KY · tint law reference

Kentucky window tint laws

Last verified September 14, 2026 · KRS 189.110 (as amended by 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 17, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2024)

Legal tint limits at a glance

VLT is the share of light the window must let through — a lower number is darker film, and the reading includes the factory glass.

Kentucky window tint limits by window and vehicle type
Window Sedans SUVs, vans & trucks
Windshield Two permitted options: (a) sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield if it is transparent and does not encroach on the driver's direct forward viewing area, the AS/1 portion of the windshield per FMVSS 205 (KRS 189.110(2)(b)); or (b) sunscreening material or other product applied to the windshield, used in conjunction with the windshield's safety glazing, if it has a light transmittance of not less than 70% and is not red or yellow in color (KRS 189.110(2)(c)). A certificate or other paper required to be displayed by law is also permitted ((2)(a)). Same as sedan — the windshield rule in KRS 189.110(2) makes no distinction by vehicle type
Front side 35% VLT or lighter 35% VLT or lighter
Back side 18% VLT or lighter 8% VLT or lighter
Rear 18% VLT or lighter 8% VLT or lighter

Dual side mirrors required if the rear is tinted? Yes — this state requires dual outside mirrors when the rear window is tinted.

Is my tint legal here?

Film darkness and glass darkness multiply. Enter the film you are considering and the VLT of the bare glass to get the number a meter would read.

70 for tinted OEM glass, 80 for clear

Net VLT 14% 20% film × 70% glass

    Pass/fail compares net VLT against the limits on this page only. Some states apply a measurement tolerance — see Measurement tolerance below — and none of this replaces a meter reading on your own glass.

    The rest of the rule

    Reflectivity

    Side wings and side windows forward of or adjacent to the operator's seat: total solar reflectance of visible light not more than 25% measured on the nonfilm side, tested on 1/8-inch clear glass (KRS 189.110(3)). Windows behind the driver: not more than 35% (KRS 189.110(4)(a)). Perforated material behind the driver: total reflectance not more than 35% with a light transmittance of not less than 30%, and where reflectance varies, the area is divided into 16 equal sections and averaged with no single section exceeding 50% (KRS 189.110(4)(b)).

    Colors

    Red or yellow — windshield only, and only for material applied in conjunction with the windshield glazing under KRS 189.110(2)(c). No color restriction reaches the side or rear windows.

    Medical exemption

    None — KRS 189.110 as amended effective July 15, 2024 contains no medical-exemption provision. Third-party sites citing an old "subsection (5)" medical exemption are wrong: subsection (5) of the current statute is the dual-side-mirror requirement. Both secondary sources reviewed this pass disagree with each other (tinting-laws.com says no exemption, windowtintlaws.us says one exists); the statute text supports tinting-laws.com.

    Stickers & certification

    Mandatory — KRS 189.110(6): each installer or seller of sunscreening material must provide the purchaser a pressure-sensitive, self-destructive, nonremovable, vinyl-type film label stating that the material complies with KRS 189.010(20) to (23) and KRS 189.110(1) to (5), and each installer must affix it to the inside left door jamb. The label must also state the material's trade name and the installer's or seller's business name. Not required for factory glazing complying with FMVSS 205.

    Measurement tolerance

    ±3% on every percentage measurement required by KRS 189.110(2) through (4) (KRS 189.110(7))

    Penalties

    KRS 189.110(9): "A person who applies sunscreening materials in violation of this section shall be guilty upon conviction of a Class B misdemeanor" — this reaches whoever applies the film. The section states no separate penalty for the operator; operator violations of KRS 189.110 fall under Kentucky's general penalty statute KRS 189.990, which was not verified from a primary source in this pass. KRS 189.110(8) separately bars installing film that fails the minimum light-transmission standards and requires noncompliant material to be removed immediately.

    Notes

    Every figure re-confirmed verbatim from the Legislative Research Commission's own statute text. Multipurpose passenger vehicles — the SUV/van category, defined in KRS 189.010 — get the darker 8% VLT allowance for windows behind the driver under KRS 189.110(4)(a), against 18% for other vehicles; the front side window standard of 35% VLT / 25% reflectance applies to all vehicle types alike. Because subsection (4) treats all windows behind the driver as one category, back side windows and the rear window share the same figure. A representation of the American flag no larger than 5 by 8 inches may be displayed in a lower corner of the rear window (KRS 189.110(10)). Windows that were a component part of the vehicle at manufacture, or replacements meeting the same federal requirements, are not affected (KRS 189.110(12)). Secondary-source disagreement: windowtintlaws.us reports 18% for an SUV or van's back side and rear windows, missing the multipurpose-passenger-vehicle allowance; tinting-laws.com correctly reports 8%.

    Kentucky tint questions

    What is the darkest legal tint in Kentucky?

    For a sedan in Kentucky, front side windows must let at least 35% of light through, back side windows at least 18%, and the rear window at least 18%. Lower VLT means darker glass, so those percentages are floors, not targets, and the meter reads the film and the factory glass together. SUVs, vans and trucks are listed separately: front side 35%, back side 8%, rear 8%.

    Is 20% tint legal in Kentucky?

    No, not on the front side windows. Kentucky requires at least 35% VLT there and 20% is darker than that, before you even account for the factory glass, which makes the reading darker still. The back side windows have a 18% floor, so 20% film can be legal there.

    Can I tint the windshield in Kentucky?

    Kentucky's rule for the windshield: Two permitted options: (a) sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield if it is transparent and does not encroach on the driver's direct forward viewing area, the AS/1 portion of the windshield per FMVSS 205 (KRS 189.110(2)(b)); or (b) sunscreening material or other product applied to the windshield, used in conjunction with the windshield's safety glazing, if it has a light transmittance of not less than 70% and is not red or yellow in color (KRS 189.110(2)(c)). A certificate or other paper required to be displayed by law is also permitted ((2)(a)).

    Does Kentucky allow a medical exemption for darker tint?

    What the source says: None — KRS 189.110 as amended effective July 15, 2024 contains no medical-exemption provision. Third-party sites citing an old "subsection (5)" medical exemption are wrong: subsection (5) of the current statute is the dual-side-mirror requirement. Both secondary sources reviewed this pass disagree with each other (tinting-laws.com says no exemption, windowtintlaws.us says one exists); the statute text supports tinting-laws.com. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.

    Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Kentucky?

    Mandatory — KRS 189.110(6): each installer or seller of sunscreening material must provide the purchaser a pressure-sensitive, self-destructive, nonremovable, vinyl-type film label stating that the material complies with KRS 189.010(20) to (23) and KRS 189.110(1) to (5), and each installer must affix it to the inside left door jamb. The label must also state the material's trade name and the installer's or seller's business name. Not required for factory glazing complying with FMVSS 205.

    Nearby states

    Where this comes from

    Statute cited: KRS 189.110 (as amended by 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 17, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2024)

    Checked against the state's own statute or DMV page on September 14, 2026. Laws change; if you find a newer rule, email admin@getpeelboard.com.

    Legal disclaimer: general information, not legal advice; verify with your DMV.

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