Iowa Tint Laws
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Iowa Tint Laws
Window tint is one of the best after-market upgrades you can make for a car. It blocks the ultraviolet light that can cause interior fading and cracking to upholstery and dashboards and preserves your vehicle’s resale value. It reduces interior heat and keeps the car cooler and more comfortable and reduces the need for fuel consumption. Window film limits the glare of the sun and of oncoming headlights, making driving safer. And it adds privacy and style, making your car look better than ever.
However, unlike with many other after-market upgrades, like a new coat of paint, a color wrap, or a lowering kit, in Iowa window tint for cars is regulated by laws. And in fact, window tint laws in Iowa have been on the books for much longer than in most states. Iowa window film laws were enacted in 1983 and have been changed several times in the years in between. Iowa car window tint laws are generally rather permissive, but there are gray areas not clearly laid out in the regulations and penalties for tint law violations, so ensuring your car remains legally tinted in Iowa can be tricky.
Making sure your window tint is legal in Iowa requires you to understand how tint darkness is measured. The measurement used is called visible light transmission, or VLT, and the higher the VLT percentage, the more transparent the window. So 70% VLT tint can be seen through with relative ease from the outside of a car, while 10% VLT window tint looks almost fully opaque from outside during daylight hours. Unlike in some states, Iowa window tint law does not allow for any variance, so if your tint is too dark – something police and inspectors can check in real time using tint measuring tools – you can be immediately cited for it.
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
70% 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
70% Tint (VLT%)
Rear Passenger Windows
for Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
Any shade of tint can be used for the rear window.
Rear Window
for Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
Any shade of tint can be used for the rear window.
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.
Iowa Code Title VIII, Subtitle II, Section 321.438: Windshields and windows. (.pdf file)
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.