SC · tint law reference

South Carolina window tint laws

Last verified September 14, 2026 · S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5015 (Sunscreen devices)

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.

South Carolina window tint limits by window and vehicle type
Window Sedans SUVs, vans & trucks
Windshield A sunscreening device must be nonreflective and may not be red, yellow, or amber in color. It may be used only along the top of the windshield and may not extend downward beyond the AS1 line. If the AS1 line is not visible, NO sunscreening device may be applied to the windshield at all. Same as sedan — § 56-5-5015(B) applies to every body type.
Front side 27% VLT or lighter 27% VLT or lighter
Back side 27% VLT or lighter No VLT limit
Rear 27% VLT or lighter 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

    No numeric luminous reflectance cap. Sunscreening devices must be 'nonreflective', defined in § 56-5-5015(J)(4) as 'a product or material primarily designed to absorb light rather than to reflect it'; § 56-5-5015(J)(3) defines 'luminous reflectant' but sets no limit.

    Colors

    Red, yellow and amber. § 56-5-5015(B) reads 'A sunscreening device must be nonreflective and may not be red, yellow, or amber in color' — phrased as a general requirement for sunscreening devices, in the subsection that also governs windshield placement.

    Medical exemption

    § 56-5-5015(H)(1): the section does not apply to a motor vehicle registered in this State in the name of a person, or the person's legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician or an optometrist licensed to practice in this State stating that the person has a physical condition making it necessary to equip the vehicle with sunscreening material of a light transmittance or luminous reflectance in violation of the section. The affidavit must be in the vehicle at all times during operation, must be produced at a law enforcement officer's request, and must be updated every two years. The statute requires no DMV application, form or fee. § 56-5-5015(H)(2) also exempts a law enforcement vehicle used regularly to transport a canine trained for law enforcement purposes.

    Stickers & certification

    § 56-5-5015(E): each vehicle equipped with an after-factory sunscreening device — installed by a consumer OR a professional window tinter — must at all times bear a certificate of compliance of a size and form prescribed by the Department of Public Safety, properly attached on the inside and lower right hand corner of EACH window containing an after-factory device, showing (1) the percentage of light transmission allowed by the device, (2) the identity of the installer by name, address and telephone number, and (3) the date of installation. § 56-5-5015(F): the manufacturer must provide that certificate of compliance and instructions for affixing it, along with installation instructions, with any device offered for sale or use in South Carolina.

    Measurement tolerance

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

    Penalties

    Owner/operator: misdemeanor triable in magistrate's court — fine of not more than $200 or imprisonment not more than 30 days (§ 56-5-5015(K)). Professional window tinter violating subsection (E) or (G): misdemeanor triable in magistrate's court — fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment not more than 30 days, or both, for each offense. Consumer violating subsection (E) or (G): misdemeanor triable in magistrate's court — fine of not less than $200 or imprisonment not more than 30 days for each offense.

    Notes

    THE BODY-TYPE RULE THIS RECORD PREVIOUSLY MISSED is § 56-5-5015(I): 'The light transmittance requirement of this section applies to windows behind the driver on pickup trucks, but does not apply to windows behind the driver on other trucks, buses, trailers, mobile homes, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and recreational vehicles.' So SUVs (statutory 'multipurpose passenger vehicle' — designed to carry ten persons or less, constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation), vans and other cargo trucks, RVs, buses, mobile homes and trailers may run ANY darkness behind the driver, while PICKUP TRUCKS must meet the 27% floor behind the driver exactly like a car. Front side windows (immediate right and left of the driver) are 27% on every body type. The rear-most window floor is 27%, not 20%: § 56-5-5015(D)(1)'s 20% figure is the pre-1993 standard, and (D)(2) has required 'not less than twenty-seven percent' combined light transmission for any device applied since January 1, 1993; (D)(3) grandfathers only a vehicle that complied with (D)(1) at the time of installation and still carries that original device. The (D) dual-mirror requirement ('If a sunscreening device is used on the rear-most window, one right and one left outside rearview mirror is required') is separate from the light transmittance requirement, so it still applies to vehicles exempted by (I). § 56-5-5015(A): if no after-factory sunscreen device has been added to the window surface, the section's light transmittance provisions do not apply — factory privacy glass is not measured. All percentages are COMBINED light transmission of the device plus the factory/manufacturer installed material. Secondary-source check: windowtintlaws.us wrongly shows 27% behind the driver for SUVs/vans (it misses subsection (I)); tinting-laws.com correctly reports 'any darkness' behind the driver on SUVs/vans. Both secondary sources agree with the statute that the rear window floor is 27%, which is where the prior PeelBoard value of 20% was wrong.

    South Carolina tint questions

    What is the darkest legal tint in South Carolina?

    For a sedan in South Carolina, front side windows must let at least 27% of light through, back side windows at least 27%, and the rear window at least 27%. 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 27%, back side no VLT limit, rear no VLT limit.

    Is 20% tint legal in South Carolina?

    No, not on the front side windows. South Carolina requires at least 27% 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 27% floor, so 20% is too dark there too.

    Can I tint the windshield in South Carolina?

    South Carolina's rule for the windshield: A sunscreening device must be nonreflective and may not be red, yellow, or amber in color. It may be used only along the top of the windshield and may not extend downward beyond the AS1 line. If the AS1 line is not visible, NO sunscreening device may be applied to the windshield at all.

    Does South Carolina allow a medical exemption for darker tint?

    What the source says: § 56-5-5015(H)(1): the section does not apply to a motor vehicle registered in this State in the name of a person, or the person's legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician or an optometrist licensed to practice in this State stating that the person has a physical condition making it necessary to equip the vehicle with sunscreening material of a light transmittance or luminous reflectance in violation of the section. The affidavit must be in the vehicle at all times during operation, must be produced at a law enforcement officer's request, and must be updated every two years. The statute requires no DMV application, form or fee. § 56-5-5015(H)(2) also exempts a law enforcement vehicle used regularly to transport a canine trained for law enforcement purposes. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.

    Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in South Carolina?

    § 56-5-5015(E): each vehicle equipped with an after-factory sunscreening device — installed by a consumer OR a professional window tinter — must at all times bear a certificate of compliance of a size and form prescribed by the Department of Public Safety, properly attached on the inside and lower right hand corner of EACH window containing an after-factory device, showing (1) the percentage of light transmission allowed by the device, (2) the identity of the installer by name, address and telephone number, and (3) the date of installation. § 56-5-5015(F): the manufacturer must provide that certificate of compliance and instructions for affixing it, along with installation instructions, with any device offered for sale or use in South Carolina.

    Nearby states

    Where this comes from

    Statute cited: S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5015 (Sunscreen devices)

    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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