Window Tint Laws in Virginia
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 50% total VLT.
- Rear side windows
- At least 35% total VLT.
- Back window
- At least 35% total VLT.
- Windshield strip
- Dark material only to replace manufacturer uppermost sunshield. 2026 law permits clear film maintained consistently with federal glazing standard 205.
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: Qualifying MPVs and pickup trucks may have rear glass below 35%; no numerical floor in the exception.
SUV, van and multipurpose-vehicle back window: Qualifying MPVs and pickup trucks may have rear glass below 35%; no numerical floor in the exception.
- Outside mirrors on both sides must show at least 200 feet behind. Reflectance at most 20%; no holographic/prism effects.
- Enforcement tolerance minus seven percentage points is not an installation target. Medical authorization is a separate DMV process.
- Windshield rule is manufacturer-sunshield-specific, not a generic aftermarket AS-1 permission.
Sources and verification
Official source: State statute/regulation. 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.