State tint law
Tennessee window tint law
Laws change and enforcement varies by area. Confirm with the Tennessee DMV before you install.
How dark can window tint be in Tennessee?
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 above the manufacturer's AS-1 line. | |
| Front side windows | Must let in more than 35% of light. | |
| Back side windows | Must let in more than 35% of light. | Must let in more than 35% of light. |
| Rear window | Must let in more than 35% of light. | Must let in more than 35% of light. |
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 metallic or mirrored appearance.
- Back side windows
- No metallic or mirrored appearance.
Other Tennessee 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
- Send the Commissioner of Safety a statement from your physician that a medical condition affected by ultraviolet light requires darker windows. The department's medical review board decides and sets how dark, and you get a certificate or decal to display in the vehicle. Denials can be appealed.
Enforcement and penalties in Tennessee
- Enforcement
- Police may stop a vehicle they believe is too dark to run a field comparison test, and refusing the test is a Class C misdemeanor. The owner must prove the tint is legal. Professional installers must put a label in the lower right corner of the driver's window and give a signed receipt to keep with the registration (T.C.A. 55-9-107).
- Penalties
- A Class C misdemeanor (55-9-107(d)), Tennessee's lowest criminal class: up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $50, or both.
How the Tennessee 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 Some vehicle classes exempted from the darkness limit
Public Chapter 583 (House Bill 1474) amended TCA 55-9-107 to exempt certain classes of motor vehicles from the tint darkness limits. The 35% limit for other vehicles didn't change. We haven't read the act to list which classes.
Source: Tennessee General Assembly, HB 1474 (109th GA), Public Chapter 583
Films of 35% VLT or lighter: legal on every window of a car in Tennessee. Darker films for the rear windows are in the full collection. All car window film.
Where to find the Tennessee tint law
These are the laws, rules and other sources we found for Tennessee. 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 Tennessee Code § 55-9-107 (opens in a new tab) Justia
- Statute Tennessee Code § 55-9-107 (opens in a new tab) FindLaw
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TintCenter news about the Tennessee tint law
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Tennessee Energy Efficiency Plans Includes Window TintFrom our 2012 archive; the limits above are the current law.