Depending on what state you live in, you could get fined up to $5,000 over your window tinting.
If you’ve been thinking about getting your windows tinted, you may be worried about getting an illegal tint.
This may lead you to wonder what is the darkest window tint that is legal? Thankfully, we’ll help break it down for you in this guide.
How to Understand Tint Percentages
Before we start to tell you what tint percentage is allowed in your state, you’ll have to understand the different tinting percentages.
The degree of tint you can have will be determined by what percentage of light is allowed in your car. The percentage determines the minimum percentage of light that should be going through your windows.
If there is a higher percentage you can get, that means the tint your car can have will be lower. If the percentage is low, then your tint can be darker.
So What is the Darkest Window Tint that is Legal?
Because each state has its own laws regarding tinting, you should check with your state laws to see how much tint you can get. Thankfully the laws are pretty easy to understand. While there aren’t many, there are even some states that don’t allow any percentage of window tinting.
However, when you read them, you may realize that some of them have more vague descriptions. This can be bad because it gives law enforcement some room to decide if they want to fine you or not.
When it comes to this, try and use your best judgment. It’s better to be safer than sorry.
Before you head to someone to get your car tinted, you should understand that some of your windows already come tinted. Depending on your car and the manufacturer, this can be drastically different.
To make things easier, we’ll break a few states down for you just to show you how it works. You can also see how different states can have wildly different requirements.
Florida
Florida may be one of the most important states when it comes to window tinting. It gets so hot in the state that a window tint can help keep your car cool after it sits in the sun all day. However, this is just one of the few benefits of window tinting.
In Florida, your windshield can have a non-reflective tint that is allowed above the AS-1 line on the window.
For your rear sides and rear window, you can have a 15% tint. In your front side windows, you are allowed a 28% tint.
Vermont
Vermont is an example of one state that doesn’t allow any kind of window tinting.
However, if you do have a medical permit, you may be able to get a little bit of a tint.
California
Like Florida, California is also pretty sunny throughout the year. However, while it’s similar to Florida, there are plenty of extra and different tinting laws.
If you get a tint in California, you have to get one that is gray, neutral, or green. It will also need a luminous transmittance of 70%.
Tennessee
In Tennessee, you can’t drive a vehicle that has a light transmittance of less than 35% in the rear or back windows.
For the windshield, that light transmittance can’t be lower than 70%.
Some Exemptions
While most states have their own ideas of what tinting percentages should be allowed, most states will let you have a pass if you have a medical exemption.
For example, if you have an illness that makes you sensitive to light, you may need a darker tint to keep the sun from beating on you. Many people with issues like albinism, psoriasis, or rosacea are a few of the people who may be able to get an exemption.
If this is the case, you’ll need to get a doctor’s note when you go and get a tint.
In the event that you do decide that you want a darker tint that is legal, make sure that you always keep a doctor’s note with you in case you do get pulled over. This way they can’t hold you liable for the darker tint on your car.
To avoid losing the doctor’s note, you should keep it with your insurance card and your vehicle registration. That way you’ll have all of it handy to avoid getting a fine.
Can You Get Pulled Over?
The question you’re probably wondering is: “Can I get pulled over?”
Well, sometimes you could. Especially if you get a tint that is illegal. Getting a tint that is within the legal limit can help you avoid getting pulled over. However, if your tint is right on the border of the legal limit, a cop may pull you over.
If this is the case, make sure you have proper documentation to show that your tint is legal.
Discover More About Legal Window Tints
These are only a few rules to consider when wondering, “What is the darkest window tint that is legal?”
Before you go and get your windows tinted, you should make sure that you check with your state for the laws that apply to you.
The person who applies your window tinting should know all of these laws, but it doesn’t hurt to do your research as well.
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