Washington Window Tint Law 2026
Washington requires at least 24% on the front side windows, 24% on the back side windows and 24% on the rear window.
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
35% VLTfront side window
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 24% 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 24% 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 24% 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 24% 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 24% 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 24% 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 24% 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
Front side windows
24% VLT minimum
measured on the installed glass + film together
Vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both right and left. Only a single sheet of film may be applied to any window.
RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Back side windows
24% VLT minimum
measured on the installed glass + film together
RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Rear window
24% VLT minimum
measured on the installed glass + film together
RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Windshield strip — how far down it may extend
AS-1 or 6 in from top
RCW 46.37.430(5)(e) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Front side windows
24% VLT minimum
measured on the installed glass + film together
Vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both right and left. Only a single sheet of film may be applied to any window.
RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Back side windows
confirmed Below 24% is permitted on any window to the rear of the driver for hearses, collector vehicles, limousines, passenger buses used for compensation, ambulances, rescue squad and licensed emergency medical vehicles, and any vehicle the manufacturer identifies as a truck, motor home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle — provided reflectance is 35% or less and dual outside mirrors are fitted.
We read text whose scope shows the state sets no such rule here — this is a finding, not a blank.
RCW 46.37.430(5)(b) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Rear window
confirmed Below 24% permitted on the rear window for the vehicle classes listed at (5)(b), subject to the 35% reflectance cap and dual mirrors.
We read text whose scope shows the state sets no such rule here — this is a finding, not a blank.
RCW 46.37.430(5)(b) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Windshield strip — how far down it may extend
AS-1 or 6 in from top
RCW 46.37.430(5)(e) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Film that may meet the 24% requirement for front side windows
- 24% VLT minimum — measured on the installed glass, film and window together Vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both right and left. Only a single sheet of film may be applied to any window.RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · 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.RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
- This state also restricts film colour: Prohibited outright: mirror finish products; red, gold, yellow or black material; and film in liquid pre-application form brushed or sprayed on.RCW 46.37.430(5)(g) — Revised Code of Washington · read
- This state also caps reflectance for this glass at 35%. Mirrored and metallic films can exceed it regardless of their VLT rating.RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
Every Washington tint rule we track
| Rule | Applies to | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield strip — how dark the strip may be | All vehicles | No numeric VLT for the top-edge strip; a greater degree of light reduction is permitted there so long as the product remains transparent. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(e) — Revised Code of Washington · read “A greater degree of light reduction is permitted along the top edge of the windshield as long as the product is transparent” |
| Windshield strip — how far down it may extend | All vehicles | AS-1 or 6 in from topDetailBoth constraints bind: the product must stay out of the AS-1 portion AND within six inches of the top. Clear UV film may separately be applied to the whole windshield. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(e) — Revised Code of Washington · read “A greater degree of light reduction is permitted along the top edge of the windshield as long as the product is transparent and does not extend into the AS-1 portion of the windshield or extend more than six inches from the top of the windshield. Clear film sunscreening material that reduces or eliminates ultraviolet light may be applied to windshields.” |
| 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 Washington requires here; the state may set its rule in words rather than a percentage. | — |
| Front side windows | All vehicles | 24% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together Vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both right and left. Only a single sheet of film may be applied to any window. DetailWashington's 24% applies to every window except the windshield — it does not step by position. ASSEMBLY basis, stated explicitly: RCW 46.37.430(2)(b) defines "net film screening" as "the total sunscreening or coloring material applied to the window that includes both the material applied by the manufacturer during the safety glazing and any film sunscreening or coloring material applied after the vehicle is manufactured." | RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read “The maximum level of net film sunscreening to be applied to any window, except the windshield, shall have a total reflectance of thirty-five percent or less, and a light transmission of twenty-four percent or more, where the vehicle is equipped with outside rearview mirrors on both the right and left. Installation of more than a single sheet of film sunscreening material to any window is prohibited.” |
| Back side windows | Sedan | 24% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together | RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read “The maximum level of net film sunscreening to be applied to any window, except the windshield, shall have a total reflectance of thirty-five percent or less, and a light transmission of twenty-four percent or more” |
| Multipurpose passenger vehicle | confirmed Below 24% is permitted on any window to the rear of the driver for hearses, collector vehicles, limousines, passenger buses used for compensation, ambulances, rescue squad and licensed emergency medical vehicles, and any vehicle the manufacturer identifies as a truck, motor home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle — provided reflectance is 35% or less and dual outside mirrors are fitted. Reflectance ≤35% and outside rearview mirrors on both right and left. DetailVehicle class is determined by the MANUFACTURER's identification, per 49 C.F.R. §571.3 — not by the owner's description. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(b) — Revised Code of Washington · read “Hearses, collector vehicles, limousines and passenger buses used to transport persons for compensation, ambulances, rescue squad vehicles, any other emergency medical vehicle licensed under RCW 18.73.130 that is used to transport patients, and any vehicle identified by the manufacturer as a truck, motor home, or multipurpose passenger vehicle as defined in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 571.3, may have net film sunscreening applied on any window to the rear of the driver that has less than twenty-four percent light transmittance, if the light reflectance is thirty-five percent or less and the vehicle is equipped with outside rearview mirrors on both the right and left.” | |
