What Is the Darkest Legal Tint in Nevada?

The darkest legal tint in Nevada is 35% VLT (visible light transmission) on the front side windows, and there’s no darkness limit at all on the rear side windows or back window as long as the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides. Nevada also builds in a 7% enforcement tolerance on the 35% figure, so a tint meter reading as low as about 28% on a front side window won’t automatically trigger a citation.¹ The rules apply to every registered motor vehicle in the state, whether it’s a sedan, truck, or SUV.

Front Side Windows: The 35% Rule

Under NRS 484D.440, the windows immediately to the left and right of the driver must be nonreflective, and the total light transmission through film and glass combined cannot fall below 35% VLT.¹ That “combined” part matters more than most buyers realize. Factory glass on most modern vehicles already blocks some light, so a film rated at 35% layered over factory glass that transmits 80% will produce a total VLT well below the legal floor. Ask the installer what the final combined VLT will be, not just the film’s standalone rating.

The 7% statutory tolerance exists because tint meters aren’t perfectly precise and readings shift with temperature and sunlight. It is not an invitation to install 28% film. The underlying legal standard remains 35%, and the tolerance only cushions measurement error during enforcement.

Rear Side Windows and the Back Window

There is no minimum VLT behind the driver. You can go as dark as you want on the rear side windows and the back window, including full limo tint, provided the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides that give a clear view of at least 200 feet behind the vehicle.¹ Most cars and trucks come with dual side mirrors from the factory, so this requirement is usually met before any film goes on.

The statute does not create separate rules for SUVs, vans, or other multi-purpose vehicles. Charts online that show different limits for “sedans” versus “SUVs” don’t reflect what’s in NRS 484D.440.

Windshield Tint

Nevada does not allow tint across the full windshield. You can apply a nonreflective strip to the top portion, but the bottom edge of that strip must sit at least 29 inches above the driver’s seat, measured with the seat in its lowest and rearmost position from a point five inches in front of the bottom of the backrest.¹ On most vehicles, that works out to roughly the top four to six inches of glass. The material also cannot be red or amber.

Some tint guides reference the manufacturer’s AS-1 line as the boundary for windshield tint in Nevada. The statute does not mention the AS-1 line. It uses the 29-inch seat measurement instead, which may land in a slightly different spot than the AS-1 marking depending on the vehicle. If you’re getting a windshield strip installed, have the shop measure from the seat rather than relying on a factory marking the law doesn’t reference.

Reflectivity and Color

Front side windows must be nonreflective. The statute uses that word without attaching a specific reflectivity percentage, so mirrored or metallic finishes on the driver and passenger windows are off the table.¹ Some sources claim Nevada caps reflectivity at 20%, but the statute does not contain a 20% threshold. Ceramic and carbon films sidestep the issue because neither type produces a mirror-like appearance.

Red and amber colored films are explicitly banned on the windshield strip. The color restriction appears in the windshield subsection rather than in the provisions governing side and rear windows, but most professional installers won’t apply red or amber film to any window because those colors can obscure emergency lights and traffic signals.

Factory Tint and Older Vehicles

If your vehicle came from the factory with tinted glass that met federal safety standards at the time of manufacture, that factory tint is legal regardless of how dark it measures. This exemption covers the privacy glass many SUVs and trucks ship with on rear windows.² Vehicles with a model year of 1993 or older are also grandfathered in, provided the tint was applied before July 1, 1993.

Factory glass still reduces light transmission. Adding aftermarket film on top of factory-tinted glass drops the combined VLT lower than either layer alone, and a 35% film installed over factory glass that already blocks 15 to 20% of light can push the total below the legal limit on front windows. A reputable shop will measure the finished product with a tint meter before you leave.

Medical Exemption for Darker Front Tint

Nevada allows drivers with a medical condition requiring extra protection from sunlight to apply for a permit to install darker tint on the front side windows. The application is Form DO-200, available through the Nevada Department of Public Safety.³ Older guides sometimes refer to it as “SP66,” which is no longer the correct form.

A physician currently licensed in Nevada must complete the medical section. The doctor provides a clinical diagnosis, recommends a VLT percentage for your front windows, and indicates whether the exemption should last four years (temporary conditions) or indefinitely (permanent conditions). You list your vehicle information so the permit is tied to specific cars you drive.

The completed application goes to the Nevada Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety at 555 Wright Way in Carson City. It does not go to the DMV, despite the form being hosted on the DMV website. One hard limit: no exemption below 20% VLT will be approved, regardless of the medical justification.³

If approved, the original document is returned to you and you must carry it, or a copy, in the vehicle at all times. If an officer questions your tint during a stop, that document is your proof of compliance. The exemption is not transferable. If you sell the vehicle, the permit must be returned to the Department of Public Safety, and the new owner would need to remove the non-compliant film or apply for their own exemption.

Commercial Vehicles Have a Different Rule

If you drive a commercial motor vehicle that crosses state lines, federal rules apply on top of Nevada’s law. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires that the windshield and front side windows on commercial vehicles allow at least 70% of light through.⁴ That’s far stricter than Nevada’s 35% limit for personal vehicles. The federal restriction does not apply to windows behind the driver, so rear tint on commercial vehicles is still largely unrestricted.

If you operate a commercial vehicle registered in Nevada, you need to meet whichever standard is tighter. For front windows, that’s the federal 70% rule. Getting pulled over at a weigh station or during a DOT inspection with front tint darker than 70% VLT can result in an out-of-service order, meaning the vehicle can’t move until the film is removed.

What a Tint Ticket Costs

A window tint violation in Nevada is classified as a non-moving traffic offense, so it won’t add demerit points to your driving record.² Officers commonly issue corrective orders, often called fix-it tickets, that give you a deadline to remove or replace the non-compliant film. If you bring the vehicle into compliance and show proof, most courts will dismiss the citation or reduce the penalty to a nominal fee.

Ignoring a fix-it ticket is where the costs climb. Unresolved citations can lead to additional court fines, failure-to-appear charges, and potential registration holds. Professional tint removal typically runs $50 to $150, which is almost always cheaper than the fines and court costs that stack up from fighting or ignoring the ticket.

1
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 484D – Equipment, Inspections and Size, Weight and Load of Vehicles
2
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 484D.440 – Restrictions on Tinting of Windshield or Side or Rear Window
3
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Form DO-200 Window Tint Exemption Application
4
eCFR. 49 CFR 393.60 – Glazing in Specified Openings