Tint laws by state
California tint laws: why the front windows stay clear
California counts the film alone and the film with the glass. Enter both and the calculator applies the two tests of Vehicle Code section 26708.
Too dark for the law in California
61.6% front side
| Meter reads | Law | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front side | 61.6% | 70% | too dark |
| Rear side | – | any darkness | any |
| Back window | – | any darkness | any |
Darkest film on this glass: front side 100% · rear side any film · back window any film
Windshield: strip only
Statute: Cal. Veh. Code § 26708 · California
Read on an archived copy (web.archive.org) of the official page on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, dated September 30, 2026; the official site did not answer automated reading.
California is among the strictest states for the front side windows. Under Cal. Veh. Code § 26708, the only film allowed on the windows beside the driver and front passenger is clear, colorless, UV-blocking material with a visible light transmittance of at least 88%, and the glass and film together must still meet the 70% federal minimum. That rules out every tinted film sold by darkness, including a "70%" one: on 80% glass a 70% film reads 56%. Behind the driver the law steps aside: the rear side windows are exempt, and the back window can take any shade if the car has outside mirrors on both sides showing 200 feet to the rear. The windshield may carry a transparent strip whose bottom edge stays at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver's seat. A first violation is an infraction with a base fine of up to $100, rising to $250 for a third within a year.
Compare two states
Front side windows: California / Arizona
70% / 33%
| Rear side windows | any darkness / any darkness |
| Back window | any darkness / any darkness |
| Stricter in front | California |
Statutes read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the check works
Read on an archived copy (web.archive.org) of the official page on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, dated September 30, 2026; the official site did not answer automated reading.
Two tests on the front side windows
Most states give one number for the front side windows. California gives two, and a film must pass both. First, the material itself must have a minimum visible light transmittance of 88% and be clear, colorless and transparent. Second, the material with the glass must meet the 70% minimum of federal standard FMVSS 205. The second test is the one people forget: on a window that already transmits 78%, an 88% film reads 68.6% and fails, while on 85% glass it reads 74.8% and passes. Only a measurement of your own bare glass tells you which case you are in.
| Window | Rule in California | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | transparent strip on the topmost portion | bottom edge at least 29 in. above the undepressed driver's seat; not red or amber |
| Front side | clear film, at least 88% alone and 70% with the glass | installer certificate kept in the vehicle |
| Rear side | any darkness | exempt from section 26708(a) |
| Back window | any darkness | outside mirrors on both sides, 200-foot view |
What the calculator does with a California car
Enter the film's own percentage and the glass reading. The calculator marks a front film below 88% as too dark even when the combined figure would clear 70%, because section 26708(d)(1) sets the film minimum separately. For the windows behind the driver it shows "any", since the law sets no percentage there. The 29-inch windshield rule is measured from the seat rather than from the top of the glass, so the calculator lists it but cannot measure it for you.
Fines and the fix
A tint violation is an infraction. Vehicle Code section 42001 sets the base fine at up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year and $250 for a third within a year, and penalty assessments are added on top of the base fine, so the amount on the notice is higher. The tint ticket guide compares fines across states and lists those whose law writes a way to fix the defect.
Crossing into a neighboring state
A car tinted to the California limit is legal almost everywhere, because few states are stricter in front. The reverse is not true. A car from Arizona may carry 33% on the front side windows, from Nevada 35%, from Oregon 35%; once it is registered in California, those films have to come off. Compare any two states with the tool below.
Compare two states
Front side windows: California / Nevada
70% / 35%
| Rear side windows | any darkness / any darkness |
| Back window | any darkness / any darkness |
| Stricter in front | California |
The California rules on this page come from Vehicle Code sections 26708, 26708.2, 26708.5 and 42001. Read on an archived copy (web.archive.org) of the official page on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, dated September 30, 2026; the official site did not answer automated reading. The links point to the official sections.