MI · tint law reference
Michigan window tint laws
Last verified September 14, 2026 · MCL 257.709 (penalty default at MCL 257.901; civil-infraction fine cap at MCL 257.907)
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.
| Window | Sedans | SUVs, vans & trucks |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | No sign, poster, nontransparent material, window application, reflective film, or nonreflective film on or in the front windshield, except tinted film along the top edge that does not extend more than 4 inches from the top of the windshield, or lower than the shade band, whichever is closer to the top | Same as sedan — the statute draws no distinction by vehicle body type |
| Front side | No aftermarket film | No aftermarket film |
| Back side | No VLT limit | No VLT limit |
| Rear | No VLT limit | No VLT limit |
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
Rear window and any side window to the rear of the driver: the material may not create a total solar reflectance of 35% or more in the visible light range, 'including a silver or gold reflective film.' No numeric reflectance ceiling is stated for the windshield or front side windows because aftermarket film is banned there outright (only factory glass plus the top-4-inch strip is allowed).
Colors
No color is banned by name. The statute bans reflective and nonreflective film generically on the front windshield, the side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger, and the sidewings, and separately bans any film creating 35%-or-greater total solar reflectance on the rear/rear-side windows, 'including a silver or gold reflective film' — which is a reflectance rule, not a color rule. (tinting-laws.com's claim that silver and gold are 'explicitly prohibited colors' is a misreading of that clause; the other three secondary sources checked report no color ban.)
Medical exemption
Yes (MCL 257.709(3)(e)): a special window treatment or application determined necessary by a physician or optometrist for the protection of a person who is light sensitive or photosensitive, provided the owner or operator has in possession a letter signed by the physician or optometrist indicating medical necessity. The treatment must not interfere with or obstruct the driver's clear vision of the highway or an intersecting highway. 'Physician' and 'optometrist' take their public-health-code meanings (MCL 333.17001/333.17501 and 333.17401). No state-issued permit or sticker is involved.
Stickers & certification
No statewide compliance sticker or label program in this section. The medical exemption depends on carrying the physician/optometrist letter, not a state decal. MCL 257.709(3)(c) separately allows placement of a necessary certificate or sticker that does not obstruct the driver's clear view of the roadway.
Measurement tolerance
This state does not state a measurement tolerance in the sources we checked.
Penalties
MCL 257.709 states no penalty. Under MCL 257.901(1) it is a misdemeanor to violate the Michigan Vehicle Code unless the violation is declared a felony or a civil infraction, and MCL 257.901(2) sets the default punishment at a fine of not more than $100, imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both. No provision found designates a §709 violation a civil infraction; where one is written as a civil infraction, MCL 257.907(2)(a) caps the civil fine at $100 plus costs.
Notes
Michigan sets NO minimum VLT percentage anywhere, which is why every VLT field is null rather than a number. Aftermarket film is banned outright on the front windshield, on the side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger, and on the sidewings — with one shared exception that is easy to misread: the 4-inch top-edge strip is allowed on the windshield AND on those front side windows/sidewings ('a tinted film may be used along the top edge of the windshield and the side windows or sidewings immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger if the material does not extend more than 4 inches from the top of the windshield, or lower than the shade band, whichever is closer to the top'). The rear window and side windows to the rear of the driver may be tinted to ANY darkness — MCL 257.709(3)(b) expressly permits 'nonreflective, smoked or tinted glass, nonreflective film, perforated window screen, or other decorative window application' there — as long as total solar reflectance stays under 35%. Two mirror rules: MCL 257.709(2) forbids driving with rear-window visibility obstructed unless the vehicle has 2 rearview mirrors, one on each side, and 257.709(3)(a) conditions the draperies/louvers/special-treatment exception on 2 outside rearview mirrors. Vehicles registered in another state, territory, commonwealth, country, or province are exempt from the section entirely. All four secondary sources checked agree Michigan has no VLT number.
Michigan tint questions
Can I tint the windshield in Michigan?
Michigan's rule for the windshield: No sign, poster, nontransparent material, window application, reflective film, or nonreflective film on or in the front windshield, except tinted film along the top edge that does not extend more than 4 inches from the top of the windshield, or lower than the shade band, whichever is closer to the top
Does Michigan allow a medical exemption for darker tint?
What the source says: Yes (MCL 257.709(3)(e)): a special window treatment or application determined necessary by a physician or optometrist for the protection of a person who is light sensitive or photosensitive, provided the owner or operator has in possession a letter signed by the physician or optometrist indicating medical necessity. The treatment must not interfere with or obstruct the driver's clear vision of the highway or an intersecting highway. 'Physician' and 'optometrist' take their public-health-code meanings (MCL 333.17001/333.17501 and 333.17401). No state-issued permit or sticker is involved. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.
Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Michigan?
No statewide compliance sticker or label program in this section. The medical exemption depends on carrying the physician/optometrist letter, not a state decal. MCL 257.709(3)(c) separately allows placement of a necessary certificate or sticker that does not obstruct the driver's clear view of the roadway.
Where this comes from
Statute cited: MCL 257.709 (penalty default at MCL 257.901; civil-infraction fine cap at MCL 257.907)
- legislature.mi.govhttps://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-709
- legislature.mi.govhttps://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-901
- legislature.mi.govhttps://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-907
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.