SD · tint law reference
South Dakota window tint laws
Last verified September 14, 2026 · S.D. Codified Laws §§ 32-15-2.4, 32-15-2.5, 32-15-2.6, 32-15-2.7, 32-15-2.9, 32-15-2.10 (ch. 32-15, Vehicle and Accessory Specifications)
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 sunscreening device may be placed on or affixed to a windshield so as to obstruct or reduce the driver's clear view through the windshield, and no film may extend downward beyond the AS-1 line or below the lowest point of the sun visor (§ 32-15-2.9). The windshield is also covered by the 35% combined light transmittance floor in § 32-15-2.4. | Same as sedan — chapter 32-15 makes no SUV/van/multipurpose-vehicle distinction. |
| Front side | 35% VLT or lighter | 35% VLT or lighter |
| Back side | 20% VLT or lighter | 20% VLT or lighter |
| Rear | 20% VLT or lighter | 20% VLT or lighter |
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
No numeric reflectance limit and no metallic/mirrored-appearance ban in the statute. §§ 32-15-2.4 and 32-15-2.5 prohibit 'one-way glass or any adhesive film or other glaze' only to the extent it reduces light transmittance below the stated percentages.
Colors
None specified.
Medical exemption
None found. Chapter 32-15 contains no medical exemption; former § 32-15-2.8 was repealed by SL 2005, ch 168, § 1. Both secondary sources assert South Dakota grants medical exemptions with a physician's certification — that is not supported by the statute text.
Stickers & certification
No vehicle sticker or installer label. § 32-15-2.7: each manufacturer of film, glaze or other application for a motor vehicle windshield or window must certify to the Department of Public Safety that the product it makes or installs complies with the light transmission specifications of §§ 32-15-2.4 and 32-15-2.5.
Measurement tolerance
9% — stated in the statute itself, in both § 32-15-2.4 ('to the combined level below thirty-five percent, with an enforcement tolerance of nine percent') and § 32-15-2.5 ('below twenty percent, with an enforcement tolerance of nine percent').
Penalties
Class 2 misdemeanor for violating § 32-15-2.4 (windshield/front side windows), § 32-15-2.5 (rear windows) or § 32-15-2.9 (windshield sunscreening) — in South Dakota a Class 2 misdemeanor carries up to 30 days in county jail and/or a $500 fine. Separately, § 32-15-5 makes driving with a sign, poster or other nontransparent material on the windshield, side wings, side or rear windows that obstructs the driver's clear view a petty offence.
Notes
§ 32-15-2.5 covers 'the rear windows behind the operators seat', which is why back side windows and the rear window share the same 20% floor and why there is no SUV/van carve-out. § 32-15-2.6(1) defines 'light transmission' as the ratio measured through the product or material AND the glazing — i.e. the percentages are combined film-plus-glass. § 32-15-2.10: tint meters must be used in compliance with the meter manufacturer's testing procedures, and the officer must note the meter's serial number and the date the meter was certified on any citation for a § 32-15-2.4 or § 32-15-2.5 violation. § 32-15-8 requires every vehicle to have a mirror reflecting a view at least 200 feet to the rear regardless of tint, but the chapter attaches no additional dual-mirror condition to rear tint. sdlegislature.gov is a JavaScript single-page app: the codified law text for chapter 32-15 was rendered in a real browser at https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-15 (plain curl returns only the loading shell), so the text here is the official one, read directly.
South Dakota tint questions
What is the darkest legal tint in South Dakota?
For a sedan in South Dakota, front side windows must let at least 35% of light through, back side windows at least 20%, and the rear window at least 20%. 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 South Dakota?
No, not on the front side windows. South Dakota 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 20% floor, so 20% film can be legal there.
Can I tint the windshield in South Dakota?
South Dakota's rule for the windshield: No sunscreening device may be placed on or affixed to a windshield so as to obstruct or reduce the driver's clear view through the windshield, and no film may extend downward beyond the AS-1 line or below the lowest point of the sun visor (§ 32-15-2.9). The windshield is also covered by the 35% combined light transmittance floor in § 32-15-2.4.
Does South Dakota allow a medical exemption for darker tint?
What the source says: None found. Chapter 32-15 contains no medical exemption; former § 32-15-2.8 was repealed by SL 2005, ch 168, § 1. Both secondary sources assert South Dakota grants medical exemptions with a physician's certification — that is not supported by the statute text. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.
Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in South Dakota?
No vehicle sticker or installer label. § 32-15-2.7: each manufacturer of film, glaze or other application for a motor vehicle windshield or window must certify to the Department of Public Safety that the product it makes or installs complies with the light transmission specifications of §§ 32-15-2.4 and 32-15-2.5.
Where this comes from
Statute cited: S.D. Codified Laws §§ 32-15-2.4, 32-15-2.5, 32-15-2.6, 32-15-2.7, 32-15-2.9, 32-15-2.10 (ch. 32-15, Vehicle and Accessory Specifications)
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.