A window tint ticket in Ohio is a minor misdemeanor. The fine is set by the court but can't be more than $150, and court costs are added on top. Here's what the law says, who can be charged and how to avoid a ticket.
The fine for drivers
Ohio's tint law is Revised Code section 4513.241. Driving a car registered in Ohio with tint that doesn't meet the state's rules is a minor misdemeanor (section 4513.241(K)). Under section 2929.28, the fine for a minor misdemeanor is at most $150. Each court sets its own fine schedule and adds its own court costs, so the total you pay depends on where you're ticketed.
Police can stop you for tint alone. They check the windows with a tint meter.
Installers and dealers
- Installing film that breaks the rules is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, a step up from the driver's charge. The installer can also be sued by the customer for damages and attorney fees.
- A repair shop or car dealer convicted again can have its registration or license suspended for up to 180 days.
- A dealer who sells a car with illegal tint commits a minor misdemeanor if it knew about the tint.
What's legal in Ohio
- Front side windows: at least 50% of light must get through, plus or minus 3%. The limit is for the film and the glass together.
- Back side and rear windows: any darkness, as long as the car has outside mirrors on both sides.
- Windshield: at least 70% light; darker tint only above the AS-1 line or on the top 5 inches.
- No mirror-like film on the windshield or front side windows, and no red or yellow film on them.
There's no state medical permit. A driver who needs darker tint carries an affidavit from an Ohio-licensed physician or optometrist (Administrative Code 4501-41-05).
How to avoid a ticket
Pick a front side film light enough that the film and your factory glass together read 50% or more. Most factory glass already blocks some light, so a 50% film on its own usually reads lower once it's on the glass. Ask your installer to meter the windows after installing and to put the required tint sticker on each tinted window.
See every rule on our Ohio window tint law page.
Sources
- Ohio Revised Code 4513.241: Window tinting (Ohio Laws) (FindLaw copy)
- Ohio Revised Code 2929.28: Fines for misdemeanors (FindLaw)
- Ohio Revised Code 4513.99: Penalties (FindLaw)
- Ohio Administrative Code 4501-41-03: Tint specifications (Cornell LII)
- Ohio Administrative Code 4501-41-05: Medical exemption affidavit
