Legal Tint in Arizona: VLT Limits, Reflectance, and Exemptions

Legal tint in Arizona is set by ARS § 28-959.01: your front side windows must let at least 33% of visible light through, while your rear side windows and back windshield can be as dark as you want, as long as reflectance stays at or below 35% and you keep working side mirrors. The same rules apply to sedans, SUVs, trucks, and vans. There is no separate “SUV tint law.”¹

Front Side Windows: 33% VLT

Visible light transmission (VLT) on your front side windows, including any wing vents, must be at least 33% when measured through the film and glass together. The statute allows a 3% tolerance, so a reading isn’t treated as non-compliant until it drops below 30%. Reflectance on those same windows can’t exceed 35%, with the same 3% tolerance.²

Body style doesn’t change this number. A pickup, a minivan, and a four-door sedan all have to meet the same 33% front-window standard.

Rear Side Windows and Rear Windshield

Behind the driver, Arizona is permissive. Rear side windows have no minimum VLT at all. You can run them limo-dark. Reflectance still has to stay at or below 35% (with the 3% tolerance), and that’s the only hard cap.¹

The rear windshield works the same way, with one condition attached. Once any tint is applied to the rear window, the vehicle must have outside mirrors on both the left and right sides, each giving a view of at least 200 feet behind the vehicle. Most vehicles already come with dual mirrors that satisfy this, but confirm it before you leave the shop.²

Windshield Strip

Arizona doesn’t use a flat “top five inches” rule for windshield tint. The limit is measured from the driver’s seat: the bottom edge of the tint material must sit at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver’s seat, measured from a point five inches in front of the bottom of the backrest, with the seat pushed to its lowest and farthest-back position on a level surface.¹

That measurement usually produces a narrow strip across the top of the windshield, but the exact width depends on seat height and windshield angle. A low-slung compact may allow a slightly deeper strip than a tall truck cab. Anything applied to the windshield below that allowable area is illegal.

Reflectance and Color

Reflectance is capped at 35% on both front and rear side windows (3% tolerance). Mirror-finish and chrome films that exceed that cap are illegal. If a shop offers one, ask for the measured reflectance before installation.²

Red and amber tint is specifically banned on the windshield strip. Separately, the statute prohibits any side or rear window material that “alters the color” of the glass. Stick to neutral grays, charcoals, or bronze tones. Red or amber film gets confused with emergency lighting and draws a citation on sight.¹

What Happens If Your Tint Is Too Dark

An officer can measure your windows with a VLT meter during a traffic stop. If the reading is out of range, two things usually happen at once. You get a civil traffic citation, with fines typically running around $160 to $170 depending on the court, plus possible surcharges. You also get a written equipment repair order under ARS § 28-982, which gives you five days to fix the problem and obtain a signed certificate of correction.³

Fixing it means removing or replacing the offending film with something compliant. Professional removal generally runs between $25 and $190 depending on how many windows need stripping and how stubborn the adhesive is. Ignoring the repair order doesn’t close the file. The original citation stays open, and the next stop brings more penalties on top.

Medical Exemption

If a medical condition requires extra protection from sunlight, Arizona lets you apply for an exemption from the standard limits. You’ll need the Application for Window Tint Medical Exemption, certified by an MD, a DO, a Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD), or an Ophthalmologist. No other provider qualifies.⁴

Submit the form to the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division’s Medical Review Program. Once approved, the certificate must be kept in every vehicle using the exemption tint. The exemption does not extend to windshield tint below the normally allowed strip area.⁵ Keep a copy in each car rather than passing one document between vehicles. During a stop, it’s what keeps the ticket from being written.

Watch the Combined VLT, Not the Film Rating

Factory windshields and front windows on new passenger vehicles already have to pass at least 70% of visible light under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205.⁶ When you add film on top, the measured VLT reflects both layers together. A film sold as “35%” over 70% factory glass produces a combined reading well below 35%, which is also well below Arizona’s 33% minimum on front windows. Ask the installer to measure the final combined reading on your actual glass, not just quote you the film’s standalone number. That one check is what separates a legal install from a repair order on the way home.

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield; Exceptions; Requirements; Violation; Definitions
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-959.01 – Materials on Windows or Windshield; Exceptions; Requirements; Violation; Definitions
3
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-982 – Vehicle and Equipment Inspection; Notice of Repair
4
Arizona Department of Transportation. Application for Window Tint Medical Exemption
5
Arizona Department of Transportation. Medical Review – Section: Window Tinting Exemption
6
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Interpretation ID: 10-000710 A.Killian,Jr. (Standard No. 205)