Window tint laws in Tennessee (2026)

The rules, window by window

Windshield

Tinting on the windshield may not reduce visible light transmittance below 70 percent, except for a manufacturer-installed shade band (Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-107).

The standard in the law's own words

The section operates through numeric transmittance limits plus the labeling and field-test scheme.

Medical exemption

A person with a physician-certified medical condition adversely affected by ultraviolet light may apply for an exemption; the commissioner submits the certified statement to the department's medical review board for evaluation (Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-107).

Enforcement

Operating a non-compliant vehicle is a Class C misdemeanor, and refusing an officer's field comparison test is also a Class C misdemeanor. Professional installers must affix a compliance label and provide a signed receipt stating compliance with Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-107.

Notes

RESOLVED. The 35 percent floor applies to windows to the side and rear (front side, rear side, and rear window alike); front door windows remain subject to the 35 percent standard regardless of vehicle type, so there is no darker MPV/SUV allowance for the front side windows. Exceptions cover certain federal manufacturer-equipped tinted windows, the rear windows of law enforcement and government service vehicles, out-of-state vehicles compliant where registered, and licensed private investigators' vehicles. On the flagged gap: this pass obtained the full rendered text of Justia's reproduction of Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-107 through a text-extraction proxy (Justia's own page still returns HTTP 403 to a direct fetch, and the official code remains Lexis-hosted and unfetchable). The full text confirms definitively that the statute contains NO plus-or-minus enforcement tolerance figure and NO color restriction of any kind -- the commonly-cited '3 percent tolerance' is not in the Tennessee statute text and should not be attributed to Tennessee; this closes the flag with a negative-but-definitive finding rather than leaving it unconfirmed. The 35%/70% figures, the professional-installer labeling and signed-receipt requirements (including the exact required legend 'Complies with Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-9-107'), the medical-exemption/review-board process, and the Class C misdemeanor enforcement scheme were all re-confirmed as previously recorded.