Where is 5% tint legal?

5% tint, often called limo tint, is legal somewhere behind the driver in 36 states, and on the front side windows in none (without a medical exemption). Where it's allowed depends on your vehicle. On SUVs, vans and pickups, 36 states allow 5% on every window behind the driver. On sedans and coupes it's fewer: 16 states allow it on the rear side windows and 18 on the rear window, some only if the car has outside mirrors on both sides.

The table below gives the answer for every state, with the law it comes from and a link to our full page for that state. 5% means the window lets in 5% of visible light; most state limits count the film and the glass together, so a 5% film on factory glass reads a little darker than 5% on a meter.

The short answer

• SUVs, vans and pickups (multipurpose vehicles; each state defines them): 5% is legal on every window behind the driver in Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
• Sedans and coupes, rear side windows: Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Vermont.
• Sedans and coupes, rear window: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Vermont.
• Nowhere behind the driver: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
• Front side windows: no state allows 5% without a medical exemption. The darkest front-side limits are about 20% to 25%.

Most states that allow dark rear windows also require outside mirrors on both sides of the vehicle. The Outside mirrors column says where.

State by state

* Only if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides; otherwise the state's normal limit applies. † Illinois sets no limit behind the driver, but a window there darker than 30% means no tint at all on the front side windows. "Outside mirrors: Required" means mirrors on both sides are needed once the back window is tinted (in Utah, once any window is). "No (25%)" means the window must let in at least about that share of light; each state page gives the exact wording ("more than" or "at least") and any measurement tolerance.

Where sources disagree

Tint charts online often disagree with the statutes. Where the difference changes the 5% answer, here's what each source says. Our table follows the statute.

• Hawaii: 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.
• Idaho: Some tint charts say SUVs and vans can have any darkness behind the driver in Idaho. The statute (Idaho Code 49-944) has no exception for them.
• Illinois: Most tint charts list a flat 35% for every Illinois window. The statute (625 ILCS 5/12-503(a-5)) ties the front-side limit to how dark the windows behind the driver are, and sets no separate limit for those windows.
• Montana: Many tint charts say SUVs can have any darkness behind the driver in Montana. The statute (MCA 61-9-405) only exempts factory-installed tinted glass, so aftermarket film has to meet 14%.
• Nebraska: Some tint charts list 35% for SUVs and vans behind the driver in Nebraska. The statute (60-6,257) exempts those windows on multipurpose vehicles, vans and buses.
• Texas: Some commercial tint charts list different back-window limits than the statute. The statute is listed here.

Medical exemptions

Most states let a driver or passenger with a medical condition, such as lupus or light-sensitive porphyria, get darker tint than the law allows, with a statement from a physician (in some states, an optometrist). Some states issue a permit or decal; others, such as Ohio and New Mexico, only ask you to carry the signed affidavit; Iowa has granted no new exemptions since 2012. Which windows it covers, and how dark, differs by state. Each state page explains its rule. Keep the paperwork in the car.

Driving in another state

The tint law is the law of the state you're driving in. Some states exempt cars registered elsewhere that meet their home state's law; others make no exception. We haven't checked that rule for every state, so if you're moving or driving far with dark tint, read the state page for where you're going and check with its DMV or state police.

If you're tinting to 5%

Check your state's page before you buy: it gives every window, the reflectivity limit, sticker and certificate rules, and the penalty. We sell 5% shades of ASWF Retro, TintCenter HP Neutral and Solar Gard Galaxie True Black.

Last checked 2026-11-01: every state's window limits against its statute, as listed on its state page (most read on 2026-09-26 to 2026-10-10; each state page gives its own date). General guidance, not legal advice.

Sources

• Each state's statute, linked in the table above; the full source list for a state is on its page, under "Where to find the law".
• Our tint laws by state reference, checked against the statutes from 2026-09-26 (method and corrections on each page).