Texas has bright sunshine year-round. But the sun’s UV rays can make your car seats and dashboards crack and fade. The temperature in vehicles gets very hot under the sun. Sunlight causes glare that prevents drivers from seeing the road.
One effective solution for dealing with the bright, hot sun is to put car window tint on your windows. Automotive tint can help mitigate the damage, danger, and discomfort the sun causes. Please exercise caution when installing tint, as there are Texas tint laws that regulate the type and amount of tint that is permissible.
There are enforceable laws regulating how dark your window tint can be in Texas.
Legal Window Tint in Texas
As of 2024, the Texas tint laws for sedans, SUVs, and vans in Texas are as follows:
- Windshield: 25% VLT tint or more is allowed above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line (top 5 inches).
- Front Side Windows: 25% VLT or more light transmission is allowed.
- Back Side Windows: any VLT % is allowed.
- Rear Windows: any VLT % is allowed for vehicles with outside mirrors on each side of the vehicle. 25% VLT for vehicles without outside mirrors.
- Reflectivity (tint reflection): No more than 25% reflective.
- Other Restrictions: Red, amber, and blue are not allowed. Dual side mirrors are required for back tinted windows.
Is 5% Tint Legal in Texas? What About 20%?
The short answer is no. Tinted windows must have a light transmittance value of at least 25%, which is the darkest legal tint in Texas. However, this does not apply to people with a medical exemption. Drivers with certain eye problems can get a medical exemption that enables them to ignore the law that says legally tinted windows must have a light transmittance value of at least 25%.
State officials say window tint laws help protect the safety of the public by ensuring drivers can see clearly. These laws also help cops see dangerous or illegal activities inside the vehicle.
Tint Laws for Passenger Vehicles
According to the window tint standards found in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 37, Part 1, Rule 21.3, here is the legal percentage for each car window. The Texas window tint law for passenger vehicles states the VLT value of the tint on the front windshield (applied above the AS-1 line), side windows in the front and back, and the rear windshield must be 25% or less.
Front Windshield Tint Strip
Yes, you can tint the windshield visor in Texas, but there are some limitations.
There is a limit to the size of the front windshield tint strip you