Window Tint Laws in New York
Laws change. Verify current requirements with your local DMV/RMV before choosing or installing film. This is not legal advice.
VLT is visible light transmission: lower percentages mean darker windows. A film's labeled shade is not necessarily the finished glass-plus-film reading. The limits below cover ordinary passenger cars unless stated otherwise.
- Front side windows
- At least 70% VLT.
- Rear side windows
- At least 70% for passenger cars including sedans, station wagons, hardtops, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles.
- Back window
- At least 70% unless both outside mirrors provide full and clear rearward view.
- Windshield strip
- At least 70% VLT under DMV guidance; no separate strip depth asserted.
Vehicle class and conditions
Measurement basis: Combined glass-plus-film visible light transmission, not the film label alone.
SUV, van and multipurpose-vehicle rear sides: DMV 70% rear-side requirement is stated for passenger-car classifications; verify the manufacturer federal identification label for other classes.
SUV, van and multipurpose-vehicle back window: Same rear-window mirror-conditioned rule as passenger cars.
- Limits refer to light through the window, not film label alone. Medical exemptions use MV-80W for qualifying conditions.
Sources and verification
Official source: DMV guidance. Reviewed 2026-10-29. Laws and agency guidance can change after this review.
Laws change. Verify current requirements with your local DMV/RMV before choosing or installing film. This is not legal advice.