State tint law
Hawaii window tint law
Laws change and enforcement varies by area. Confirm with the Hawaii DMV before you install.
How dark can window tint be in Hawaii?
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 | Non-reflective tint is allowed on the top 4 inches of the windshield, not below the AS-1 line. | |
| Front side windows | Must let in at least 35% of light (plus or minus 6%). | |
| Back side windows | Any darkness is allowed if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides; otherwise must let in at least 35% of light. | Any darkness is allowed. |
| Rear window | Any darkness is allowed if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides; otherwise must let in at least 35% of light. | Any darkness is allowed. |
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
- No mirrored or highly reflective finish that looks red, yellow, amber or blue from outside.
- Back side windows
- No mirrored or highly reflective finish that looks red, yellow, amber or blue from outside.
Other Hawaii tint rules
- Restricted colors
- No mirrored or highly reflective finish that looks red, yellow, amber or blue from outside, on any window.
- Side mirrors
- Dual side mirrors are required if the back window is tinted.
- Film certification
- Film manufacturers don't need to certify the film they sell in the state.
- Sticker
- No sticker identifying legal tint is required.
- Medical exemption
- The law has no medical exemption for darker tint.
Enforcement and penalties in Hawaii
- Enforcement
- Tint is tested at the annual safety inspection. At a traffic stop, the driver and passengers must fully roll down tinted windows (not doing so is a separate infraction). Installers must give a certificate that stays in the vehicle; without it, the installer is presumed to have broken the law.
- Penalties
- Owners: $300 to $550 per offense. Installers: $700 to $1,200 per offense, plus redoing the tint legally for free. Illegal film must be removed.
How the Hawaii 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 Sedans join the rear-window exemption; reflective colours banned; higher fines
Act 129 (H.B. 226) exempted the rear window and side windows behind the driver on sedans with outside mirrors on both sides, as vans, trucks and buses already were (sedan back windows had a 35% limit before). It also banned mirrored or highly reflective finishes that look red, yellow, amber or blue, required drivers and passengers to roll tinted windows fully down at a traffic stop, and raised fines to $300-$550 for owners and $700-$1,200 for installers. The 35% (plus or minus 6%) front side limit didn't change. It took effect when signed.
Films of 35% VLT or lighter: legal on every window of a car in Hawaii. Darker films for the rear windows are in the full collection. All car window film.
Where to find the Hawaii tint law
These are the laws, rules and other sources we found for Hawaii. 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.
Sources disagree: Many tint charts still list 35% for the back side and rear windows of Hawaii sedans. That was the law until Act 129 exempted them on May 29, 2025, if the car has outside mirrors on both sides. Some 2026 guides say sedan rear windows must still let in 20%; the Act sets no number for them.
- Statute Hawaii Revised Statutes § 291-21.5 (opens in a new tab) Hawaii State Legislature
- Statute Hawaii Revised Statutes § 291-21.5 (opens in a new tab) FindLaw
- Law change Hawaii Act 129 (2025), H.B. 226 (opens in a new tab) Hawaii State Legislature
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