Florida Tint Laws
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Florida Tint Laws
Having aftermarket window tint applied to a vehicle is one of the best ways to protect the interior of the car, truck, or SUV and preserve its value. By blocking UV light car window tint stops interior fading and by blocking IR (infrared) light, tinting keeps cars cooler inside. Florida tint laws must be followed when you apply window film to your car, however, so make sure you know the rules and don’t use window tint that can end up seeing your vehicle ticketed.
Fortunately for residents of the accurately nicknamed Sunshine State, Florida car tint laws are relatively flexible and allow for tinting applied to most window surfaces of the vehicle, though the darkness of tint allowed on various windows does vary.It’s important to be knowledgable of the laws as tickets can cost up to $116 per window tint violation in Florida. (To be clear, that means per window on your vehicle, meaning a very strict police officer could issue as many as six tickets for a sedan with illegal tint on all windows and windshields, equally a penalty of $696 in one traffic stop.)
Let’s start with a brief explanation of two terms you may not be familiar with but need to understand to make sure your window tint in Florida is legal.
Visible Light Transmission, or VLT, is the amount of light that can pass through a window. The lower the VLT number, the less light passes through, so a 99% VLT is essentially completely clear and transparent, while a 1% VLT is so dark it is all but fully opaque.
The second term is the AS-1 line. This is a line across the top of the windshield that is demarcated with tiny letters on the side of most front windshields, and it’s a line below which tint is illegal.
Please note: The accuracy, completeness, adequacy or currency of the content is not warranted or guaranteed. We are not lawyers or a law firm and we do not provide legal advice. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other appropriate professional if you want legal advice.
CLICK ON INDICATORS TO VIEW TINT LAWS FOR SPECIFIC WINDOWS
suvs, trucks, & vans
Front Windows
All Vehicles
28% Tint (VLT%)
Rear Passenger Windows
Includes rear window and rear passenger
Any shade of tint can be used for trucks, SUVs, and vans ONLY
Rear Window
Includes rear window and rear passenger windows
Any shade of tint can be used for trucks, SUVs, and vans ONLY
Windshield Visor
ALL VEHICLE TYPES
Any shade of tint can be used from the AS-1 Line up. This is the line extending from the letters AS-1, found on most motor vehicle windshields, running parallel to the top of the windshield.
sedans & coupes
Front Windows
ALL VEHICLE TYPES
Includes Trucks, SUVs, Vans, Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
27% Tint (VLT%)
Rear Passenger Windows
for Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
15% Tint (VLT%)
Rear Window
for Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
15% Tint (VLT%)
Windshield Visor
ALL VEHICLE TYPES
Any shade of tint can be used from the AS-1 Line up. This is the line extending from the letters AS-1, found on most motor vehicle windshields, running parallel to the top of the windshield.
% of Tint or Visible light transmission (VLT) is the measurement used to assess the amount of light passing through a piece of glass. This is the percent of visible light that passes through the film and glass to give you a net transmission percentage. The lower the VLT%, the darker the window.
Law Enforcement uses a tint meter which measures the Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) of window film and glass for illegal tint.
Windshield: Several states allow medical exemptions for drivers or passengers who frequently travel in the vehicle. These exemptions usually require a licensed physician in that state to sign a waiver. Please visit your states .gov site for details.
AS-1 Line: This is the line extending from the letters AS-1, found on most motor vehicle windshields, running parallel to the top of the windshield.
Florida Statutes sections 316.2951 through 316.2956: Windshields and windows. (scroll to sections 316.2951 to 316.2956)
Click above to download the Nationwide Medical Exemptions Window Tinting Directory.
If you’re driving a truck or SUV built in the last decade, chances are it’s equipped with factory tinted glass on all windows behind the front doors.
Many owners of vehicles like this often choose to only have the front windows tinted to match the back because they believe that they are already set with the rear windows.
UV Protection
While this factory tint improves the looks of the vehicle, and offers rear passengers some privacy, it does very little to help reduce the heat entering through the glass or protect them from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Heat Rejection
The same also goes for heat rejection. Some assume that the level of heat rejection they will on the front glass is already present in the rear glass because of the factory tint. Nothing can be further from the truth. Other than having the tinted look, these windows do very little to stop the heat.
To find out what options you have to protecting your passengers and vehicles interior, click here.