GA · tint law reference

Georgia window tint laws

Last verified September 14, 2026 · O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1

Legal tint limits at a glance

VLT is the share of light the window must let through — a lower number is darker film, and the reading includes the factory glass.

Georgia window tint limits by window and vehicle type
Window Sedans SUVs, vans & trucks
Windshield No tint on the windshield — § 40-8-73.1(b)(1) makes it unlawful to operate a vehicle with material and glazing applied or affixed to the front windshield that reduces light transmission. Permitted instead: adjustable sun visors mounted forward of the side windows and not attached to the glass; a sticker in a 7-inch square in the lower corner farthest from the driver and a 5-inch square in the lower corner nearest the driver; passenger-common-carrier direction/destination signs; any transparent item that is not red or amber in color on the uppermost 6 inches; and government-required stickers or certificates (§ 40-8-73.1(c)(1)-(5)). Same as sedan — the windshield prohibition in (b)(1) is not carved out for multipurpose passenger vehicles
Front side 32% VLT or lighter 32% VLT or lighter
Back side 32% VLT or lighter No VLT limit
Rear 32% VLT or lighter No VLT limit

Dual side mirrors required if the rear is tinted? Not stated in the sources we checked.

Is my tint legal here?

Film darkness and glass darkness multiply. Enter the film you are considering and the VLT of the bare glass to get the number a meter would read.

70 for tinted OEM glass, 80 for clear

Net VLT 14% 20% film × 70% glass

    Pass/fail compares net VLT against the limits on this page only. Some states apply a measurement tolerance — see Measurement tolerance below — and none of this replaces a meter reading on your own glass.

    The rest of the rule

    Reflectivity

    Rear windshield and side or door windows: material may not increase light reflectance to more than 20% (§ 40-8-73.1(b)(2)). The windshield may carry no light-reducing material at all, so no reflectance figure applies there.

    Colors

    Red and amber — but only as a limit on the transparent item permitted on the uppermost 6 inches of the windshield (§ 40-8-73.1(c)(4)). § 40-8-73.1 imposes no general color ban on side or rear windows.

    Medical exemption

    Yes — § 40-8-73.1(d): the Department of Public Safety may, on application from a person required for medical reasons to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun, issue an exemption for any motor vehicle owned by that person or in which that person is a habitual passenger. The application must be supported by written attestation from a person licensed to practice medicine under Ch. 34 of Title 43 or certified as an optometrist under Ch. 30 of Title 43. DPS prescribes the conditions and limitations and publishes the application form.

    Stickers & certification

    Not required — § 40-8-73.1 imposes no labeling duty, and GA DPS states that "Labels indicating that tinted windows meet state specifications are no longer required."

    Measurement tolerance

    ±3% — stated inside the standard itself: light transmission may not be reduced "to less than 32 percent, plus or minus 3 percent" (§ 40-8-73.1(b)(2))

    Penalties

    Misdemeanor — § 40-8-73.1(h) covers both an operator's violation of (b) and an installer's violation of (e). The statute sets no fine or jail figure. (The prior record's claim that violators are fingerprinted appears in neither § 40-8-73.1 nor the GA DPS page and has been removed.)

    Notes

    The important structural point missed previously: § 40-8-73.1(c)(6) removes subsection (b) entirely from "the rear windshield or the side or door windows, except those windows to the right and left of the driver" of (A) a multipurpose passenger vehicle, (B) a school bus, any other bus used for public transportation, and any bus or van owned or leased by a Georgia religious or nonprofit corporation, (C) any limousine owned or leased by a public or private entity, or (D) any other vehicle whose windows were tinted or darkened before factory delivery or as permitted by federal law. So on an SUV/van/pickup meeting the multipurpose-passenger-vehicle definition, the rear windshield and the side windows behind the driver may be any darkness; only the two front windows are held to 32%. "Multipurpose passenger vehicle" is defined in (a)(5) as a motor vehicle designed to carry ten persons or fewer constructed on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation. Also fully exempt: law enforcement vehicles; vehicles displaying a government-official plate under §§ 40-2-61, 40-2-63 or 40-2-64; state or political-subdivision vehicles with a § 40-2-37 plate; and vehicles operated in the course of business by a person licensed or registered under Ch. 38 of Title 43 (private detective and private security). Commercial motor vehicles instead follow 49 C.F.R. 393.60 (§ 40-8-73.1(f)). Section last amended by 2011 Ga. Laws 119, § 16.

    Georgia tint questions

    What is the darkest legal tint in Georgia?

    For a sedan in Georgia, front side windows must let at least 32% of light through, back side windows at least 32%, and the rear window at least 32%. Lower VLT means darker glass, so those percentages are floors, not targets, and the meter reads the film and the factory glass together. SUVs, vans and trucks are listed separately: front side 32%, back side no VLT limit, rear no VLT limit.

    Is 20% tint legal in Georgia?

    No, not on the front side windows. Georgia requires at least 32% VLT there and 20% is darker than that, before you even account for the factory glass, which makes the reading darker still. The back side windows have a 32% floor, so 20% is too dark there too.

    Can I tint the windshield in Georgia?

    Georgia's rule for the windshield: No tint on the windshield — § 40-8-73.1(b)(1) makes it unlawful to operate a vehicle with material and glazing applied or affixed to the front windshield that reduces light transmission. Permitted instead: adjustable sun visors mounted forward of the side windows and not attached to the glass; a sticker in a 7-inch square in the lower corner farthest from the driver and a 5-inch square in the lower corner nearest the driver; passenger-common-carrier direction/destination signs; any transparent item that is not red or amber in color on the uppermost 6 inches; and government-required stickers or certificates (§ 40-8-73.1(c)(1)-(5)).

    Does Georgia allow a medical exemption for darker tint?

    What the source says: Yes — § 40-8-73.1(d): the Department of Public Safety may, on application from a person required for medical reasons to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun, issue an exemption for any motor vehicle owned by that person or in which that person is a habitual passenger. The application must be supported by written attestation from a person licensed to practice medicine under Ch. 34 of Title 43 or certified as an optometrist under Ch. 30 of Title 43. DPS prescribes the conditions and limitations and publishes the application form. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.

    Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Georgia?

    Not required — § 40-8-73.1 imposes no labeling duty, and GA DPS states that "Labels indicating that tinted windows meet state specifications are no longer required."

    Nearby states

    Where this comes from

    Statute cited: O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1

    Checked against the state's own statute or DMV page on September 14, 2026. Laws change; if you find a newer rule, email admin@getpeelboard.com.

    Legal disclaimer: general information, not legal advice; verify with your DMV.

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