Window tint laws in Virginia (2026)

The rules, window by window

Windshield

No colored or tinted film or sun-shading material may be applied to the windshield except above the AS-1 line or the upper five inches, whichever is closer to the top (per the standard carried in Va. Code 46.2-1052 and restated in 46.2-1053); untinted clear film meeting 49 CFR 571.205 is permitted, and only manufacturer-installed sunshields are otherwise allowed in the uppermost area.

The standard in the law's own words

The section also bans signs, posters, and other materials on the windshield and windows that obstruct the driver's clear view, with listed exceptions.

Reflectivity

Sun-shading or tinting films may not have a reflectance of light exceeding 20 percent, and films producing a holographic or prism effect are prohibited (Va. Code 46.2-1052).

Color restrictions

Holographic and prism effects are banned; the section regulates colored or tinted films generally but states no list of banned colors (Va. Code 46.2-1052).

Medical exemption

Under Va. Code 46.2-1053, a vehicle operated by, or regularly used to transport, a person with a medical condition rendering them susceptible to harm from sunlight or bright artificial light may use films reducing transmittance to not less than 35 percent (all side and rear windows), with the windshield kept at 70 percent or more except above the AS-1 line or upper five inches. Written authorization from the Commissioner of the DMV, based on a physician's or optometrist's signed statement, must be carried.

Enforcement

Violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor (Class 2 for a subsequent offense within one year). Law enforcement measurements carry a statutory tolerance of minus seven percentage points. Enforcement is secondary: no officer may stop a vehicle for a violation of this section. Standards are stated as total (combined) light transmittance of the window.

Notes

Sedan (passenger car) values recorded: front side windows may not be reduced below 50 percent total light transmittance; rear side windows and the rear window may not go below 35 percent. MPV/SUV difference: the rear side windows and rear window of any multipurpose passenger vehicle or pickup truck may carry sun-shading films that reduce transmittance below 35 percent (effectively unrestricted behind the driver for those vehicles); the front side 50 percent floor still applies. Rear windows and rear side windows of emergency medical services vehicles used to transport patients are excluded. Verified from the official Virginia Law portal (law.lis.virginia.gov).