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Florida Tint Law · 2026

Legal tint in Florida, straight from the statute.

A plain-English guide to Florida's auto window tint law: how dark you can legally go on the front and back windows, what's allowed on the windshield, and the rules on reflectivity, color, and medical exemptions. When Exzact installs your tint, we build the job to stay inside these limits.

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Why the rules matter

Dark enough to help, legal enough to drive.

Florida measures tint by VLT, or Visible Light Transmission, the percentage of light a window lets through. A lower VLT means a darker window. State law (Florida Statutes 316.2951 through 316.2957) sets a floor on how much light each window has to let in, plus limits on reflectivity and color. Go past those limits and you can get pulled over, fined, or fail inspection. The good news is that modern ceramic film blocks a lot of heat and more than 99% of UV at legal shades, so you rarely have to choose between comfort and staying legal. Here's how the numbers break down.

The legal limits

How dark can you legally go?

These are the minimum VLT percentages Florida allows. Higher numbers mean lighter; you can always go lighter than the minimum, not darker.

28%
Front side windows

Driver and front passenger windows must let in at least 28% of visible light, measured on the glass itself. Same for cars, SUVs, vans and trucks (F.S. 316.2953).

15%
Sedan rear windows

On a sedan, the back side windows and rear window must allow at least 15% of visible light in.

6%
SUV / van / truck rear

On multipurpose vehicles (SUVs, vans, pickups), the back side and rear windows can go as dark as 6% VLT.

AS-1
Windshield

Non-reflective tint is allowed only along the top of the windshield, above the AS-1 line (roughly the top 5 inches).

Reflectivity: front side windows may be no more than 25% reflective, rear windows no more than 35% (F.S. 316.2953 and 316.2954), so mirrored and metallic finishes have to stay inside those numbers.

On color and mirrors, the internet is wrong. Most Florida tint pages state that red, amber and blue film is banned and that tinted rear glass requires dual side mirrors. Neither is in the statute. Florida regulates how much light gets through and how much bounces back, not the shade of the film, and F.S. 316.294 asks only for a mirror showing 200 feet of highway behind you. In practice both still matter: a film that pushes the glass toward emergency-signal colors invites a stop, and if dark rear glass kills your mirror view you need side mirrors to satisfy 316.294. We fit neutral films and check the mirror view before you leave.

So what's legal for you?

A quick read on your vehicle.

Driving a car or sedan? Fronts must read at least 28% VLT on the glass; the rear glass can go down to 15%. A common, legal setup is a legal shade up front matched with something darker in back.

Driving an SUV, van, or pickup? Fronts still have to read at least 28%, but the whole back half can go much darker, all the way to 6% if you want maximum privacy and heat control.

Every vehicle: keep the windshield clear except for a transparent strip above the AS-1 line, stay inside the reflectivity limits, and keep a mirror that shows you 200 feet of road behind you. Tell us how you use the vehicle and we'll spec a shade that fits the law and does the job.

Shade by shade

Is the shade you want legal?

The number on a roll of film is not the number the law measures. Florida checks the finished window, and your glass already blocks light before any film goes on.

This is the part that catches people out. F.S. 316.2953 authorizes material by what it reads “when applied to and tested on the glass of such windows on the specific motor vehicle.” Factory glass is typically around 70 to 80% VLT on its own, so a 35% film on a 75% window lands near 26% net, under the 28% limit, even though the box said 35. A meter on your actual glass is the only answer that counts, and we take one before we cut anything.

Film shade Front sides Sedan rear SUV / van / truck rear
5% (limo)NoNoYes
15%NoBorderlineYes
20%NoYesYes
35%Usually notYesYes
50%YesYesYes
70% and upYesYesYes

“Borderline” and “usually not” are the film-times-glass problem above: a 15% film on a sedan rear can measure just under the 15% floor, and a 35% film up front usually measures in the mid twenties. The darkest shade that reliably clears the front limit on most vehicles is 50%. On the back of an SUV there is no practical floor beyond 6%.

If it is too dark

What a tint ticket actually is.

