Texas Window Tint Laws
Published by TintLegal. Content corrected September 19, 2026. Individual source-check dates appear alongside the rules; this is AI-assisted source research, not professional legal review.
Start with the correct window and vehicle
For ordinary passenger vehicle, front-side requirement: >= 25% combined VLT. Rear-side requirement: No VLT minimum. Rear window: >= 25% combined VLT.
A whole windshield and its upper visor strip have separate rules. Read the conditions below before choosing film. A “no VLT minimum” entry does not remove other restrictions.
Window and vehicle requirements
Window positions only; shading does not simulate tint or visibility. Ordinary passenger vehicle:
- A — Whole windshield: Applied tint prohibited. The visor strip is a separate table row.
- B — Front side: >= 25% combined VLT
- C — Rear side: No VLT minimum
- D — Rear window: >= 25% combined VLT
Ordinary passenger vehicle
Special-use and medical exceptions are not assessed.
| Window | Requirement | Conditions and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Front side | >= 25% combined VLT | DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Rear side | No VLT minimum | No numerical darkness restriction for rear-side glass under DPS guidance. DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Rear window | >= 25% combined VLT | Without qualifying dual mirrors the ordinary rear minimum is 25%. DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Full windshield | Applied tint prohibited | Tinted whole-windshield film is not the strip exception. Clear untinted UV film is a separate case. DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Windshield visor strip | >= 25% combined VLT — conditions apply | Tint stays above the AS-1 line, or within the top five inches if there is no AS-1 line. DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
Ordinary vehicle with qualifying dual exterior mirrors
Both mirrors must provide at least 200 feet of rear view. Confirm below; this is a condition-based case, not an SUV exemption.
| Window | Requirement | Conditions and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Front side | >= 25% combined VLT | DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Rear side | No VLT minimum | DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Rear window | No VLT minimum — conditions apply | Both exterior mirrors provide at least 200 feet of rear view. DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Full windshield | Applied tint prohibited | Clear untinted UV film exception is separate. DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
| Windshield visor strip | >= 25% combined VLT — conditions apply | Tint stays above the AS-1 line, or within the top five inches if there is no AS-1 line. DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions (checked 2026-09-19) |
Check a tint VLT requirement
Use a measured combined glass-plus-film VLT reading. A film label alone cannot tell you the installed VLT. This is a limited check, not a certificate of complete compliance.
Choose your state, class and window, then enter the measured VLT.
Read the state rules and official sources
Estimate combined VLT from film and glass specifications
Approximation: glass VLT × film VLT ÷ 100. For example, 80% glass × 35% film = 28%. An estimate is not a calibrated measurement and is never used as a passing calculator result.
Restrictions beyond darkness
DPS guidance: front/strip reflectance at most 25%; windshield film cannot be red, amber or blue. Compliance label belongs at the rear bottom corner of driver-side glass. Guidance page is dated 2020; linked current administrative code could not be retrieved. Annual inspection statements on that page are not reproduced here.
Window positions: front-side means beside the driver/front passenger; rear-side means behind the driver; rear window means the back-facing glass. The tables separate full-windshield coverage from an upper strip. Vehicle marketing names alone do not resolve statutory classifications.
Medical exemptions
Carry a signed physician or optometrist statement identifying the person and need. DPS states that it no longer issues medical exemption certificates (since January 1,2019). A medical condition selection is not an exemption.
Authority: Licensed physician or optometrist.
Renewal: Not yet verified; confirm with the issuing authority.
Official application or instructionsCompare verified medical instructions . Do not treat a medical diagnosis as automatic approval.
Tickets and costs
A reliable statewide total has not been verified. The cited offense, court and local fees determine the amount; dismissal is not automatic.
Official sources and research limits
- DPS: windshield, side and rear windows; medical exceptions
Agency guidance states 25% combined front/strip; rear side exempt from darkness; rear 25% unless dual mirrors provide 200-foot rear view. Page dated 2020-09-04; linked administrative-code retrieval failed.
Source checked 2026-09-19. Effective date not independently established; see source history.
Unknown entries identify specific research gaps. They are not assertions that tint is prohibited or unrestricted. Contact the official motor-vehicle agency to resolve an unclear classification before installation.
Practical questions
Does a 35% film label mean the window measures 35%?
No. With 80% glass, 35% film estimates to 28% combined VLT. Measure the installed combination; understand VLT and estimates .
Does passing the calculator prove full compliance?
No. It checks the verified numerical rule and explicitly confirmed conditions for the selected case. Reflection, color, certification, special uses and approved exemptions may need separate assessment.
Neighboring state research
Use the same vehicle classification when comparing. Nonresident applicability has not been established across these states; crossing a border is not automatically a violation or an exemption.
- Arkansas — ordinary passenger front: Not yet verified
- Louisiana — ordinary passenger front: >= 25% combined VLT
- New Mexico — ordinary passenger front: Not yet verified
- Oklahoma — ordinary passenger front: Not yet verified
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