35% Window Tint: What It Looks Like and Where It's Legal
35% tint lets 35% of light through - dark enough to cut glare and hide the cabin in daylight, light enough to see out at night. See the states that allow it on each window.
What 35% tint looks like
A 35% film blocks roughly two thirds of visible light. From outside in daylight you can make out shapes and whether the seats are occupied, but not faces from more than a few feet. From inside the view stays clear by day and only slightly dim at night, which is why installers treat 35% as the everyday middle ground and the one they suggest to first-time buyers.
What it is used for
Front side windows in states with a 35% or lower minimum, and the whole car for drivers who want privacy without the night-driving penalty of a 20% or 5% film. It is also a common match for factory-tinted rear glass on trucks and SUVs, which sits a shade darker from the plant, and the usual choice on the front sides of a car whose back is already dark.
Legal on front side windows in 35 states
Sedan rules. A state is listed when its minimum VLT for that window is 35% or lower, or it sets no limit there.
Alabama Arizona Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Washington West Virginia Wyoming
Legal on back side windows in 45 states
Sedan rules. A state is listed when its minimum VLT for that window is 35% or lower, or it sets no limit there.
Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Legal on the rear window in 46 states
Sedan rules. A state is listed when its minimum VLT for that window is 35% or lower, or it sets no limit there.
Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Questions
Is 35% tint dark?
Medium. It hides faces from outside in daylight but you can still see people are in the car. Night visibility from inside stays good.
Is 35% tint legal?
On front side windows in states whose floor is 35% or lower - a large group. On rear and back side windows in almost every state.
Can you see through 35% tint at night?
From inside, yes - most drivers notice only a slight dimming. From outside, the cabin is mostly hidden unless the interior lights are on.