South Carolina Window Tint Law 2026

The 27% figures in (C) and (D)(2) are scoped by their own terms to the side wings, side windows and rear-most window. Neither reaches the windshield, so attaching a windshield percentage to South Carolina would fabricate a rule.

Two rules in one subsection. The depth limit is the AS-1 line, defined in (J)(11) as "a glazing material position marking as defined in 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 571.205, Subsection S5.1.1". The second sentence is the unusual one: absence of a visible AS-1 marking is not a fallback to a measured depth (contrast Nebraska's 5-inch default) — it is a total prohibition on any windshield device.

A prohibition rather than a transmittance floor — there is no percentage at which film below the AS-1 line becomes lawful.

NET_ASSEMBLY basis, stated by the statute itself: (C) and (D)(2) regulate "the combined light transmission of the sunscreening device with the factory or manufacturer installed sunscreening material". The 27% is the finished window, film plus glass — not a film rating. (J)(2) defines "Light transmission" as "the ratio of the amount of total visible light to pass through a product or material to the amount of the total light falling on the product or material." Note also "A SINGLE sunscreening device" — the statute contemplates one layer, so stacking films is outside the permission even if the stack measured above 27%. Scope limit from (A): "If no after-factory installed sunscreen device has been added to the window surface, the provisions of this section regarding light transmittance do not apply." Factory glazing on its own is outside the section entirely.

South Carolina does NOT step down behind the driver: (C) covers the immediate right/left side windows and "the side windows behind the driver" in the same sentence at the same 27%. Only the rear-most window is treated separately, and (D)(2) lands on 27% as well. NET_ASSEMBLY basis, stated by the statute itself: (C) and (D)(2) regulate "the combined light transmission of the sunscreening device with the factory or manufacturer installed sunscreening material". The 27% is the finished window, film plus glass — not a film rating. (J)(2) defines "Light transmission" as "the ratio of the amount of total visible light to pass through a product or material to the amount of the total light falling on the product or material."

(D)(2) is the operative rule for anything installed today and supersedes (D)(1)'s 20%, which applied before 1 January 1993. (D)(3) grandfathers vehicles that complied with (D)(1) at installation: "A motor vehicle with a sunscreening device which complied with the requirements of item (1) at the time of installation is not considered to be in violation of this section on January 1, 1993, so long as the original sunscreen device is in place." Rendering South Carolina as a 20% rear state would publish a superseded figure. NET_ASSEMBLY basis, stated by the statute itself: (C) and (D)(2) regulate "the combined light transmission of the sunscreening device with the factory or manufacturer installed sunscreening material". The 27% is the finished window, film plus glass — not a film rating. (J)(2) defines "Light transmission" as "the ratio of the amount of total visible light to pass through a product or material to the amount of the total light falling on the product or material."

(J)(4) defines "Nonreflective" as "a product or material primarily designed to absorb light rather than to reflect it." That is a design-intent test, not a measured ceiling. (J)(3) separately defines "Luminous reflectant" as a ratio, but §56-5-5015 never attaches a percentage to it — the only place a reflectance figure appears is (H)(1), which contemplates a medical affidavit for material "of a light transmittance or luminous reflectance in violation of this section", i.e. it presupposes the prose duty rather than supplying a number.

The nonreflective duty is restated for the side windows in (C) and for the rear-most window in (D)(2), so it does not depend on reading (B) as a general rule. (J)(4) defines "Nonreflective" as "a product or material primarily designed to absorb light rather than to reflect it." That is a design-intent test, not a measured ceiling. (J)(3) separately defines "Luminous reflectant" as a ratio, but §56-5-5015 never attaches a percentage to it — the only place a reflectance figure appears is (H)(1), which contemplates a medical affidavit for material "of a light transmittance or luminous reflectance in violation of this section", i.e. it presupposes the prose duty rather than supplying a number.

An affidavit, not a state-issued permit — no application to or approval by the Department of Motor Vehicles is required, unlike states that issue a certificate. Two conditions are easy to miss: the prescribing physician or optometrist must be licensed in South Carolina, and the vehicle must be registered in South Carolina. The exemption reaches BOTH the transmittance and the reflectance duties ("light transmittance or luminous reflectance"). (H)(2) is a second, unrelated exemption for a law enforcement vehicle used regularly to transport a canine trained for law enforcement purposes.

The duty binds the consumer as well as the professional — (E) says "whether installed by a consumer or professional window tinter", and (G)(2) makes installing without permanently affixing the certificate an offence. (F) puts a parallel duty on manufacturers to supply the certificate and affixing instructions with the product. Penalties in (G): a professional window tinter faces a fine of not less than one thousand dollars or up to thirty days; a consumer not less than two hundred dollars or up to thirty days.

The colour sentence in (B) governs "A sunscreening device" without positional qualification; the windshield-specific rule is the SECOND sentence of (B). Contrast Montana, where the colour bar is drafted inside the windshield clause and reaches only glazing above the AS-1 line.

The requirement is stated identically in (D)(1) and (D)(2), so it survives the 1993 transition. It is triggered by the presence of a device on the rear-most window, not by how dark the device is.