Maine Window Tint Law 2026
Maine requires at least 35% on the front side windows. We have not established a published figure for the back side windows and rear window, and this page marks that as a gap rather than implying no limit applies.
As an Amazon Associate, StreetLawful earns from qualifying purchases. Product listings are matched to statutory requirements as we read them — this is not a guarantee of compliance, and we do not test or measure any film ourselves.
Choose a tint level
Our pick at 35% VLT
- 35%VLTIAQWEIAQWE 35% VLT Ceramic Car Window Tint Film 20 in x 20 ft Roll | High Heat Rejection, UV Block, Privacy, Shatterproof, Scratch Resistant & No Signal InterferenceCeramic (nano-ceramic, 5-layer)20″ × 20′ rollRated 35% VLT — may comply with the 35% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
Our pick at 50% VLT
- 50%VLTIAQWEIAQWE 50% VLT Ceramic Car Window Tint Film 20 in x 20 ft Roll | High Heat Rejection, UV Block, Privacy, Shatterproof, Scratch Resistant & No Signal InterferenceCeramic (nano-ceramic, 5-layer)20″ × 20′ rollRated 50% VLT — may comply with the 35% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
Our pick at 70% VLT
- 70%VLTARANAARANA 70% VLT 36"x15FT Ceramic Car Window Tint Film | Keep Car Cool, UV Heat Blocking, Daytime Privacy & Anti-Glare, Scratch Resistant, Phone/GPS Friendly, DIY InstallCeramic (nano-ceramic)36″ × 15′ rollRated 70% VLT — may comply with the 35% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
More options that clear this figure, darkest first
- 35%VLTIAQWEIAQWE 35% VLT Ceramic Car Window Tint Film 20 in x 20 ft Roll | High Heat Rejection, UV Block, Privacy, Shatterproof, Scratch Resistant & No Signal InterferenceCeramic (nano-ceramic, 5-layer)20″ × 20′ rollRated 35% VLT — may comply with the 35% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
- 35%VLTRockRoseRockRose 35% Nano Ceramic Car Window Tint 36 in x 25FT 2PLY Privacy Film Heat Block, 99% UVR, and 85% IRR Block for Auto or Home Strong Adhesive, Easy Shrink, Plotter Friendly - CharcoalCeramic (2-ply nano-ceramic)36″ × 25′ rollRated 35% VLT — may comply with the 35% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
- 50%VLTIAQWEIAQWE 50% VLT Ceramic Car Window Tint Film 20 in x 20 ft Roll | High Heat Rejection, UV Block, Privacy, Shatterproof, Scratch Resistant & No Signal InterferenceCeramic (nano-ceramic, 5-layer)20″ × 20′ rollRated 50% VLT — may comply with the 35% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
- 70%VLTARANAARANA 70% VLT 36"x15FT Ceramic Car Window Tint Film | Keep Car Cool, UV Heat Blocking, Daytime Privacy & Anti-Glare, Scratch Resistant, Phone/GPS Friendly, DIY InstallCeramic (nano-ceramic)36″ × 15′ rollRated 70% VLT — may comply with the 35% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
Showing 4 of the 12 films we list that clear this figure. Verify before you tint. We match a film’s own rating against the figure in the statute above. We do not measure film, and a manufacturer rating is not a compliance certificate.
The limits at a glance
Maine sets the same limits for passenger cars and for SUVs, vans and trucks, so there is nothing to switch between.
