Tint laws by state
Pennsylvania tint laws: 70% at inspection, on every window of a car
Pennsylvania's numbers live in the inspection rules. Enter the film and the glass: the calculator checks each window of a car against 70%, and the front only on an SUV.
Too dark for the law in Pennsylvania
56% front side
| Meter reads | Law | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front side | 56% | 70% | too dark |
| Rear side | 56% | 70% | too dark |
| Back window | 56% | 70% | too dark |
Darkest film on this glass: front side 100% · rear side 100% · back window 100%
Windshield: 70% min.
The statute does not say how the window is measured; we use film × glass, the reading a meter gives.
Statute: 75 Pa.C.S. § 4524(e) · Pennsylvania
Read on October 24, 2026 on the official site palegis.us.
Pennsylvania has two layers of rules. The statute, 75 Pa.C.S. § 4524(e), bars any sun screening material that does not let a person see inside the vehicle through the windshield, the side wings or the side windows. The figures come from the vehicle inspection regulation: Table X of 67 Pa. Code chapter 175 asks for 70% light transmittance on the windshield, the front side windows, the rear side windows and the back window of a passenger car built in 1998 or later. For trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles, the table sets 70% for the windshield and the front side windows and no requirement behind the driver. The table says every level assumes a 3% accuracy. Because federal standard FMVSS 205 only requires factory glass to reach 70%, little room is left for film on a Pennsylvania car: an 80% film on 85% glass reads 68%. The state appeals court held in 2010 that the 70% figure is not part of the statute's own test, which matters for a roadside charge but not for inspection. A violation of the statute is a summary offense.
Compare two states
Front side windows: Pennsylvania / Ohio
70% / 50%
| Rear side windows | 70% / any darkness |
| Back window | 70% / any darkness |
| Stricter in front | Pennsylvania |
Statutes read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the check works
Read on October 24, 2026 on the official site palegis.us.
Table X, window by window
The inspection regulation lists light transmittance by vehicle type and window, and states that all levels "assume a 3% accuracy (±3%)". For the vehicles most people drive, it reads:
| Vehicle | Windshield | Front side | Rear side | Back window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger car, 1998 or newer | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% |
| Truck or multipurpose vehicle | 70% | 70% | no requirement | no requirement |
Because the levels apply to the window as inspected, the glass counts in practice. Here is what a few films give on two common glass readings, against the 67% floor that the 3% margin allows:
| Film | On 80% glass | On 88% glass | Pennsylvania car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 72% | 79.2% | legal on both |
| 80% | 64% | 70.4% | too dark on 80%, legal on 88% |
| 70% | 56% | 61.6% | too dark |
| 50% | 40% | 44% | too dark |
SUVs, vans and pickups
Behind the driver of a truck or multipurpose passenger vehicle, the table sets no requirement, so any shade passes inspection there. A treated back window needs the mirrors that section 175.264 requires. The front side windows of these vehicles stay at 70%, like a car's.
Moving to Pennsylvania with tint
A car tinted to the rules of most other states will not pass a Pennsylvania inspection on the front doors, and a sedan will not pass on the rear either. Compare Pennsylvania with the state you come from:
Compare two states
Front side windows: Pennsylvania / Ohio
70% / 50%
| Rear side windows | 70% / any darkness |
| Back window | 70% / any darkness |
| Stricter in front | Pennsylvania |
At the roadside and at the inspection station
The two layers do not test the same thing. At inspection, the station applies Table X and its 3% accuracy margin to each window. At the roadside, section 4524(e) asks whether a person can see inside the vehicle, and the Superior Court held in Commonwealth v. Brubaker (2010) that the 70% figure is not written into that test. A car can therefore fail inspection with film that an officer would not charge, but the reverse is rarer: a window dark enough to hide the cabin fails both. Clear ultraviolet film with a high rating can still pass the table, as long as the combined reading stays at 67% or more.
Exemptions
PennDOT issues certificates of exemption for medical reasons and for some older vehicles. The medical certificate covers the owner or a household member, is limited to colorless material that filters ultraviolet light, must be carried and shown to the police and the inspector, and is void when the car is sold.
Penalty
A violation of section 4524(e) is a summary offense. The section read does not state the fine, so this site shows it as not confirmed.
Around Pennsylvania
Ohio asks for 50% on the front doors, New York for 70%, Maryland for 35%, Delaware for 50% and West Virginia for 35%. Figures read on the official Pennsylvania statute and code sites on October 24, 2026.