tennessee (35%), Utah (35%), Vermont (no front film), Virginia (50%), West Virginia (35%), Wisconsin (50%)
Where 30% is legal on back windows
Sedan rear side windows: allowed (32 of 51)
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming
Sedan rear side windows: too dark (19)
Alabama (32%), Alaska (40%), Connecticut (35%), District of Columbia (50%), Illinois (35%), Kansas (35%), Maryland (35%), Massachusetts (35%), Minnesota (50%), New Hampshire (35%), New York (70%), North Carolina (35%), Oregon (50%), Pennsylvania (70%), Rhode Island (70%), Tennessee (35%), Virginia (35%), West Virginia (35%), Wisconsin (35%)
The rear windshield of a sedan may measure 30% in 32 of the 51 places, and an SUV, truck or van’s rear side windows in 33. Each state page has the full rules.
30% tint questions
What does 30% tint mean?
A window measuring 30% VLT lets 30% of visible light through and blocks 70%. How it looks: Medium. Clear tint look with moderate privacy.
Is 30% tint legal on front windows?
In 14 of the 51 places covered here. The other 37 require a lighter front window or don't allow front side film.
Is 30% tint legal on back windows?
On a sedan, 32 of the 51 places allow the rear side windows to measure 30%, and 32 allow it on the rear windshield. On an SUV, truck or van, 33 places allow 30% on the rear side windows.
Is 30% tint dark?
How it looks: Medium. Clear tint look with moderate privacy. Of the common shades, 25% is darker (it lets less light through) and 35% is lighter. The lower the number, the darker the tint.
Will 30% film measure 30% on my car?
Usually it measures darker. Factory glass already blocks some light, so 30% film on factory glass reads below 30% 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 30% 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.