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 | All sun-screening devices applied to the windshield are prohibited, except factory-installed tinted glass or the equivalent replacement thereof, or tinting material applied to the upper portion of the windshield which is normally tinted by the manufacturer of motor vehicle safety glass | Same as sedan — the statute contains no separate provision or distinction for SUVs, vans, trucks, or any other vehicle body type |
| Front side | 35% VLT or lighter | 35% VLT or lighter |
| Back side | No VLT limit | No VLT limit |
| Rear | No VLT limit | No VLT limit |
Dual side mirrors required if the rear is tinted? Not stated in the sources we checked.
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
Front sidewing vents or windows located immediately to the left and right of the driver: luminous reflectance of 35% or less (plus or minus 3%). No reflectance figure is stated for any other window because the statute does not regulate them.
Colors
None specified in the statute.
Medical exemption
Yes: the Department of Public Safety may issue a permit allowing front sidewing vents or windows immediately left and right of the driver to have less light transmission and luminous reflectance than the 35%/35% standard, to a person having a serious medical condition which requires the use of a sun-screening device, if the permittee's physician prescribes its use. The director of DPS promulgates the issuance rules. The permit allows operation of the vehicle by any titleholder or relative within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity — spouse, grandparent, parent, brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, child, grandchild — residing in the household.
Stickers & certification
Not addressed — §307.173 establishes no compliance sticker or label program. The medical permit is the only document contemplated.
Measurement tolerance
Plus or minus 3 percentage points, on both the 35% light-transmission floor and the 35% reflectance ceiling for the front side windows
Penalties
Any violation of the section is a class C misdemeanor (subsection 4). Vehicles licensed with a historical license plate are exempt from the requirements of the section entirely (subsection 5).
Notes
Confirmed by reading the full statute: RSMo §307.173 regulates only (a) the windshield, where aftermarket sun-screening devices are banned subject to the factory-glass and upper-portion exceptions, and (b) 'front sidewing vents or windows located immediately to the left and right of the driver,' at 35% VLT minimum and 35% maximum luminous reflectance, each plus or minus 3%. It says nothing at all about rear side windows, the rear window, or any vehicle-type distinction, so back_side_vlt and rear_vlt are null because no statutory restriction exists to report — not because of a research gap. All four secondary sources checked agree on this. Subsection 2 also preserves labels, stickers, decalcomania and informational signs, and expressly permits tinted or solar screening material on recreational vehicles as defined in §700.010, provided it does not interfere with the driver's normal view of the road.
Missouri tint questions
What is the darkest legal tint in Missouri?
For a sedan in Missouri, front side windows must let at least 35% of light through, no number is stated for the back side windows, and none for the rear window. Lower VLT means darker glass, so those percentages are floors, not targets, and the meter reads the film and the factory glass together.
Is 20% tint legal in Missouri?
No, not on the front side windows. Missouri 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. Behind the driver the statute states no VLT number, so 20% may be allowed on the back side and rear windows — read the notes on this page and confirm with the DMV.
Can I tint the windshield in Missouri?
Missouri's rule for the windshield: All sun-screening devices applied to the windshield are prohibited, except factory-installed tinted glass or the equivalent replacement thereof, or tinting material applied to the upper portion of the windshield which is normally tinted by the manufacturer of motor vehicle safety glass
Does Missouri allow a medical exemption for darker tint?
What the source says: Yes: the Department of Public Safety may issue a permit allowing front sidewing vents or windows immediately left and right of the driver to have less light transmission and luminous reflectance than the 35%/35% standard, to a person having a serious medical condition which requires the use of a sun-screening device, if the permittee's physician prescribes its use. The director of DPS promulgates the issuance rules. The permit allows operation of the vehicle by any titleholder or relative within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity — spouse, grandparent, parent, brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, child, grandchild — residing in the household. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.
Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Missouri?
Not addressed — §307.173 establishes no compliance sticker or label program. The medical permit is the only document contemplated.
Where this comes from
Statute cited: RSMo §307.173
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.