State tint law
Minnesota window tint law
Last checked September 29, 2026
Darkest legal tint in Minnesota (% of light let through)
Laws change and enforcement varies by area. Confirm with the Minnesota DMV before you install.
Law changed May 12, 2026Optometrists can sign medical tint statements. What changed
How dark can window tint be in Minnesota?
Darkness is measured as visible light transmission (VLT): the percentage of light that gets through. A lower number means darker tint.
| Window | Cars | SUVs and vans |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | No tintNo tint is allowed on the windshield. | No tintSame as cars |
| Front side windows | 50% Must let in at least 50% of light. | 50%Same as cars |
| Back side windows | 50% Must let in at least 50% of light. | Depends Sources differ. Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4a(a) exempts only the rear windows of pickup trucks and the rear and side windows behind the driver of vans, and the state's driver's manual (June 2026) says the same, so an SUV would need 50% here. But 168.002, subd. 40 defines a van as any box-like vehicle with no barrier between the driver's area and the cargo area, rated three-fourths ton or less, which many SUVs fit; read that way, any darkness is allowed. If you want no argument at a stop, 50% is the safe choice. |
| Rear window | 50% Must let in at least 50% of light. | Depends Sources differ. Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4a(a) exempts only the rear windows of pickup trucks and the rear and side windows behind the driver of vans, and the state's driver's manual (June 2026) says the same, so an SUV would need 50% here. But 168.002, subd. 40 defines a van as any box-like vehicle with no barrier between the driver's area and the cargo area, rated three-fourths ton or less, which many SUVs fit; read that way, any darkness is allowed. If you want no argument at a stop, 50% is the safe choice. |
Windshield
No tint is allowed on the windshield.
Front side windows
Back side windows
Sources differ. Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4a(a) exempts only the rear windows of pickup trucks and the rear and side windows behind the driver of vans, and the state's driver's manual (June 2026) says the same, so an SUV would need 50% here. But 168.002, subd. 40 defines a van as any box-like vehicle with no barrier between the driver's area and the cargo area, rated three-fourths ton or less, which many SUVs fit; read that way, any darkness is allowed. If you want no argument at a stop, 50% is the safe choice.
Rear window
Sources differ. Minn. Stat. 169.71, subd. 4a(a) exempts only the rear windows of pickup trucks and the rear and side windows behind the driver of vans, and the state's driver's manual (June 2026) says the same, so an SUV would need 50% here. But 168.002, subd. 40 defines a van as any box-like vehicle with no barrier between the driver's area and the cargo area, rated three-fourths ton or less, which many SUVs fit; read that way, any darkness is allowed. If you want no argument at a stop, 50% is the safe choice.
Picked a legal shade? You can tint it yourself with a precut car tint kit from SnapTint, our DIY kit partner.
How reflective can tint be?
- Front side windows
- Must not be more than 20% reflective.
- Back side windows
- Must not be more than 20% reflective.
Other Minnesota tint rules
- Restricted colors
- No tint colors are banned.
- Side mirrors
- No side-mirror requirement.
- Film certification
- Film manufacturers don't need to certify the film they sell in the state.
- Sticker
- A sticker identifying legal tint is required between the film and the glass on the driver's side window.
- Medical exemption
- The driver or a passenger must possess a prescription or a physician's or optometrist's statement that says whether the condition is temporary or permanent, the lowest light transmittance allowed, and an expiration date no more than 2 years out (unless permanent). Optometrists were added in 2026, retroactive to July 1, 2025. A family member or personal care attendant can drive on it if it names up to two vehicles (169.71, subd. 4a).
Enforcement and penalties in Minnesota
- Enforcement
- Film applied since August 1, 1985 must carry a permanent marking of its light transmittance and reflectance.
- Penalties
- A petty misdemeanor with a fine of up to $300 (169.89); it becomes a misdemeanor after two or more petty misdemeanor convictions in 12 months.
How the Minnesota tint law has changed
The changes we could document, newest first, each with its source. Where we only know that our older records differ from today's law, we say so rather than guess a date.
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Law change Optometrists can sign medical tint statements
Session Laws 2026, chapter 89 lets an optometrist, as well as a physician, write the prescription or statement of medical need for darker tint. It is retroactive to July 1, 2025 and applies to prescriptions issued since then. The 50% limit didn't change.
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Law change Medical tint statements must give a limit and an end date
Session Laws 2025, chapter 5 requires the prescription or statement to say whether the need is temporary or permanent, the minimum light transmittance needed, and an expiration date no more than two years out unless permanent.
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Proposed Tinters' association pushes to relax the 50% rule
The Minnesota Window Film Association campaigned for a more lenient law, saying the 50% net limit pushed tint shops underground or out of state. The 50% limit on side and rear windows still stands.
Source: TintCenter blog, Mar 2, 2012
Films of 50% VLT or lighter: legal on every window of a car in Minnesota. Darker films for the rear windows are in the full collection. All car window film.
Where to find the Minnesota tint law
These are the laws, rules and other sources we found for Minnesota. We list all of them rather than picking one, so you can read them yourself and decide. Laws change, so check the current text before you install.
- Statute Minnesota Statutes § 169.71, subd. 4 (opens in a new tab) Minnesota Revisor of Statutes
- Law change Minnesota Session Laws 2026, chapter 89 (opens in a new tab) Minnesota Revisor of StatutesOptometrists can sign medical tint statements (retroactive to July 1, 2025).
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TintCenter news about the Minnesota tint law
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Minnesota Tinters Association Seek to Change MN Tint LawsFrom our 2012 archive; the limits above are the current law.