For the driver, illegal tint is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation under Chapter 318 (F.S. 316.2956). It is not points on your license and not a criminal charge. Costs vary by county, and an officer can write it as a correctable violation, meaning you strip the film and show proof.

For whoever installed it, the statute is much harder: selling or installing non-compliant material is a second-degree misdemeanor under F.S. 775.082 and 775.083. That is the shop's problem, not yours, and it is exactly why a shop that offers to put 20% on your front windows is telling you something about itself.

The medical exemption is real and it is not a note from your doctor. F.S. 316.29545 puts it with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, for conditions requiring limited exposure to light such as lupus and other autoimmune disease. The certificate names the vehicle by VIN, has to be carried in it, and dies when the vehicle is sold.

The statutes themselves

316.2951 definitions
316.2952 windshield, AS-1 strip
316.2953 front side windows, 28% / 25%
316.2954 rear windows, 15% or 6% / 35%
316.29545 medical exemption
316.2956 penalties

Common questions

Florida tint law FAQ.

Is 20% tint legal on my front windows in Florida?

Not on the front side windows. Those have to let in more than 28% of light, so a 20% film is too dark up front. You can legally run 20% (or darker) on the back windows of most vehicles, though. If you love the look of dark glass, we usually put the legal shade up front and go darker in back.

Can I tint my windshield?

Only a strip. Florida allows non-reflective tint on the windshield above the AS-1 line, which is roughly the top 5 inches. The rest of the windshield has to stay clear. A clear ceramic film that blocks heat and UV without darkening the glass is a popular way to protect the full windshield while staying legal.

Is ceramic tint legal in Florida?

Yes. The law regulates how much light a window lets through, not what the film is made of. Ceramic film is legal as long as the finished window meets the VLT, reflectivity, and color rules. The advantage of ceramic is that it rejects a lot of heat even at lighter, legal shades.

Is there a medical exemption for darker tint?

Yes. Florida allows a medical exemption for people with certain light-sensitive conditions, but it requires a signed certificate from a licensed physician or optometrist, and you generally need to keep that documentation with the vehicle. If you think you qualify, talk to your doctor first, then bring the paperwork to us.

What is the darkest legal tint in Florida?

On the front side windows, the darkest that reliably passes is a 50% film, because the law measures the finished window and your glass already blocks some light before any film goes on. Behind the driver it depends on the vehicle: a car can go down to 15% VLT, and an SUV, van or pickup down to 6%. There is no limit on how light you go.

Is 5% limo tint legal in Florida?

Only behind the driver, and only on an SUV, van or pickup, where the floor is 6% VLT. On a car the back windows stop at 15%. It is never legal on the front side windows, which have to read at least 28% on the glass.

What is the fine for illegal tint in Florida?

For the driver it is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation under Chapter 318 (F.S. 316.2956), so no points on your license. The amount is set county by county, and an officer can write it as correctable, meaning you strip the film and show proof. The shop that installed it faces a second-degree misdemeanor, which is the far bigger problem.

Does Florida ban red, blue or amber window tint?

Not in the statute, despite what nearly every tint-law page says. Florida regulates how much light gets through the window and how much bounces back, not the color of the film. That said, a film that pushes your glass toward emergency-signal colors is asking for a traffic stop, so we fit neutral films.

Do I need dual side mirrors if my rear window is tinted?

That one is not in the tint statute either. F.S. 316.294 requires a mirror showing at least 200 feet of road behind the vehicle. If dark rear glass takes that view away, side mirrors are how you get it back, which is where the dual-mirror rule of thumb comes from. Most vehicles already have them.

Does factory privacy glass count toward the limit?

Yes, because the law measures the finished window rather than the film. Factory privacy glass on the back of an SUV is often already down around 20% VLT, so adding a dark film on top of it can put you under the 6% floor. We meter what is already on the vehicle before recommending a shade.

This page is a helpful summary of Florida window tint law, not legal advice, and the law can change. For the exact current requirements, check Florida Statutes 316.2951–316.2957 or ask a professional. Either way, Exzact will help you pick a legal shade for your vehicle.

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