New Mexico TInt Laws
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Tint Laws
New Mexico sees hundreds of hot, sunny days every year so vehicle window tint is a must both to keep the interior of your car cooler and safer for occupants and to reject the damaging ultraviolet light that causes fading and damage to the interior of the car, ruining the appearance of the upholstery, dashboard, and other surfaces.
Car tint is a great investment that will pay for itself over time both in reduced fuel consumption due to less need for AC cooling and when you re-sell the vehicle and enjoy a much better value thanks to the preserved interior. However not all window tint is legal in New Mexico, and each window tint ticket you get reduces the value of your investment by costing you money.
New Mexico tint laws were enacted in 1997 and are periodically updated and revised to meet new window film developments. To ensure your car tint is legal under New Mexico law, you have to know the visible light transmission (or VLT) percent of the tint. This refers to how much light a tint allows to pass through and essentially means how dark and private or light and transparent the tint is. Note that even lighter and even effectively transparent window film can still block lots of damaging UV light and hot IR light, so you don’t need dark tint to get the benefits of window film. On the other hand, if you want added privacy and like the look of dark window tinting on cars, New Mexico does allow for darker tint compared to other states.
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
for suvs, trucks, & vans
Rear Window
Includes rear window and rear passenger
Any shade of tint can be used for trucks, SUVs, and vans ONLY
Front WIndows
Front Windows for all Vehicles
20% for all Vehicles
Rear Passenger Windows
Includes rear window and rear passenger
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 or 5" 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.
for sedans & coupes
Rear Passenger Windows
for Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
20% Tint (VLT%)
Windshield Visor
for Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
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.
Rear Window
for Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
20% Tint (VLT%)
Front Windows
ALL VEHICLE TYPES
Includes Trucks, SUVs, Vans, Sedans, Coupes, & Hatchbacks
20% Tint (VLT%)
% 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.
New Mexico Statutes section 66-3-846.1: Sun screening material on windshields and windows.
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.