TX · tint law reference

Texas window tint laws

Last verified September 14, 2026 · Tex. Transp. Code § 547.613 (restrictions on windows) and § 547.609 (required label for sunscreening devices); 37 Tex. Admin. Code ch. 21

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.

Texas window tint limits by window and vehicle type
Window Sedans SUVs, vans & trucks
Windshield Sunscreening is allowed only above the AS-1 line, or — if there is no AS-1 line — ending five inches from the top of the windshield, whichever is closer to the top. In combination with the windshield it must have a light transmission of 25% or more and a luminous reflectance of 25% or less, and it may not be red, blue, or amber. Per DPS, a clear (un-tinted) UV film is allowed anywhere on the front windshield without a medical exemption. Same as sedan — the statute and the DPS standard apply uniformly by body type.
Front side 25% VLT or lighter 25% 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? 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

    ≤25% luminous reflectance measured in combination with the original glass, on the windshield and on the wing vent or window to the left or right of the operator (§ 547.613(b)(1)(B), (b)(2)(B)); the same 25% applies to the rear window when the vehicle lacks the dual 200-ft mirrors.

    Colors

    Windshield sunscreening may not be red, blue, or amber (§ 547.613(b)(1)(C)).

    Medical exemption

    § 547.613(e) makes it a defense to prosecution that the defendant, or a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the violation, is required for a medical reason to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun. Administratively, as of January 1, 2019 the Texas DPS Regulatory Services Division no longer issues Window Tint Exemption Certificates and will not accept or review applications; instead the motorist obtains a signed medical exemption statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist, presents it when the vehicle is submitted for annual inspection, and keeps it in the vehicle to show an officer on a traffic stop.

    Stickers & certification

    Required. § 547.609: a sunscreening device must have a legible label containing the department's required information on light transmission and luminous reflectance, stating (for a windshield or side/rear window) that the device's light transmission is consistent with § 547.613(b)(1) or (2), and permanently installed between the material and the surface to which it is applied. DPS interprets this as ONE label per vehicle and, under 37 Tex. Admin. Code ch. 21, requires it on the rearmost, bottom corner of the driver's side window (passenger side optional); the label must contain 'Complies with TRC Chapter 547' (or 'Complies with TTC 547.613(b)', currently in use), and any other content including the installer's name is optional.

    Measurement tolerance

    3% — § 547.613(d): the department may determine that a window with a sunscreening device is exempt under § 547.613(b)(2) if the light transmission or luminous reflectance varies by no more than three percent from the standard in that subsection.

    Penalties

    Misdemeanor under § 547.613(a). A person in the business of applying such material who applies it and does not install the § 547.609 label commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 (§ 547.613(a-1)). § 547.613(f): it is not an offense to offer for sale or sell a motor vehicle whose windshield or windows do not comply.

    Notes

    Side windows to the rear of the vehicle operator are exempt from regulation on EVERY body type — § 547.613(b)(2-a) exempts 'a side window that is to the rear of the vehicle operator' outright, with (b)(10) separately exempting them on multipurpose vehicles; DPS: 'These windows are completely exempted from regulation under the Texas Transportation Code.' The rear window is likewise unrestricted if the vehicle has an outside mirror on each side reflecting a view of the roadway at least 200 feet to the rear (§ 547.613(b)(3)); if it does NOT have those mirrors, DPS requires the rear window to meet the same 25% light transmission / ≤25% luminous reflectance standard as the front side windows. DPS also warns that windows immediately to the right and left of the driver with less than 25% light transmission fail inspection regardless of model year. Other § 547.613(b) exemptions include factory-tinted or pretinted windows installed by the manufacturer and manufacturer-spec replacement glass, out-of-state vehicles, law-enforcement vehicles, locally licensed for-hire passenger vehicles, and commercial motor vehicles as defined by § 644.001. Sourcing note: statutes.capitol.texas.gov is now a JavaScript single-page app that serves only the shell to fetchers, so the statutory text was read from texas.public.law's verbatim mirror and every number was cross-checked against the official dps.texas.gov standards page. The previously recorded '37 Tex. Admin. Code § 21.3' cite could not be confirmed — the Texas Secretary of State rules site has moved — so the citation is given as 37 TAC ch. 21, which is how DPS itself cites it. windowtintlaws.us wrongly shows 25% for sedan back side windows.

    Texas tint questions

    What is the darkest legal tint in Texas?

    For a sedan in Texas, front side windows must let at least 25% 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 Texas?

    No, not on the front side windows. Texas requires at least 25% 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 Texas?

    Texas's rule for the windshield: Sunscreening is allowed only above the AS-1 line, or — if there is no AS-1 line — ending five inches from the top of the windshield, whichever is closer to the top. In combination with the windshield it must have a light transmission of 25% or more and a luminous reflectance of 25% or less, and it may not be red, blue, or amber. Per DPS, a clear (un-tinted) UV film is allowed anywhere on the front windshield without a medical exemption.

    Does Texas allow a medical exemption for darker tint?

    What the source says: § 547.613(e) makes it a defense to prosecution that the defendant, or a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the violation, is required for a medical reason to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun. Administratively, as of January 1, 2019 the Texas DPS Regulatory Services Division no longer issues Window Tint Exemption Certificates and will not accept or review applications; instead the motorist obtains a signed medical exemption statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist, presents it when the vehicle is submitted for annual inspection, and keeps it in the vehicle to show an officer on a traffic stop. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.

    Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Texas?

    Required. § 547.609: a sunscreening device must have a legible label containing the department's required information on light transmission and luminous reflectance, stating (for a windshield or side/rear window) that the device's light transmission is consistent with § 547.613(b)(1) or (2), and permanently installed between the material and the surface to which it is applied. DPS interprets this as ONE label per vehicle and, under 37 Tex. Admin. Code ch. 21, requires it on the rearmost, bottom corner of the driver's side window (passenger side optional); the label must contain 'Complies with TRC Chapter 547' (or 'Complies with TTC 547.613(b)', currently in use), and any other content including the installer's name is optional.

    Nearby states

    Where this comes from

    Statute cited: Tex. Transp. Code § 547.613 (restrictions on windows) and § 547.609 (required label for sunscreening devices); 37 Tex. Admin. Code ch. 21

    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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