Kentucky Window Tint Laws – Simple Guide

If you drive in Kentucky and want tinted windows, you have to follow

KRS 189.110. The rules set how dark your tint can be on each window,how shiny it can look, and even allow a very light tint across the entire windshield.

This guide breaks the law down into clear, everyday language.

Quick Rules at a Glance

• Applies to: Any motor vehicle required to be registered in Kentucky and driven on public roads.
• Windshield:
  • You may use a transparent strip above the AS-1 line at the top of the windshield.
  • You may also tint the entire windshield with material that has at least
    70% light transmittance (70% VLT or lighter) and is not red or yellow.
• Front side windows (next to the driver):
  • Tint film tested on 1/8" clear glass must have:
    ≥ 35% light transmittance and ≤ 25% reflectivity.
  • In practice this translates to about 35% VLT tint on the front doors.
• Windows behind the driver – sedans (regular passenger cars):
  • Rear side windows and rear window: tint film (on 1/8" clear glass) must have
    ≥ 18% light transmittance and ≤ 35% reflectivity.
• Windows behind the driver – SUVs, vans & other multipurpose vehicles:
  • Rear side windows and rear window may use film with ≥ 8% light transmittance
    (on 1/8" clear glass) and ≤ 35% reflectivity.
• Reflectivity:
  • Front side windows: not more than 25% reflective.
  • Rear side windows: not more than 35% reflective.
• Perforated (see-through graphic) film behind driver:
  Must have ≤ 35% reflectance and at least 30% light transmittance,
  and no small section can exceed 50% reflectance.
• Rear window & mirrors:
  If the rear window is made nontransparent or hard to see through, the vehicle must have
  side mirrors on both sides.
• 3% tolerance: All percentage measurements in the law (VLT and reflectivity) have a
  ±3% margin, so meter readings can vary slightly.
• Medical exemptions: Kentucky law does not provide a special medical tint exemption
  that lets you go darker than the standard limits.
• Stickers & certification:
  Installers must affix a nonremovable label in the driver’s door jamb stating that the tint complies
  with Kentucky law. Film manufacturers must certify their products for sale in the state.
• Penalties: Anyone who applies illegal tint can be charged with a
  Class B misdemeanor, and illegal film must be removed. Drivers can also be cited for operating a
  vehicle that does not meet the standards.

In plain terms: 70%+ VLT on the full windshield, about 35% VLT on the front doors,
at least 18% VLT on the back windows of sedans, and as dark as about
8% VLT on the back of SUVs and vans, all within a 3% tolerance.

What “VLT” Means

Tint darkness is measured using Visible Light Transmission (VLT).

• VLT is the percentage of visible light that gets through the glass and any tint film.
• Higher VLT (70%) = lighter tint (easy to see through).
• Lower VLT (8–18%) = darker tint (much harder to see through).

When Kentucky says a film must have 35% light transmittance on clear glass,
it is talking about the film tested on 1/8" clear glass. In everyday use this roughly matches
the familiar 35% tint level installers sell for front windows.

Windshield Tint Rules in Kentucky

Under the current version of KRS 189.110, the windshield has two legal tint options:

• Top strip above the AS-1 line:
  • You may apply transparent sunscreening material in a strip along the top of the windshield,
    as long as it stays within the AS-1 portion defined by federal safety standards.
  • This is the classic “sun strip” many cars use to block glare.
• Full windshield tint (very light):
  • You may apply sunscreening material across the windshield as long as it has
    at least 70% light transmittance (70% VLT or lighter) and is
    not red or yellow in color.
  • 70% VLT is very light — it mainly cuts UV and a bit of glare while still looking almost clear.
• No dark film is allowed across the main viewing area of the windshield.

So you can either keep just a small strip at the top, or use a nearly clear 70% tint on the whole windshield.

Tint Darkness for Passenger Cars (Sedans, Coupes, Hatchbacks)

Front Side Windows

• The side windows next to the driver and front passenger can use film that:
  • On 1/8" clear glass, has ≥ 35% light transmittance in the visible range, and
  • Is ≤ 25% reflective.
• Shops usually install film around 35% VLT here to stay within the law and within the 3% tolerance.
• Dark shades like 15% or 5% “limo” tint on the front doors are almost certainly too dark.

Rear Side Windows & Rear Window (Sedans)

• For windows behind the driver on a standard passenger car:
  • Film (on 1/8" clear glass) must have at least 18% light transmittance, and
  • May be up to 35% reflective.
• This gives you much darker glass than the front, but not a full blackout.
• If the rear window is dark enough that you cannot see clearly out of it, the car must have
  side mirrors on both sides.

A common legal sedan setup in Kentucky is:
≈35% tint on the front doors and around 18% tint on the rear doors and rear glass.

Tint Darkness for SUVs, Vans & Other Multipurpose Vehicles

Kentucky gives more flexibility for the windows behind the driver on multipurpose passenger vehicles
such as SUVs, minivans, and many pickups.

