Wisconsin Window Tint Law 2026
Wisconsin requires at least 50% on the front side windows, 35% on the back side windows and 35% 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
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 50% 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 50% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
More options that clear this figure, darkest first
- 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 50% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
- 50%VLTRockRoseRockRose 50% Premium Carbon Car Window Tint Film 40 in x 100FT 2PLY Charcoal Privacy Film UV, Heat Blocking Tint for Car or Home Adhesive Film Easy Shrink, Plotter Friendly Pro GradeCarbon (2-ply PET)40″ × 100′ rollRated 50% VLT — may comply with the 50% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
- 50%VLTTOYOCOTOYOCO Ceramic Car Window Tint Film, 50% VLT, 36" x 25FT Window Privacy Film, No Signal Interference, 99% UV Protection & Scratch-Resistant for Side & Rear Windows, DIY InstallCeramic (2-ply)36″ × 25′ rollRated 50% VLT — may comply with the 50% 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 50% requirement for front side windows; verify the installed reading.View on Amazon
Showing 4 of the 8 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
Wisconsin sets the same limits for passenger cars and for SUVs, vans and trucks, so there is nothing to switch between.
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 Wisconsin requires here; the state may set its rule in words rather than a percentage.
Film that may meet the 50% requirement for front side windows
- 50% VLT minimum — measured on the installed glass, film and window togetherWis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(4)(b)2. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read
- 35% VLT minimum — measured on the installed glass, film and window together recommendation of a physician or Christian Science practitioner treating the owner or an immediate family memberWis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(4)(b)3. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · 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.Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(4)(b)2. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read
Every Wisconsin tint rule we track
| Rule | Applies to | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield strip — how dark the strip may be | 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 Wisconsin requires here; the state may set its rule in words rather than a percentage. Not addressed in Trans 305.32. See windshield_strip_extent — the windshield section of Trans ch. 305 has not been read. | — |
| Windshield strip — how far down it may extend | 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 Wisconsin requires here; the state may set its rule in words rather than a percentage. Not addressed in Trans 305.32, which by its own title covers only the vent, side and rear windows. Wisconsin's windshield rule sits elsewhere in Trans ch. 305 and was NOT retrieved in this pass — this is an unread gap, not a substantive silence, and Phase 1b should read the chapter's windshield section before anything is rendered for it. | — |
| Windshield below the strip | All vehicles | Trans 305.32 does not reach the windshield at all — it is titled "Vent, side and rear windows" and every allowance in it is keyed to those windows.DetailRecorded as a scope finding rather than a permission: the windshield is regulated elsewhere in Trans ch. 305, which this pass did not read. Nothing here should be rendered as "Wisconsin permits windshield tint". | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32 — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “Vent, side and rear windows.” |
| Front side windows | All vehicles | 50% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together DetailCovers the vent windows as well as the front side windows — (4) treats them as one class. NET ASSEMBLY basis, stated by the rule: the figure is what "the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits" to pass through the window, not what the film transmits alone. Trans 305.32(7) requires law enforcement to allow a tolerance of 3% when measuring under subs. (4)(b), (5)(b) and (6). | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(4)(b)2. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “The windows are tinted by the application of tinting film to the inside of the glazing provided that the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits passage through the windows of at least 50% of the visible light striking the windows. Tinting films permitted under this subdivision may not be reflective.” |
| All vehicles | 35% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together recommendation of a physician or Christian Science practitioner treating the owner or an immediate family member DetailThe medical route sets its own number rather than waiving the limit: 35% instead of 50% on the vent and front side windows, and the no-reflective-film rule still applies. NET ASSEMBLY basis, stated by the rule: the figure is what "the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits" to pass through the window, not what the film transmits alone. Trans 305.32(7) requires law enforcement to allow a tolerance of 3% when measuring under subs. (4)(b), (5)(b) and (6). | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(4)(b)3. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “The windows are tinted, upon the recommendation of a physician or a Christian Science practitioner treating the owner, or an immediate family member of the owner of the vehicle, by the application of tinting film to the inside of the glazing provided that the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits passage through the windows of at least 35% of the visible light striking the windows. Tinting films permitted under this subdivision may not be reflective.” | |
| Back side windows | All vehicles | 35% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together DetailNET ASSEMBLY basis, stated by the rule: the figure is what "the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits" to pass through the window, not what the film transmits alone. Trans 305.32(7) requires law enforcement to allow a tolerance of 3% when measuring under subs. (4)(b), (5)(b) and (6). | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(6)(b) — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “The windows are tinted by the application of tinting film to the inside of the glazing provided that the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits passage through the windows of at least 35% of the visible light striking the window. The tinting films permitted under this subdivision may not be reflective.” |
