The Texas legal tint limit for the two front side windows is 25% visible light transmission (VLT), meaning the glass and any film together must let at least a quarter of outside light through. Rear side windows have no darkness limit, the back window has none either when the vehicle has dual outside mirrors, and the windshield allows only a tinted strip above the AS-1 line. Every window is also capped at 25% reflectivity.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 547.613 – Restrictions on Windows
Front Side Windows: 25% VLT
The driver and front-passenger windows are the ones that get people ticketed. Both must let at least 25% of visible light through the combined glass and film, and reflectivity cannot exceed 25%.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 547.613 – Restrictions on Windows Anything darker fails the state safety inspection regardless of the model year of the vehicle.2Department of Public Safety. Window Tinting Standards
The 25% minimum applies to every vehicle class. Sedans, trucks, SUVs, vans — same number. There is no darker allowance for the front sides of an SUV. If a shop tells you 20% passes on the fronts, that shop is wrong.
Rear Side Windows and Back Window
Texas Transportation Code § 547.613 exempts side windows behind the driver, and the Department of Public Safety confirms those windows are “completely exempted from regulation.”2Department of Public Safety. Window Tinting Standards The administrative code sets no minimum light transmission for rear side glass either.3Cornell Law Institute. 37 Texas Admin Code 21.3 – Standards for Sunscreening and Privacy Window Devices A four-door sedan can run limo-dark rear sides and still pass inspection.
The back window follows a mirror rule. If the vehicle has an outside mirror on each side providing at least 200 feet of rearward visibility, there is no VLT minimum on the back glass and you can go as dark as you want.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 547.613 – Restrictions on Windows Without both mirrors, the back window has to meet the same 25% VLT and 25% reflectivity standard as the front sides.3Cornell Law Institute. 37 Texas Admin Code 21.3 – Standards for Sunscreening and Privacy Window Devices Almost every car ships from the factory with two mirrors, so this rarely matters. If one is broken or removed, you’re on the hook for 25% on the rear glass until it’s fixed.
Windshield: Strip Only, Above the AS-1 Line
Tint on the windshield is limited to the area above the AS-1 line, a marking etched or printed near the top edge of the glass by the manufacturer. If no AS-1 line is visible, the strip cannot extend more than five inches below the top of the glass.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 547.613 – Restrictions on Windows The strip itself must hit at least 25% VLT and no more than 25% reflectivity, and it cannot be red, blue, or amber.3Cornell Law Institute. 37 Texas Admin Code 21.3 – Standards for Sunscreening and Privacy Window Devices Those colors are associated with emergency vehicles, which is why the statute and the administrative code both call them out.
Reflectivity Cap
Every window on the vehicle is subject to a 25% maximum luminous reflectance. Highly metallic or mirror-finish films are out, whether on the windshield strip, the front sides, or the rear glass.3Cornell Law Institute. 37 Texas Admin Code 21.3 – Standards for Sunscreening and Privacy Window Devices Ceramic and carbon films reject heat without high reflectivity and rarely run into the limit.
Medical Exemption for Darker Front Tint
Drivers with a medical need for extra sun protection can go darker than 25% on the front windows. You need a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist that identifies you and states that the sunscreening is medically necessary.3Cornell Law Institute. 37 Texas Admin Code 21.3 – Standards for Sunscreening and Privacy Window Devices The exemption covers drivers and passengers, so a qualifying condition in either seat is enough.
Keep the signed statement in the vehicle. An officer at a traffic stop will want to see it, and the inspector at your annual inspection notes the documentation in the database without retaining a copy.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Window Tint Medical Exemption Without the paper in the car, you’ll be cited like anyone else running illegal tint. The exemption does not fix a particular VLT percentage you’re entitled to, Texas does not set an expiration on it, and no window sticker is required. The documentation itself is the proof.
Penalties and Failed Inspection
Tint that violates § 547.613 is a misdemeanor. The general penalty for equipment violations in Chapter 547 is a fine between $1 and $350 per offense. An installer who applies film without the label required under § 547.609 commits a separate misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 547.613 – Restrictions on Windows
The ticket is only part of the cost. Illegal tint fails the annual safety inspection, which specifically checks sunscreening devices for compliance.2Department of Public Safety. Window Tinting Standards A failed inspection blocks registration renewal, and driving on an expired sticker is a separate violation. Professional removal runs roughly $25 to $190 per vehicle depending on how many windows are involved and the condition of the existing film.
How the 25% Is Actually Measured
Officers and inspectors use an electronic tint meter that clips onto a partially rolled-down window and reads the combined VLT of the glass plus any film. That combined number is what matters, and it’s where a lot of DIY tint jobs go wrong. A window that starts at 70% VLT from the factory and receives a 35% film ends up around 24% combined, which fails the 25% front-window standard. A good installer measures your factory glass first and picks a film that keeps the combined reading legal.