Front Side Windows (SUVs & Vans)

• Front side windows follow the same rule as sedans:
  ≥ 35% light transmittance on 1/8" clear glass and ≤ 25% reflectivity.

Rear Side Windows & Rear Window (SUVs & Vans)

• Kentucky allows much darker tint here:
  • Film tested on 1/8" clear glass may have light transmittance down to
    8% (with ≤ 35% reflectivity).
• That’s very dark — close to what people think of as “limo tint.”
• As with sedans, if the rear window is too dark to see straight back, your vehicle must have
  mirrors on both sides.

Many Kentucky SUVs and vans legally run:
about 35% on the front doors and very dark (around 8–15%) tint on the rear doors and rear glass.

Reflectivity & Color Rules

Kentucky controls how shiny your tint can be, and it restricts certain colors on the windshield.

• Front side windows: Film must have total solar reflectance ≤ 25%
  (measured on the non-film side).
• Windows behind the driver: Film must have reflectance ≤ 35%
  (or special perforated film with ≤ 35% overall and ≤ 50% in any small area).
• Windshield film color: Any tint applied across the windshield
  must not be red or yellow.
• Other windows: The statute does not list specific banned colors, but tint that
  makes the window “nontransparent” or drastically alters its color can be treated as illegal.
• To avoid issues, most people choose neutral gray/charcoal, non-mirrored films.

Labels, Tolerance & Factory Glass

• Door jamb label:
  Every installer must provide and affix a self-destructive, nonremovable label
  on the inside of the left door jamb stating:
  • That the tint complies with Kentucky law, and
  • The trade name of the film and the installer’s or seller’s business name.
• 3% tolerance:
  All percentage measurements in subsections (2)–(4) (VLT and reflectance) allow a
  ±3% margin. For example:
  • A 35% limit might test as low as roughly 32% and still be considered acceptable.
• Factory glazing:
  Labeling is not required for glass that came from the factory and already meets
  federal safety standards (FMVSS No. 205).

Penalties & Enforcement

• Film that fails the light transmittance or reflectivity standards must be
  removed immediately.
• Anyone who applies sunscreening materials in violation of KRS 189.110 commits a
  Class B misdemeanor.
• Drivers operating a vehicle that does not meet the standards can be cited under
  Kentucky’s traffic penalty provisions, which typically means a fine and possible court costs.

While jail time for tint issues is rare, repeated violations or ignoring orders to fix your tint
can cause bigger problems than the cost of doing it right the first time.

Medical Tint Exemptions in Kentucky

Some states let you go darker if you have a medical condition that requires extra protection from sunlight.
Kentucky does not.

• Current Kentucky law does not contain a special medical exemption that permits darker-than-normal tint.
• Online guides and law firm summaries consistently note that there are
  no medical tint waivers under state law.
• So even if you have light sensitivity, your vehicle still has to meet the same VLT limits as everyone else.

Is Your Kentucky Tint Probably Legal?

Use this as a quick sanity check:

• Windshield:
  • Only a strip above the AS-1 line or a very light, nearly clear film (about 70% VLT or lighter) across the entire windshield?
  • Film on the windshield is not red or yellow?
• Front side windows:
  • Film is advertised around 35% VLT (and not mirror-like)? → Usually okay.
  • Film at 20% or 5%? → Almost certainly too dark.
• Rear side windows & rear window – sedans:
  • Tint around 18% VLT or lighter? → Generally within the rules.
• Rear side windows & rear window – SUVs/vans:
  • Very dark tint (around 8–15%) is normally allowed, as long as reflectivity limits are met.
• Reflectivity & mirrors:
  • No chrome or mirror-like film on any window?
  • Side mirrors on both sides if the rear window is heavily tinted or covered?
• Label:
  • Is there a small compliance sticker on the inside of the driver’s door jamb from your installer?

If your tint is near the limits, the only way to be certain is to have it measured with a proper
tint meter by a reputable shop or law enforcement.

Important Legal Note

This page is a plain-language summary of KRS 189.110 and related guidance.
It is not formal legal advice and may not cover every edge case, local ordinance,
or future amendment to the law.

For a serious ticket, court case, or a very custom tint setup, review the current statute text
and check with a Kentucky attorney, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, or local law enforcement.

Summary

To keep your windows cool and still legal in Kentucky:

• Use only a thin strip above the AS-1 line or a very light 70%+ film on the full windshield.
• Keep front side windows around 35% VLT, non-reflective beyond the 25% limit.
• On sedans, keep rear side and rear windows at about 18% VLT or lighter.
• On SUVs and vans, you may go as dark as about 8% VLT on the rear side and rear windows.
• Avoid mirror-like finishes and keep reflectivity within 25% front / 35% rear.
• Don’t count on a medical exemption — everyone follows the same limits.

Follow these guidelines and you can enjoy tinted windows in Kentucky without constantly
worrying about getting pulled over for illegal tint.