Legal Window Tint in Maryland: VLT Limits, Exemptions, and Penalties

Legal window tint in Maryland starts with a single number: 35%. Any aftermarket film on a passenger car must let at least 35% of visible light through every tinted window. Trucks, SUVs, vans, and other multipurpose vehicles follow the same 35% rule on the two front side windows, but the windows behind the driver can be as dark as you like. These limits come from Maryland Transportation Code § 22-406.¹

That percentage is called Visible Light Transmission, or VLT: the share of outside light that makes it through the glass and any film on top of it. A higher VLT number means a lighter window. If your factory glass already carries some tint, any film you add still has to keep the combined transmission at 35% or above.

Limits by Vehicle Type

Passenger Cars and Station Wagons

Vehicles registered as Class A under § 13-912, which covers standard sedans and station wagons, have to meet the 35% VLT minimum on every window where tint is applied. That includes side windows and the rear windshield. There is no darker-rear-window allowance for these vehicles.¹

Trucks, SUVs, Vans, and Multipurpose Vehicles

Vehicles registered under §§ 13-913, 13-917, or 13-937 get a split standard. The two front side windows next to the driver still need 35% VLT. Every window behind the driver can be tinted to any darkness, up to full blackout.¹

There’s a mirror requirement that goes with this freedom. Any vehicle with tinted side or rear windows must have an outside rearview mirror on each side. If your truck or SUV only came with a driver-side mirror, you need to add a passenger-side mirror before the rear tint is legal.²

Windshield Rules

No vehicle in Maryland may have aftermarket tint on the windshield below the AS-1 line (a marking etched into the glass by the manufacturer) or five inches from the top, whichever is less. That narrow strip at the top is all you get. The restriction holds even for drivers with a medical exemption that allows darker tint elsewhere on the vehicle.¹

Prohibited Colors and Finishes

Darkness isn’t the only thing Maryland regulates. Several colors and finishes are banned outright, no matter how much light they transmit:

Red, yellow, and amber films, which can be mistaken for emergency lighting or obscure traffic signals
Films with a sparkling or metallic effect
Reflective or mirrored finishes, sometimes sold as “one-way” glass

These rules apply to every window on the vehicle, including windows that otherwise have no VLT limit. An SUV owner who can legally use any darkness on the rear windows still can’t use a red or mirrored film there.³⁴

Medical Exemptions for Darker Tint

Maryland residents with conditions like lupus, porphyria, or severe photosensitivity can apply for a medical exemption that allows tint darker than 35%. A Maryland-licensed physician completes the Physician’s Written Certification of Necessity for Medical Exemption (form ASED 23-04B), signed under penalty of perjury, specifying why reduced light exposure is needed and what VLT level is medically appropriate.⁴

The exemption is tied to the registered owner or co-owner, not the vehicle, and it’s non-transferable. The windshield strip limit and the banned colors and finishes still apply.⁴

The certification is valid for whatever period the physician decides the patient needs enhanced tinting, up to two years. If the physician considers the condition permanent, the certification can be issued indefinitely.⁵

You can download the form from the Maryland State Police website or pick one up at ASED headquarters in Glen Burnie or at satellite MVA branch offices during ASED duty hours. Keep the signed certification in the vehicle at all times. If you’re stopped and the tint reads below 35%, this document is what stops a citation.¹

Removable Sun Protection for Children Under 10

Removable tinting materials used to protect a child under 10 from the sun are exempt from the 35% VLT rule. The word that matters is “removable.” Permanent aftermarket film installed for the same reason doesn’t qualify. Peel-off sunshades and suction-cup screens are what the exception covers.¹

What Happens If Your Tint Is Illegal

If an officer determines your tint doesn’t comply, two things usually happen. You receive a traffic citation, and you receive a Safety Equipment Repair Order (SERO), which is a written notice requiring you to fix the problem. The two are separate, and the SERO has its own deadlines.⁶

You have 10 days from the issue date to remove or replace the non-compliant tint, and 30 days total to submit the certified SERO to the Maryland State Police Automotive Safety Enforcement Division. Even if you strip the film off entirely, the vehicle still has to go to an authorized inspection station so an inspector can confirm the windows meet 35% and sign the repair order.⁶

If ASED doesn’t receive the certified SERO within 30 days, you’ll get a notice that your registration is about to be suspended. The suspension takes effect five days after that notice is mailed. Driving on a suspended registration is a separate offense that creates problems well beyond the original tint issue.⁶

The Maryland State Police maintains an online lookup for authorized inspection stations at egov.maryland.gov/msp/vsi/lookup, filtered by vehicle type and location. One thing to know if you have a medical exemption: a regular inspection station can’t certify tint darker than 35%, even with a valid certification. That inspection goes through ASED directly.²

Driving Out of State

There’s no federal reciprocity for window tint. When you drive a Maryland-registered vehicle into a state with stricter rules, you’re subject to that state’s limits. Some states grant informal leeway to out-of-state visitors; many don’t, and officers can issue tickets or their own repair orders for tint that’s perfectly legal here. This comes up most often with the rear-window darkening allowed on Maryland trucks and SUVs. If you regularly cross state lines, picking a tint that satisfies the strictest state on your route is the easiest way to stay out of trouble.

1
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-406 – Safety Glass
2
Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 29.02.01.11 – Defect 61 Glass
3
Maryland State Police. Vehicle Equipment FAQs
4
Maryland State Police. Medical Exemption for Aftermarket Window Tinting
5
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-406
6
Maryland State Police. Safety Equipment Repair Order (SERO)