Window Tint Laws in South Dakota
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 35% combined VLT; enforcement tolerance 9%.
- Rear side windows
- At least 20% VLT; enforcement tolerance 9%.
- Back window
- At least 20% VLT; enforcement tolerance 9%.
- Windshield strip
- No film below AS-1 or lowest point of sun visor, or obstructing clear view. Section 32-15-2.4 also states 35% combined windshield VLT; this is not permission to ignore strip restrictions.
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: At least 20% VLT; enforcement tolerance 9%.
SUV, van and multipurpose-vehicle back window: At least 20% VLT; enforcement tolerance 9%.
- No ordinary MPV rear exemption stated. Do not use tolerance-adjusted readings as installation standards.
Sources and verification
Official source: State statute/regulation. Reviewed 2026-10-29. Laws and agency guidance can change after this review.
- https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-15-2.4
- https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-15-2.5
- https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-15-2.9
Laws change. Verify current requirements with your local DMV/RMV before choosing or installing film. This is not legal advice.