Hawaii Window Tint Laws – Simple Guide

Hawaii has strong sun and warm temperatures, so window tint makes sense. But the state also has clear rules about how dark your tint can be.

In 2025, House Bill 226 (Act 226 CD1) updated those rules and changed what is allowed on rear windows.

Quick Rules at a Glance (2025 Update)

• Windshield:
  Glass must stay close to 70% VLT.
  A non-reflective strip is allowed along the top of the windshield,
  down to the AS-1 line or, if there is no AS-1 mark, no more than 4 inches from the top.
• Front side windows (all vehicles):
  Tint + glass must let in at least 35% of visible light, with a legal tolerance of about ±6%
  (so readings down to around 29% VLT may pass if installed in good faith).
• Rear side windows & rear window – sedans, SUVs, vans, trucks:
  Now may be any darkness as long as the vehicle has rearview mirrors on both sides.
• Reflective / colored tints:
  Mirrored or highly reflective films that look red, yellow, amber, or blue from the outside are not allowed.
• Roll-down rule at traffic stops:
  If your vehicle has applied tint, all tinted windows must be rolled fully down during a traffic stop,
  unless you cannot because of a physical disability or mechanical failure.
• Certificate in the car:
  The installer must give you a compliance certificate for legal tint, and you must keep it inside the vehicle.
• Medical exemptions:
  Hawaii does not offer medical exemptions for darker tint.
• Fines:
  Illegal tint can cost vehicle owners between $300 and $550 per offense.
  Installers can face $700 to $1,200 per offense and must fix or refund illegal jobs.

In plain terms: keep the front doors at about 35% VLT or lighter,
and you can now go very dark on all rear windows if your vehicle has mirrors on both sides.

What Does VLT Mean?

Hawaii uses Visible Light Transmission (VLT) to measure tint darkness.

• VLT is the percentage of visible light that passes through glass + film together.
• Higher VLT (for example 70%) means lighter tint.
• Lower VLT (for example 20%) means darker tint.

When the law says 35% VLT ±6% on front side windows, it means
your final glass plus film should be around 35%, but readings down to about 29% are usually treated as within the legal margin.

Windshield Tint Rules in Hawaii

The windshield has the tightest limits because it is your primary view of the road.

• The main area of the windshield must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 205,
  which is roughly 70% VLT or lighter from the factory.
• You may apply transparent sun screening film along the top edge:
  • It must not go below the AS-1 line marked on the glass, or
  • If there is no AS-1 mark, it must stop no lower than 4 inches from the top of the windshield
    (measured from the middle of the bottom edge of the top molding).
• No dark full-windshield tint is allowed.

Front Side Windows (All Vehicles)

The same rule now applies to the front doors on every vehicle type – sedans, SUVs, vans, trucks, and buses.

• Front side windows and wing vents must have at least 35% VLT, with about ±6% tolerance.
• Most legal installs use films labeled around 35–40% on the front doors to keep the net result above the limit.
• Very dark films like 20% or 5% (“limo”) on the front doors are almost always too dark for Hawaii law.

Rear Side Windows & Rear Window

This is where the 2025 update made the biggest change: sedans now get the same flexibility as SUVs and vans.

All vehicle types (sedans, SUVs, vans, trucks)

• Rear side windows and the rear window may now be any darkness,
  as long as your vehicle has rearview mirrors on both sides.
• This includes the rear windshield on sedans, which used to be tied to a 35% rule but is now exempt if dual mirrors are present.
• Many drivers choose tints like 20% or even 5% on the back half for privacy and heat reduction.

So the common legal setup in Hawaii is:

• Front doors: about 35% VLT.
• Rear doors and rear glass: any tint darkness with side mirrors on both sides.

Color and Reflectivity Limits

Hawaii also limits how your tint looks, not just how dark it is.

• No mirrored or highly reflective finishes that create a:
  • red,
  • yellow,
  • amber, or
  • blue

  appearance when viewed from outside.

