Under Florida’s front windshield tint law, you cannot apply tint to the front windshield below the AS-1 line. A transparent tint strip along the top of the windshield, above that line, is the only tint the statute allows on the front glass. Everything below the AS-1 line must stay untinted.1Online Sunshine. Florida Code 316.2952 – Windshields Requirements Restrictions
What the AS-1 Strip Allows
The AS-1 line is defined by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 and typically sits about five inches down from the top edge of the windshield. Look at the top corners of your glass and you can usually find the “AS-1” marking etched into it. Anything above that line is fair game for a tint strip; anything below it is not.
The statute requires the material in that strip to be transparent, not merely non-reflective. Those are different standards, and it matters. A mirrored or chrome-style strip is not transparent and would not comply, even if it’s placed correctly above the line. A traditional smoked visor strip that you can still see through meets the requirement.
Florida does not set a specific VLT percentage for the windshield strip the way it does for side and rear windows. The test for the strip is transparency and placement, full stop.
Medical Exemption for Windshield Tint
There is one legal way to put tint on the windshield below the AS-1 line: a Sunscreening Medical Exemption Certificate. Florida issues these to people with lupus, other autoimmune diseases, or any medical condition that requires limited exposure to light. The exemption covers the windshield along with the side and rear windows.2Online Sunshine. Florida Code 316.29545 – Window Sunscreening Exclusions Medical Exemption
The statute doesn’t list every qualifying condition by name. It uses broad language covering any condition requiring limited light exposure, and the Department consults a Medical Advisory Board to decide which conditions qualify. If your physician believes darker tint is medically necessary, the process is straightforward.
How to Apply
You complete form HSMV 83390, the Application for Sunscreening Medical Exemption. One section covers your vehicle information; another is your physician’s certification of your medical need.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Sunscreening Medical Exemption
Mail the completed form to the Bureau of Motorist Compliance at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in Tallahassee. If approved, you’ll receive a Sunscreening Medical Exemption Certificate that must be kept in your vehicle’s glove compartment to show law enforcement during a stop.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Procedure RS-48 – Sunscreening Medical Exemption Certificate
The certificate has no expiration date, but it is tied to the specific vehicle listed on it. Sell or transfer that vehicle, and the certificate becomes invalid. You’ll need to apply again for the new vehicle.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Sunscreening Medical Exemption
Other Exempt Drivers
Florida also exempts law enforcement vehicles used in undercover or canine operations from the tint restrictions entirely. Vehicles owned or leased by licensed private investigators and certified process servers are exempt from the side window, rear window, and penalty provisions, though not from the windshield restriction in the same sweeping way.2Online Sunshine. Florida Code 316.29545 – Window Sunscreening Exclusions Medical Exemption
Penalties if You Tint the Windshield Anyway
Illegal window tint is a noncriminal traffic infraction in Florida, classified as a nonmoving violation.5Online Sunshine. Florida Code 316.2956 – Violation of Provisions Relating to Windshields Windows and Sunscreening Material Penalties No points hit your license. The fine is set under Chapter 318 and includes court costs and surcharges that vary by county. Drivers typically face fines exceeding $100 per window.
Officers use handheld tint meters at the roadside, so a “looks fine to me” defense rarely works. And because the windshield rule is about placement rather than a light-transmission percentage, an officer doesn’t even need a meter to write the ticket if tint appears below the AS-1 line.
Correcting the Violation
Most tint citations are issued as correctable violations, which gives you a path to a reduced fine. You have 30 days to bring the tint into compliance, then have a law enforcement officer inspect the vehicle and endorse the citation. Take that endorsed citation to the clerk of court in your county, and the fine drops significantly.
Failing to correct the tint and resolve the citation within the deadline can lead to a license suspension. A minor equipment ticket becomes a much larger problem quickly if it’s ignored.
A Note on Side and Rear Windows
The windshield rule is stricter than the rules for the rest of your glass, which sometimes confuses drivers. Front side windows must allow at least 28% of visible light through.6Florida Senate. Florida Code 316.2953 – Side Windows Restrictions on Sunscreening Material Back side windows and the rear window must allow at least 15% for passenger cars, and at least 6% for multi-purpose vehicles like trucks, vans, and SUVs.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 316.2954 – Windows Behind the Driver Restrictions on Sunscreening Material Those percentages don’t carry over to the windshield. On the front glass, the AS-1 rule is the only rule, and no VLT figure will make windshield tint below that line legal without a medical exemption.
The Installer’s Compliance Label
Any shop installing aftermarket tint in Florida must affix a compliance label to the inside of the driver’s side door jamb, showing the trade name of the tint material and the installer’s business name. Officers look for it during stops. Factory tint that meets federal standards doesn’t need a separate label.8Online Sunshine. Florida Code 316.2955 – Sunscreening Material Labeling Requirements If you added an AS-1 strip and the shop skipped the sticker, expect more scrutiny during any stop involving your tint.