Florida Window Tint Law & VLT%

This article will walk you through Florida’s window tinting law. Here’s a round-up of all the information you need to know about FL tint law.

Tint For Windows Car in Florida

Florida Window Tint Law Key Facts

Year law enacted: 1991
Tint length on front windshield: AS-1 line (the width varies according to the measurements of the vehicle: 1.8 – 7.5 inches)
Front side window VLT: 28%
Back side window VLT: 15% (film tinting) / 30% (preforated)
Back windshield VLT: 15% (film tinting) / 30% (perforated)
Front side window reflectivity: 25%
Back side window reflectivity: 35%
Restricted colors: no
Medical exemption: yes
Tolerance: not stated

What the Law Says

Florida window tinting law can be found in Florida Statutes § 316.2951 – § 316.2957 which provide, in relevant part:

Windshields; requirements; restrictions

….(2) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street with any sign, sunscreening material, product, or covering attached to, or located in or upon, the windshield, except the following:

…(b) Sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield, so long as such material is transparent and does not encroach upon the driver’s direct forward viewing area as more particularly described and defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 205 as the AS/1 portion of the windshield….

Side windows; restrictions on sunscreening material

… A sunscreening material is authorized for such windows if, when applied to and tested on the glass of such windows on the specific motor vehicle, the material has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than 25 percent as measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at least 28 percent in the visible light range….

Windows behind the driver; restrictions on sunscreening material

(1) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street on which vehicle any windows behind the driver are composed of, covered by, or treated with any sunscreening material, or other product or material which has the effect of making the window nontransparent or which would alter the window’s color, increase its reflectivity, or reduce its light transmittance, except as specified below:

(a) Sunscreening material consisting of film which, when applied to and tested on the rear window glass of the specific motor vehicle, has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than 35 percent as measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at least 15 percent in the visible light range; however, sunscreening material which, when applied to and tested on the rear window glass of the specific motor vehicle, has a total solar reflectance of visible light of not more than 35 percent as measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at least 6 percent in the visible light range may be used on multipurpose passenger vehicles.

(b) Perforated sunscreening material which, when tested in conjunction with existing glazing or film material, has a total reflectance of visible light of not more than 35 percent and a light transmittance of no less than 30 percent. For those products or materials having different levels of reflectance, the highest reflectance from the product or material will be measured by dividing the area into 16 equal sections and averaging the overall reflectance. The measured reflectance of any of those sections may not exceed 50 percent…

What This Means

Tinting on a vehicle’s windshield must be transparent and can only be on the top part of the windshield called the AS/1 portion of the window. AS/1 is defined as “the intersection of the windshield’s centerline with an inclined plane tangent to the upper edge of the 95th eyellipse”. The width of this band varies according to the measurements of the vehicle and can be anywhere from 1.8 inches to 7.5 inches.

Front side window tinting must have a total light reflectance of no more than 25%, as measured on the nonfilm side, and a light transmittance of at least 28%.

percentage of window tint

Rear side window and rear windshield film tinting must have a total light reflectance of no more than 35%, as measured on the nonfilm side, and a light transmittance of at least 15%. Rear side window and rear windshield perforated tinting must have a total light reflectance of no more than 35% and a light transmittance of at least 30%.

Measuring Light Transmission and Reflectance

Florida window tinting law requires that measurements for light reflectance and transmission be taken on the specific vehicle on which the tinting has been applied. This means that while a certain tinting may normally comply with the law, if it does not specifically comply with it on your vehicle, it is not legal to have.

To measure light reflectance in perforated tinting that has different levels of reflectance, you should divide the window into 16 equal sections, measure the reflectance of each section, add the numbers together, then divide by 16 to determine the average level of reflectance. As long as the average is no more 35% and no one section is more than 50%, the tinting meets the law’s requirement.

Exceptions to Florida Window Tinting Law

Florida, like most states, allows those with certain medical conditions which require that they not be exposed to direct sunlight to obtain an exemption from the window tinting laws. In order to obtain such an exemption, one must apply to the department of motor vehicles for a certificate, and may be required to pay a fee.

Other exceptions to the Florida window tinting laws include certain law enforcement and private investigator’s vehicles.