• In practice, that means:
  • No chrome-like mirror films.
  • Stick with neutral gray, charcoal, or black films that do not have strong colors.
• There is no precise numeric reflectivity limit in the statute, but “highly reflective” mirror-style tint can get you cited.

Certificates, Inspections & Traffic Stops

Compliance Certificate

• When tint is installed, the installer must give you a certificate stating the tint meets Hawaii law.
• You must keep that certificate in the vehicle at all times.
• If police stop you and the certificate is missing, that can count as evidence the tint may not be legal.
  It also counts against the installer.

Safety Inspections

• During regular safety inspection, shops must test your tint and confirm it meets the law.
• If the tint is too dark or clearly not compliant, your vehicle can fail inspection until it is fixed.

Rolling Down Windows at Traffic Stops

• If your car has applied tint, everyone inside must fully roll down their windows when stopped by law enforcement.
• This rule helps officers see into the vehicle for safety.
• If you physically cannot roll the window down or the mechanism fails, you should cooperate in another reasonable way
  (for example, opening the door when requested).
• Not rolling the windows down can be cited as a non-criminal traffic infraction.

Medical Exemptions

Some states let drivers use darker tint for medical reasons. Hawaii is not one of them.

• Hawaii law does not provide a medical window tint exemption path.
• Even with light sensitivity or skin conditions, you still have to follow the same 35% front / any rear with mirrors rules.
• If you need extra protection, you can look for tint with high UV and infrared rejection
  that still respects the legal VLT limits.

Penalties for Illegal Tint in Hawaii

Hawaii increased fines in 2025, and they are steep compared to many other states.

• Vehicle owners:
  Fines range from about $300 to $550 per offense.
• Installers:
  Fines range from about $700 to $1,200 per offense.
• Installers must also either:
  • Reinstall legal tint free of charge, or
  • Refund the owner so they can have legal tint installed elsewhere.
• Because each offense can be counted separately, leaving illegal tint on can lead to repeated tickets and more cost than the tint itself.

Is Your Hawaii Tint Likely Legal?

Here is a quick checklist you can use as a rough guide:

• Front side windows:
  • If the film is labeled around 35–40% VLT, it is usually okay.
  • If it is labeled 20% or 5%, it is almost certainly too dark for the front doors.
• Rear side windows & rear window:
  • You can use any darkness (even 5%) on sedans, SUVs, vans, and trucks.
  • Make sure you have side mirrors on both sides of the vehicle.
• Windshield:
  • Only a narrow top strip down to the AS-1 line or about 4 inches from the top.
  • No full dark film across the entire windshield.
• Look & color:
  • Does the tint look mirror-like or strongly red, yellow, amber, or blue?
    If so, it is likely illegal.
• Paperwork:
  • Do you have a tint compliance certificate from your installer in the car?

If you are very close to the limit, the only way to be sure is to have your windows checked with a tint meter
at a safety inspection station or by a reputable tint shop.

Important Legal Note

This page is a plain-language summary of Hawaii’s window tint rules, including the 2025 changes in
Hawaii Revised Statutes §291-21.5.
It is not formal legal advice and might not cover every special case or future amendment.

If you are dealing with a ticket, planning a very dark setup on the rear, or simply want to be extra careful,
you should read the current text of HRS §291-21.5 and, if needed, talk with an attorney or your local inspection station.

Summary

To stay comfortable and legal on Hawaii roads in 2025 and beyond:

• Keep front side windows at about 35% VLT or lighter.
• Use any darkness you like on rear side and rear windows, as long as you have dual side mirrors.
• Limit windshield tint to a thin top strip that does not go below the AS-1 line or more than 4 inches from the top.
• Avoid mirrored, red, yellow, amber, or blue-looking films.
• Make sure you keep your tint certificate in the car.
• Remember there are no medical exemptions, so everyone follows the same rules.

Follow these guidelines and you can enjoy cooler, more private windows without constant worry about failing inspection or getting a tint ticket in Hawaii.