| Rear window | Sedan | 24% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together | RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read “The maximum level of net film sunscreening to be applied to any window, except the windshield, shall have a total reflectance of thirty-five percent or less, and a light transmission of twenty-four percent or more” |
| Multipurpose passenger vehicle | confirmed Below 24% permitted on the rear window for the vehicle classes listed at (5)(b), subject to the 35% reflectance cap and dual mirrors. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(b) — Revised Code of Washington · read “may have net film sunscreening applied on any window to the rear of the driver that has less than twenty-four percent light transmittance, if the light reflectance is thirty-five percent or less and the vehicle is equipped with outside rearview mirrors on both the right and left.” | |
| Reflectivity — front side windows | All vehicles | 35% reflectance maximumDetailReflectance is defined at (2)(c) as light "reflected outward by the sunscreening or coloring material". Mirror-finish products are separately prohibited outright under (5)(g)(i). | RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read “shall have a total reflectance of thirty-five percent or less” |
| Reflectivity — back side windows | All vehicles | 35% reflectance maximum | RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read “shall have a total reflectance of thirty-five percent or less” |
| Medical exemption | All vehicles | RequiredDetailCarried physician verification, no state permit. Extends to the top six inches of the windshield as well as all side and rear windows. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(d) — Revised Code of Washington · read “A greater degree of light reduction is permitted on all windows and the top six inches of windshields of a vehicle operated by or carrying as a passenger a person who possesses a written verification from a licensed physician that the operator or passenger must be protected from exposure to sunlight for physical or medical reasons.” |
| Certification sticker / label | All vehicles | Required of commercial installers. A sticker must be affixed to the driver’s door post adjacent to the manufacturer’s identification tag, certifying the glazing application meets the chapter’s light transmission, reflectance and placement standards. Between 3/4" × 1 1/2" and 2" × 2 1/2", durable in harsh climate, showing the installer’s business name and state tax identification number.DetailOn the door post, not the glass — unlike Connecticut and Ohio, which require a per-window label. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(c) — Revised Code of Washington · read “A person or business tinting windows for profit who tints windows within restricted areas of the glazing system shall supply a sticker to be affixed to the driver's door post, in the area adjacent to the manufacturer's identification tag. Installation of this sticker certifies that the glazing application meets this chapter's standards for light transmission, reflectance, and placement requirements. Stickers must be no smaller than three-quarters of an inch by one and one-half inches, and no larger than two inches by two and one-half inches. The stickers must be of sufficient quality to endure exposure to harsh climate conditions. The business name and state tax identification number of the installer must be clearly visible on the sticker.” |
| Restricted colors | All vehicles | Prohibited outright: mirror finish products; red, gold, yellow or black material; and film in liquid pre-application form brushed or sprayed on.DetailThe widest colour prohibition in the dataset — gold and black are named, which no other state reviewed so far bans. The liquid-application ban is also unusual and matters commercially: spray-on tint is unlawful in Washington regardless of its VLT. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(g) — Revised Code of Washington · read “The following types of film sunscreening material are not permitted: (i) Mirror finish products; (ii) Red, gold, yellow, or black material; or (iii) Film sunscreening material that is in liquid preapplication form and brushed or sprayed on.” |
| Side mirrors required if the rear window is tinted | All vehicles | Required Required whenever film is applied to any window except the windshield. | RCW 46.37.430(5)(f) — Revised Code of Washington · read “When film sunscreening material is applied to any window except the windshield, outside mirrors on both the left and right sides shall be located so as to reflect to the driver a view of the roadway, through each mirror, a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rear of the vehicle.” |
Film that may meet the 24% requirement for the rear window
- 24% VLT minimum — measured on the installed glass, film and window togetherRCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · 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.RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
- This state also restricts film colour: Prohibited outright: mirror finish products; red, gold, yellow or black material; and film in liquid pre-application form brushed or sprayed on.RCW 46.37.430(5)(g) — Revised Code of Washington · read
- This state also caps reflectance for this glass at 35%. Mirrored and metallic films can exceed it regardless of their VLT rating.RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) — Revised Code of Washington · read
- Tinting the glass behind the driver is conditioned here on outside mirrors, separately from the light-transmittance figure. Required whenever film is applied to any window except the windshield.RCW 46.37.430(5)(f) — Revised Code of Washington · read
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
35% VLTNo preview for rear glass — the illustration does not show that window.
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 24% requirement for the rear window; 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 24% requirement for the rear window; 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 24% requirement for the rear window; 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 24% requirement for the rear window; 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 24% requirement for the rear window; 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 24% requirement for the rear window; 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 24% requirement for the rear window; 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.
Sources
- RCW 46.37.430(5) — Revised Code of Washington, read
Nearby states
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Washington body and appearance laws
Not published yet. We have not researched this category for Washington — which is a statement about us, not about whether Washington regulates it.