Full windshield tint isn't legal in Florida. The law allows tint only on a strip at the top of the windshield, above the AS-1 line. Clear film that covers the whole windshield, or a darker strip below that line, needs a medical exemption.
What the law allows
Florida Statutes section 316.2952 allows sunscreening material "along a strip at the top of the windshield" as long as it doesn't reach into the driver's direct view. That area is defined by the AS-1 line, a mark etched on most windshields by the maker under federal safety standard 205. If your windshield has no AS-1 mark, ask your installer where the line would be.
The statute says the strip must be transparent. Many guides, and our Florida page, describe it as non-reflective tint above the AS-1 line.
What about clear heat-rejection film?
Some newer windshield films are nearly clear and block heat and UV. Florida's statute doesn't set a light-transmission limit for the windshield that clear film could meet. It only allows material on the top strip. So a full clear film is outside what the statute allows, even though police may find it hard to spot. We haven't found a Florida court ruling or official guidance on clear windshield film.
The medical exemption
Drivers with lupus, another autoimmune disease or a condition that calls for limited light exposure can apply to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (form HSMV 83390). The exemption can cover the windshield as well as the side and rear windows. It lists one vehicle and ends when the vehicle is sold (section 316.29545).
The penalty
- Drivers: a noncriminal, nonmoving traffic infraction (section 316.2956(1)). The state base penalty for nonmoving violations is $30 (section 318.18(2)), and counties add court costs and fees, so the total varies by county.
- Sellers and installers who sell or put on film that breaks the law commit a second-degree misdemeanor (section 316.2956(3)).
The other windows
Front side windows must let in more than 28% of light. On cars, the back side and rear windows need more than 15%; on SUVs, vans and trucks, more than 6%. See every rule, including reflectivity and the door-jamb sticker, on our Florida window tint law page.
Sources
- Florida Statutes 316.2952: Windshields; sunscreening material (Florida Senate)
- Florida Statutes 316.2954: Windows behind the driver (Florida Senate)
- Florida Statutes 316.2956: Penalties (Florida Senate)
- Florida Statutes 318.18: Amount of penalties (Florida Senate)
- FLHSMV form HSMV 83390: Sunscreening medical exemption application