| Rear window | All vehicles | 35% VLT minimum measured on the installed glass + film together DetailNET ASSEMBLY basis, stated by the rule: the figure is what "the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits" to pass through the window, not what the film transmits alone. Trans 305.32(7) requires law enforcement to allow a tolerance of 3% when measuring under subs. (4)(b), (5)(b) and (6). | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(5)(b)2. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “The window is tinted by the application of tinting film to the inside of the glazing provided that the combination of the glazing and tinting film permits passage through the window of at least 35% of the visible light striking the window. The tinting films permitted under this subdivision may not be reflective.” |
| Reflectivity — front side windows | All vehicles | No numeric reflectance ceiling. Wisconsin instead provides that tinting films permitted on the vent and front side windows "may not be reflective".DetailAn absolute prohibition rather than a percentage, and it is repeated separately in (5)(b)2. for the rear window and (6)(b) for the rear side windows. Recorded as prose because no meter reading expresses it. | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(4)(b)2. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “Tinting films permitted under this subdivision may not be reflective.” |
| Reflectivity — back side windows | All vehicles | No numeric reflectance ceiling; the same "may not be reflective" prohibition is repeated for the rear window in (5)(b)2. and for the rear side windows in (6)(b). | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(6)(b) — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “The tinting films permitted under this subdivision may not be reflective.” |
| Medical exemption | All vehicles | RequiredDetailNot an exemption from the limits but a substituted limit — 35% instead of 50% on the vent and front side windows — plus a carried written statement. The statement is vehicle-specific down to the VIN, which no other jurisdiction extracted so far requires, and Wisconsin is alone in accepting a Christian Science practitioner alongside a physician. It also has an expiry the others lack: the film must be REMOVED when the vehicle is sold, when the person recommended for no longer lives in the owner's household, or when a temporary condition expires. | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(4)(b)3. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “A written statement from the treating physician or Christian Science practitioner which identifies the patient, the medical condition justifying the recommendation, whether the condition is temporary or permanent and the vehicle to which the recommendation applies, including the make, model, year and vehicle identification number, shall be carried in the vehicle at all times. Tinting film applied under this subparagraph shall be removed when a vehicle covered by the recommendation is sold, when the person for whom a recommendation was made no longer resides in the household of the owner of the vehicle or when the duration of a temporary condition which is the basis for a recommendation has expired.” |
| Certification sticker / label | All vehicles | RequiredDetailThis is a SAFETY-GLASS marking, not a tint-compliance label: it certifies the glazing, and it says nothing about the film's transmittance. Recorded as the dimension's value because it is the only marking or carried certificate Trans 305.32 requires, and the note is what keeps it from being read as a tint certificate. Neither (4), (5) nor (6) requires an installer label of the kind Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico or Alabama impose. | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(1) — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “All glass used in vent, side or rear windows shall be safety glass and shall be plainly marked to identify it as safety glass, or a certification from the glass supplier stating that the glass is approved safety glass shall be carried in the vehicle during operation or vehicle inspection, or both.” |
| 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 Wisconsin requires here; the state may set its rule in words rather than a percentage. Not addressed in Trans 305.32. No colour is named anywhere in the section; what it regulates instead is transmittance, reflectivity and nontransparency — (4)(a) and (5)(a) bar any sign, poster or other nontransparent material on the vent and front side windows and on the rear window respectively, other than a certificate or sticker issued by order of a governmental agency. Subsection (3) adds a separate defect rule: cloudiness or etching in excess of 2 inches from any edge. | — |
| Side mirrors required if the rear window is tinted | All vehicles | RequiredDetailThe trigger is 60%, NOT the 35% floor that governs whether the tint is lawful at all — so a Wisconsin rear window between 35% and 60% is legal but obliges dual outside mirrors. Two thresholds, and publishing only the 35% figure loses the mirror duty entirely for that whole band. | Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(5)(b)3. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read “If a rear window does not transmit at least 60% of the visible light striking the window, the vehicle shall be equipped with an outside rearview mirror on the left and right side of the driver's compartment.” |
Film that may meet the 35% requirement for the rear window
- 35% VLT minimum — measured on the installed glass, film and window togetherWis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(5)(b)2. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · 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.Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(5)(b)2. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · read
- Tinting the glass behind the driver is conditioned here on outside mirrors, separately from the light-transmittance figure. The trigger is 60%, NOT the 35% floor that governs whether the tint is lawful at all — so a Wisconsin rear window between 35% and 60% is legal but obliges dual outside mirrors. Two thresholds, and publishing only the 35% figure loses the mirror duty entirely for that whole band.Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32(5)(b)3. — Wisconsin Administrative Code · 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
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 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 35% 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 35% 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 35% 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 35% 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 35% 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 35% 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
- Wis. Admin. Code Trans §305.32 — Wisconsin Administrative Code, read
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