Tinting your windshield in Arizona is allowed only across a narrow strip at the top. The main viewing area below that strip cannot carry any aftermarket tint or transparent film. Get the measurement wrong and the whole windshield becomes a citation.
How Much of the Windshield You Can Tint
Arizona law sets the boundary with a tape measure, not with the AS-1 line that tint shops often reference. The bottom edge of the tint strip must sit at least 29 inches above the driver’s seat when the seat is in its lowest and rearmost position, measured from a point five inches in front of the bottom of the backrest with the vehicle on a level surface.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28, Section 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield
On most passenger cars the 29-inch point lines up roughly with the manufacturer’s AS-1 marking, but the legal standard is the measurement itself. If a shop tells you they’re going “to the AS-1,” confirm that the resulting bottom edge actually meets the 29-inch rule on your specific vehicle.
Color Restrictions on the Strip
The tint applied to that top strip cannot be red or amber.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28, Section 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield Neutral shades such as gray, charcoal, or bronze are the standard choice and don’t run into the color prohibition.
Why You Can’t Tint the Rest of the Windshield
Below the permitted strip, Arizona bars any aftermarket tint or transparent film on the windshield. The statute’s general rule is that no material may be placed on the windshield that reduces the driver’s clear view or lowers light transmittance.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28, Section 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield That’s the reason there is no VLT percentage to shop for on the windshield the way there is for side and rear windows. The windshield’s main viewing area has to stay as the manufacturer made it.
Does a Medical Exemption Let You Tint the Windshield?
No. This is the part that surprises people who qualify for Arizona’s Window Tint Medical Exemption. The exemption covers the driver side window, the passenger side window, and the rear windows. It does not allow tint on the windshield below the permitted strip.2Arizona Department of Transportation. Application for Window Tint Medical Exemption
The exemption itself is run through the Arizona Department of Transportation. The application has to be signed by an MD, a DO, an NMD (naturopathic medical doctor), or an ophthalmologist, confirming a condition that requires protection from direct sunlight and that eye-protective devices alone are not adequate. Optometrists and nurse practitioners can’t sign it.2Arizona Department of Transportation. Application for Window Tint Medical Exemption Even with an approved exemption, the windshield rule stays as it is.
What a Windshield Tint Citation Costs
A window tint violation in Arizona is typically a low-level offense. The common outcome from a traffic stop is a corrective citation, sometimes called a fix-it ticket. You remove or replace the illegal tint, show the court proof of correction, and the citation is usually dismissed. A small court processing fee may still apply.
Ignoring the ticket is where it gets expensive. Arizona’s fine ceiling for a petty offense is $300.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-802 – Fines for Misdemeanors An unresolved ticket can also lead to a failure-to-appear charge and potential license suspension. Professional tint removal typically runs $100 to $500 depending on how many windows need work, which in most cases is cheaper than fighting a citation or stacking additional penalties on top of it.
One more obligation worth knowing: Arizona law requires sellers and installers of window tint to disclose that the product may be illegal in some states.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28, Section 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield If a shop installed windshield tint beyond the legal strip without telling you, that disclosure requirement can matter in a later dispute.
How the Windshield Rule Differs From the Other Windows
The windshield is the strictest piece of glass on the car. The front side windows (next to the driver and front passenger) allow tint as long as the film lets at least 33% of visible light through, with a tolerance of plus or minus three percent. Reflectance on those same windows is capped at 35%, also with a ±3% tolerance.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28, Section 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield
The back side windows and rear windshield have no minimum VLT at all. You can go as dark as you want, up to full limo tint, as long as reflectance stays within the 35% (±3%) cap.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28, Section 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield If the rear window is dark enough that you can’t see through it, the vehicle has to have outside mirrors on both sides giving a view of at least 200 feet behind it.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-956 – Mirrors; Exception None of that flexibility reaches the windshield’s main viewing area, which stays untinted whatever you do with the rest of the car.