Film that may meet the 35% requirement for front side windows
- 35% VLT minimum — measured on the installed glass, film and window together29-A M.R.S. §1916(1)(C) — Maine Revised Statutes · read
- This limit is measured on the installed glass, not on the film. Factory glass blocks light on its own, so film rated at or above the figure can still read below it once applied. Treat these as candidates and verify the installed reading.29-A M.R.S. §1916(1)(C) — Maine Revised Statutes · read
Every Maine tint rule we track
| Rule | Applies to | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield strip — how dark the strip may be | All vehicles | No VLT percentage is stated for the permitted strip above the AS-1 line — that material is exempted from subsection 1 outright. Below the strip, the windshield may not be treated with any material that reduces light transmittance more than the original or original-replacement window, so no aftermarket darkening is permitted at all.DetailMaine sets the windshield standard by reference to the ORIGINAL GLASS rather than a percentage — the benchmark is vehicle-specific, so no single number can express it. The strip above the AS-1 line escapes via the §1916(2)(A)(3) exception and carries no darkness limit of its own. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(1)(B) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “The front windshield is composed of, covered by or treated with a material that reduces the light transmittance through the window more than the original installation window or an original replacement window;” |
| Windshield strip — how far down it may extend | All vehicles | Above the AS-1 line; or, ONLY IF the windshield has no AS-1 line, a 5-inch strip at the topDetailA THIRD logical form for the same two measures. Ohio, Nebraska and West Virginia apply "whichever is closer to the top" — a tie-breaker between two live measures. Maine instead makes the 5-inch strip a FALLBACK that operates only where no AS-1 marking exists. On a windshield that has an AS-1 line, the 5-inch figure is legally irrelevant in Maine. The statute defines the marking: "'AS-1 line' means the marking that includes the letters 'AS,' the number '1' and an arrow that is required to be placed on certain safety glazing materials pursuant to 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 571.205 (2006)." | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(2)(A)(3) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “Sun-screening or window-tinting material above the AS-1 line in the top portion of the windshield or, if there is no AS-1 line in the top portion of the windshield, along a 5-inch strip at the top of the windshield.” |
| Windshield below the strip | All vehicles | unclear No published figure Under review — this dimension is still under review. This is a gap in our research, and it says nothing about what Maine requires here; the state may set its rule in words rather than a percentage. | — |
| Front side windows | All vehicles | 35% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together DetailASSEMBLY basis stated in the operative text itself: "net of glass and material". Maine does not require the FMVSS cross-reference that California needs to reach the same result. One figure governs every side window and the rear window; the variation comes from the §1916(2)(B) mirror-conditioned exemption rather than from stepping by position. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(1)(C) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “A side window or rear window is composed of, covered by or treated with a material that allows a light transmittance of less than 35% net of glass and material; or” |
| All vehicles | Independent of the 35% figure: the front windshield, front door windows and the windows at either end of a rear passenger seat must contain 2-way glass giving occupants a clear view of the road AND a person outside the vehicle a clear view of the occupants and interior. 2-way glass requirement, applies regardless of numeric compliance DetailCarried as a separate row because it is an independent basis for liability with no numeric proxy: film could satisfy 35% net and still fail the see-INTO-the-vehicle limb. Note the reach — it covers the windows at either end of a rear passenger seat, not just the front doors, so it bites behind the driver even though the 35% rule there can be lifted by ¶(2)(B). | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(1)(D) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “A front windshield, front door window or window at either end of a rear passenger seat does not contain 2-way glass that provides the occupants with a clear view of the road and a person outside the vehicle with a clear view of the occupants and the interior of the vehicle.” | |
| Back side windows | All vehicles | confirmed No light-transmittance limit for side windows behind the operator's seat, PROVIDED the vehicle carries two outside rear view mirrors, one on each side, adjusted to give the operator a clear view of the highway behind. Without both mirrors the 35% net floor applies. requires 2 outside rear view mirrors, one each side, properly adjusted Detail29-A M.R.S. §1916(2)(B): "The provisions of subsection 1, paragraphs C and D do not apply to side windows behind the operator's seat or the rear window of a motor vehicle, as long as the vehicle is equipped with 2 outside rear view mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the operator has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle." The exemption is CONDITIONAL — without both mirrors the 35% floor continues to apply behind the operator's seat. This is a CONDITIONAL absence of a rule, not an unconditional one — the condition is recorded on the row rather than buried in prose. Note also that §1916(2)(B) lifts only paragraphs C and D; the paragraph A ban on reflective material continues to apply behind the operator's seat. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(2)(B) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “The provisions of subsection 1, paragraphs C and D do not apply to side windows behind the operator's seat or the rear window of a motor vehicle, as long as the vehicle is equipped with 2 outside rear view mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the operator has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle.” |
| Rear window | All vehicles | confirmed No light-transmittance limit for the rear window, PROVIDED the vehicle carries two outside rear view mirrors, one on each side, adjusted to give the operator a clear view of the highway behind. Without both mirrors the 35% net floor applies. requires 2 outside rear view mirrors, one each side, properly adjusted Detail29-A M.R.S. §1916(2)(B): "The provisions of subsection 1, paragraphs C and D do not apply to side windows behind the operator's seat or the rear window of a motor vehicle, as long as the vehicle is equipped with 2 outside rear view mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the operator has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle." The exemption is CONDITIONAL — without both mirrors the 35% floor continues to apply behind the operator's seat. The rear window and the side windows behind the operator's seat are exempted by the same clause on the same condition. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(2)(B) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “The provisions of subsection 1, paragraphs C and D do not apply to side windows behind the operator's seat or the rear window of a motor vehicle, as long as the vehicle is equipped with 2 outside rear view mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the operator has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle.” |
