NJ · tint law reference

New Jersey window tint laws

Last verified September 14, 2026 · N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 (general prohibition); N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.1 to -1.8 (medical-exemption standards)

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.

New Jersey window tint limits by window and vehicle type
Window Sedans SUVs, vans & trucks
Windshield No aftermarket tint for the general public: N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 bars non-transparent material on the front windshield, wings, deflectors, side shields, corner lights adjoining the windshield, and front side windows. Under State v. Smith, 251 N.J. 244 (2022), a violation requires that the material actually be non-transparent — so dark that police cannot clearly see people or articles inside. For medical-exemption certificate holders, N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.2 allows film that keeps the windshield at 70% VLT or above below the AS-1 line, and permits film below 70% VLT only on the portion of the windshield above the AS-1 line. No aftermarket tint for the general public: N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 bars non-transparent material on the front windshield, wings, deflectors, side shields, corner lights adjoining the windshield, and front side windows. Under State v. Smith, 251 N.J. 244 (2022), a violation requires that the material actually be non-transparent — so dark that police cannot clearly see people or articles inside. For medical-exemption certificate holders, N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.2 allows film that keeps the windshield at 70% VLT or above below the AS-1 line, and permits film below 70% VLT only on the portion of the windshield above the AS-1 line.
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? No — this state does not tie a mirror requirement to rear tint.

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

    For medical-exemption vehicles only: N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.3 — "The visible light reflectance of sun-screening materials and products installed or applied to the windshield and/or the front side window(s) of a motor vehicle shall not exceed eight percent." No reflectance standard exists for the general public or for any rear window.

    Colors

    For medical-exemption vehicles only (N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.4): windshield film must be a "clear film" (neutral gray appearance over factory glazing); front side window film may be either clear film or tinted film. The general statute bans "non-transparent material" functionally rather than by color.

    Medical exemption

    Yes. MVC "Sunscreening 1" application with physician certification of a medical condition involving ophthalmic or dermatological photosensitivity (N.J.S.A. 39:3-75.1 conditions plus chronic actinic dermatitis, photosensitive eczema, and skin cancers with an associated chronic actinic dermatitis diagnosis). MVC issues a 60-day temporary approval ("Sunscreening 2") and an installation confirmation form, then a permanent approval valid 48 months, renewable. Film must be installed by an MVC-licensed sunscreening facility. Standards: windshield 70% VLT or above below the AS-1 line (darker allowed above the AS-1 line), front side windows 60% VLT or above, plus a readily removable strip on the uppermost six inches of the front side windows during daylight hours at 35% VLT or above (N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.2).

    Stickers & certification

    Medical exemption certificate must be in the driver's possession at all times and exhibited to police on request (N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.7). The registered installation facility must attach a 1-inch-by-1-inch label, between the film and the glass, bearing the film manufacturer's name and the facility's MVC registration number: lower right corner of the windshield, lower left corner of the front left side window, and lower right corner of the front right side window, each as viewed from inside and fully visible from outside (N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.8).

    Measurement tolerance

    This state does not state a measurement tolerance in the sources we checked.

    Penalties

    N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 states no dollar fine in its own text. Secondary sources commonly cite fines up to $1,000 for a first offense; that figure was not confirmed against any primary Title 39 penalty provision.

    Notes

    New Jersey has NO codified VLT or reflectance standard for ordinary (non-medical-exemption) vehicles on any window. Aftermarket film on the windshield and front side windows is banned, subject only to the functional "non-transparent" visibility test set by the NJ Supreme Court in State v. Smith (2022). Rear side windows and the rear window are unregulated — 39:3-74 reaches only the front windshield, wings, deflectors, side shields, corner lights adjoining the windshield, and front side windows. Pending bill A.4673 (introduced March 10, 2026) would add an outright ban on tinted material on the windshield and front side windows except the top six inches / above the AS-1 marking; it had not been enacted as of this verification. Both secondary sources agree: front side windows no tint, rear windows any darkness.

    New Jersey tint questions

    Can I tint the windshield in New Jersey?

    New Jersey's rule for the windshield: No aftermarket tint for the general public: N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 bars non-transparent material on the front windshield, wings, deflectors, side shields, corner lights adjoining the windshield, and front side windows. Under State v. Smith, 251 N.J. 244 (2022), a violation requires that the material actually be non-transparent — so dark that police cannot clearly see people or articles inside. For medical-exemption certificate holders, N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.2 allows film that keeps the windshield at 70% VLT or above below the AS-1 line, and permits film below 70% VLT only on the portion of the windshield above the AS-1 line.

    Does New Jersey allow a medical exemption for darker tint?

    What the source says: Yes. MVC "Sunscreening 1" application with physician certification of a medical condition involving ophthalmic or dermatological photosensitivity (N.J.S.A. 39:3-75.1 conditions plus chronic actinic dermatitis, photosensitive eczema, and skin cancers with an associated chronic actinic dermatitis diagnosis). MVC issues a 60-day temporary approval ("Sunscreening 2") and an installation confirmation form, then a permanent approval valid 48 months, renewable. Film must be installed by an MVC-licensed sunscreening facility. Standards: windshield 70% VLT or above below the AS-1 line (darker allowed above the AS-1 line), front side windows 60% VLT or above, plus a readily removable strip on the uppermost six inches of the front side windows during daylight hours at 35% VLT or above (N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.2). Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.

    Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in New Jersey?

    Medical exemption certificate must be in the driver's possession at all times and exhibited to police on request (N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.7). The registered installation facility must attach a 1-inch-by-1-inch label, between the film and the glass, bearing the film manufacturer's name and the facility's MVC registration number: lower right corner of the windshield, lower left corner of the front left side window, and lower right corner of the front right side window, each as viewed from inside and fully visible from outside (N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.8).

    Nearby states

    Where this comes from

    Statute cited: N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 (general prohibition); N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.1 to -1.8 (medical-exemption standards)

    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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