Darkest Tint Allowed in Florida: VLT Limits, Rules, and Exemptions

The darkest legal tint in Florida depends on which window and what you drive. Front side windows must let in at least 28% of visible light (VLT) on every passenger vehicle. Rear side windows and the back glass can go down to 15% VLT on a sedan, and down to 6% VLT on an SUV, van, or pickup truck. The windshield is almost entirely off-limits: only a transparent strip above the AS-1 line is allowed.¹²

Lower VLT means darker. A 6% film blocks almost all outside light; a 28% film is noticeably tinted but still see-through from either side.

Limits by Window and Vehicle

For a standard sedan:

For a vehicle classified as a multipurpose passenger vehicle, which covers SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks:

Check your registration before buying film. If the state classifies your vehicle as a sedan, 6% rear film is illegal even if the car looks like something darker would fit.

The Windshield Rule

Tinting the main viewing area of the windshield is not allowed. The only film permitted sits above the AS-1 line, a small mark etched into the glass by the manufacturer, usually about five or six inches below the roofline.³ Material in that strip has to be transparent. Film below the line, or anything that meaningfully blocks the view, is a citation waiting to happen.

Why the Film’s Rating Isn’t the Final Number

Here is where most drivers get tripped up. A film labeled 30% VLT does not produce 30% VLT once installed. Factory glass already blocks some light on its own, usually transmitting around 80%. The two values multiply. A 30% film on 80% glass gives you 24% combined VLT (0.30 × 0.80 = 0.24), which fails the 28% front-window rule.

To land legally close to 28% up front, you typically need film rated around 35% to 40%, depending on how much your factory glass already blocks. A good installer will measure the glass before suggesting a film. If you’re installing it yourself, a VLT meter is cheap insurance. Officers use calibrated meters at the roadside, and the reading on that meter is the number that decides the ticket.

Reflectivity and Color

Darkness isn’t the only limit. Front side windows cannot exceed 25% solar reflectance, and rear windows cannot exceed 35%.¹² Highly metallic or chrome-finish films often exceed those numbers, so check the manufacturer’s spec sheet. Florida also bars film that alters the window’s color. If the tint reads blue, red, gold, or any other hue from outside, it violates the statute. Neutral charcoal or ceramic films stay on the right side of this rule.

What a Tint Ticket Costs

Illegal tint is a noncriminal traffic infraction, classified as a nonmoving violation. It usually doesn’t add license points or affect insurance. Fines generally run from about $116 to $150 depending on the county. Shops that install illegal film face harsher consequences, including a second-degree misdemeanor charge, so a reputable installer should decline work that would violate the limits.⁴

Medical Exemption for Darker Tint

If you have lupus, another autoimmune condition, or any medical reason to limit sun exposure, Florida will issue a medical exemption certificate that allows darker film on every window of the vehicle, including the windshield.⁵

To apply, use Form HSMV 83390 from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.⁶ A physician, dermatologist, physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse practitioner must complete and sign the certification. Military doctors and physicians at state hospitals or federal prisons can also sign.⁷

The certificate does not expire, but it is tied to one specific vehicle by make, model, year, and VIN. It becomes void if you sell or transfer that car, and you have to apply again for a replacement vehicle.⁵ Keep the certificate in the glove compartment so you can produce it at a traffic stop.⁷

1
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 316.2953 – Side Windows; Restrictions on Sunscreening Material
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.2954 – Windows Behind the Driver; Restrictions on Sunscreening Material
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.2952 – Windshields; Requirements; Restrictions
4
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 316.2956 – Violation of Provisions Relating to Windshields, Windows, and Sunscreening Material; Penalties
5
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 316.29545 – Sunscreening Material; Medical Exemption
6
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Sunscreening Medical Exemption
7
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Procedure RS-48 – Sunscreening Medical Exemption Certificate