| Reflectivity — front side windows | All vehicles | Any reflective material is prohibited outright on any window — Maine states no reflectance percentage. A window may not be composed of, covered by or treated with any material that is reflective.DetailRecorded as prose rather than a percentage because Maine imposes a categorical ban, which is STRICTER than any numeric cap: a 34%-reflectance film is lawful in Montana and Nebraska (35% ceiling) and unlawful in Maine. Publishing Maine as "35%" by analogy to its neighbours, or as "no limit" because no number appears, would both be wrong. The section title — "Reflective and tinted glass" — treats reflectivity as a co-equal subject rather than an afterthought. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(1)(A) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “A window is composed of, covered by or treated with any material that is reflective;” |
| Reflectivity — back side windows | All vehicles | Any reflective material is prohibited outright on any window, including behind the operator's seat. Maine states no reflectance percentage.DetailThe ban SURVIVES the rear exemption. §1916(2)(B) disapplies only paragraphs C and D behind the operator's seat, so a Maine vehicle with two outside mirrors may run unlimited darkness on its rear glass yet still may not use reflective film there. A dataset that merged Maine's rear rules into a single "exempt" value would lose this. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(1)(A) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “A window is composed of, covered by or treated with any material that is reflective;” |
| Medical exemption | All vehicles | RequiredDetailA discretionary state-granted exception ("may, upon proper application"), issued by the Chief of the State Police rather than a medical authority, and evidenced by a certificate of exemption displayed on request. Notably the qualifying person need not be the owner — it extends to "a person who usually occupies the vehicle". The statute states no physician-certification requirement and no expiry period, in contrast to Maryland (physician certification, 2 years unless permanent) and North Carolina (five-year permit via a medical evaluation programme). | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(2)(A)(4) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “Motor vehicles for which the Chief of the State Police has granted an exception because the health of the owner or a person who usually occupies the vehicle is adversely affected by sunlight. The Chief of the State Police may, upon proper application, provide the owner of a motor vehicle with a certificate of exemption that must be displayed upon the request of a law enforcement officer.” |
| Certification sticker / label | All vehicles | Maine requires a LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE CERTIFICATE rather than a window sticker. An owner or operator whose windows are tinted or not replaced per FMVSS 205 must acquire one and show it to the inspection mechanic at inspection. Failure to produce it on a law enforcement officer's request raises a presumption of non-compliance.DetailA document-based compliance regime, not a label affixed between film and glass — contrast West Virginia's manufacturer label in the lower left corner of each glazing surface. The certificates "remain the property of the State" and are issued by persons the Chief of the State Police authorizes to examine glazing. §1916(5) makes non-production evidentiary: "If the operator ... fails to produce a certificate as required by subsection 3 on the request of a law enforcement officer, it is presumed that the motor vehicle does not meet the requirements of this section." §1916(4)(B) separately makes it an offence for an installer to fail to issue the certificate after installing tint for compensation. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(3) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “The owner or operator of a motor vehicle with tinted windows that are not replaced in accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205 or windows covered by or treated with tinting material must acquire a light transmittance certificate and must show the certificate to the inspection mechanic at the time of inspection.” |
| Restricted colors | All vehicles | unclear No published figure Under review — the official sources we read state no figure for this. This is a gap in our research, and it says nothing about what Maine requires here; the state may set its rule in words rather than a percentage. Not addressed in 29-A M.R.S. §1916. Maine states no colour restriction anywhere in the section — no red/yellow/amber bar of the kind Montana, Nebraska, West Virginia and North Carolina impose. The constraint Maine substitutes is the categorical ban on REFLECTIVE material in §1916(1)(A), which is a different property from colour. No colour rule is asserted either way; §1916(7) authorizes the Chief of the State Police to adopt implementing rules, which were not retrieved. | — |
| Side mirrors required if the rear window is tinted | All vehicles | RequiredDetailMaine's mirror rule is structurally different from West Virginia's. West Virginia states a free-standing duty: tint behind the driver and you must have both mirrors. Maine instead makes the mirrors the PRICE of the rear exemption — tint below 35% net behind the operator's seat without them and the vehicle simply violates §1916(1)(C). The statute also requires the mirrors be "adjusted so that the operator has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle", so mere presence is not enough. | 29-A M.R.S. §1916(2)(B) — Maine Revised Statutes · read “The provisions of subsection 1, paragraphs C and D do not apply to side windows behind the operator's seat or the rear window of a motor vehicle, as long as the vehicle is equipped with 2 outside rear view mirrors, one on each side, adjusted so that the operator has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle.” |
This state publishes no light-transmittance figure for this glass, so there is no percentage to match a film against. Other rules — colour, reflectivity, obstruction — can still apply, so we are not going to present a shelf as though nothing does.
Sources
- 29-A M.R.S. §1916(1) — Maine Revised Statutes, read
Nearby states
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Maine intake laws
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Maine body and appearance laws
Not published yet. We have not researched this category for Maine — which is a statement about us, not about whether Maine regulates it.