IL · tint law reference
Illinois window tint laws
Last verified September 14, 2026 · 625 ILCS 5/12-503
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.
| Window | Sedans | SUVs, vans & trucks |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | No sign, poster, window application, reflective material, nonreflective material, or tinted film on the front windshield, except a nonreflective tinted film along the uppermost portion that does not extend more than 6 inches down from the top (§ 12-503(a)). State or local stickers and certificates required to be displayed are exempt from (a) (§ 12-503(h)). | Same as sedan — § 12-503 draws no distinction by vehicle type |
| Front side | 35% VLT or lighter | 35% VLT or lighter |
| Back side | 35% VLT or lighter | 35% VLT or lighter |
| Rear | 35% VLT or lighter | 35% VLT or lighter |
Dual side mirrors required if the rear is tinted? Yes — this state requires dual outside mirrors when the rear window is tinted.
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
Only nonreflective film may be used on the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver, and reflective material is barred outright from the windshield (§ 12-503(a),(a-5)). § 12-503 states no numeric reflectance percentage. windowtintlaws.us's "no more than 25% reflective" figure is not in the statute.
Colors
None — 625 ILCS 5/12-503 contains no color restriction.
Medical exemption
Yes, but narrowly — § 12-503(g): subsections (a) and (a-5) do not apply to window treatment on a vehicle for which distinctive license plates or plate stickers have been issued under § 3-412(k) and which is owned and operated by, or used to transport a same-address resident who is, a person afflicted with a disease requiring shielding from the direct rays of the sun (including but not limited to systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus, disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, light sensitivity as a result of a traumatic brain injury, or albinism). The owner must obtain a certified statement or letter from an Illinois-licensed physician, carry it in the vehicle at all times, keep it current with renewal every 4 years, and submit a copy to the Secretary of State. No exemption is granted for a condition adequately addressed by sunglasses or other eye protective devices. Installers may apply exempt film only to vehicles already displaying the distinctive plate or sticker at the time of installation (§ 12-503(g-7)).
Stickers & certification
No compliance sticker or label is required for ordinary tint. An installer who applies medical-exemption film must obtain a copy of the physician's certified statement or letter before installing and keep it in permanent records (§ 12-503(a-10)(2)).
Measurement tolerance
5% variance observed by any law enforcement official metering the light transmittance — stated in the statute itself at § 12-503(a-5)(1), (2) and (4)
Penalties
Petty offense with a fine of no less than $50 and no more than $500; a second or subsequent violation is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of no less than $100 and no more than $500. Anyone convicted under (a), (a-5), (b) or (b-5) must also be ordered to alter the nonconforming windows into compliance (§ 12-503(j)). Applies to violations of (a), (a-3), (a-5), (a-10), (b), (b-5) or (g-7).
Notes
The prior record's sedan-vs-SUV split was wrong and has been removed: 625 ILCS 5/12-503 contains no sedan, SUV, van, truck or multipurpose-passenger-vehicle distinction. The only remaining exemption in subsection (f) is for motor vehicles properly registered in another jurisdiction — (f)(1) now reads "(Blank)". What the statute actually does is regulate only the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver, then use the darkness of the windows behind the driver as the condition that picks which front-side allowance applies: (a-5)(1) front side windows at 35% VLT or lighter is NOT the rule — read precisely, (a-5)(1) permits film allowing at least 50% VLT on the front side windows on vehicles where none of the windows to the rear of the driver's seat allow less than 30% VLT; (a-5)(2) permits film allowing at least 35% VLT on the front side windows on vehicles where none of the windows to the rear of the driver's seat allow less than 35% VLT; and (a-5)(4) permits at least 50% VLT on the front side windows where the rear windows carry manufacturer-installed nonreflective smoked or tinted glass. Because § 12-503 sets no standalone minimum for windows behind the driver, a vehicle whose front side windows carry no treatment at all falls outside (a-5) entirely and may run any darkness behind the driver — subsection (b) expressly allows a perforated window screen or other decorative application there in that case, and (b-5) then requires a conforming side mirror on each side. The 35/35/35 values recorded here are the uniform option under (a-5)(2), which is the darkest legal front-side figure; a shop may instead run 50% front with nothing behind the driver darker than 30%. Subsection (c-5) bars objects suspended between the driver and the windshield that materially obstruct the view but forbids stopping or searching a vehicle solely on that basis. tinting-laws.com's narrative text describes this option structure correctly while its own summary table still prints a sedan/SUV split; windowtintlaws.us prints the split only.
Illinois tint questions
What is the darkest legal tint in Illinois?
For a sedan in Illinois, front side windows must let at least 35% of light through, back side windows at least 35%, and the rear window at least 35%. Lower VLT means darker glass, so those percentages are floors, not targets, and the meter reads the film and the factory glass together.
Is 20% tint legal in Illinois?
No, not on the front side windows. Illinois requires at least 35% 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 35% floor, so 20% is too dark there too.
Can I tint the windshield in Illinois?
Illinois's rule for the windshield: No sign, poster, window application, reflective material, nonreflective material, or tinted film on the front windshield, except a nonreflective tinted film along the uppermost portion that does not extend more than 6 inches down from the top (§ 12-503(a)). State or local stickers and certificates required to be displayed are exempt from (a) (§ 12-503(h)).
Does Illinois allow a medical exemption for darker tint?
What the source says: Yes, but narrowly — § 12-503(g): subsections (a) and (a-5) do not apply to window treatment on a vehicle for which distinctive license plates or plate stickers have been issued under § 3-412(k) and which is owned and operated by, or used to transport a same-address resident who is, a person afflicted with a disease requiring shielding from the direct rays of the sun (including but not limited to systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus, disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, light sensitivity as a result of a traumatic brain injury, or albinism). The owner must obtain a certified statement or letter from an Illinois-licensed physician, carry it in the vehicle at all times, keep it current with renewal every 4 years, and submit a copy to the Secretary of State. No exemption is granted for a condition adequately addressed by sunglasses or other eye protective devices. Installers may apply exempt film only to vehicles already displaying the distinctive plate or sticker at the time of installation (§ 12-503(g-7)). Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.
Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Illinois?
No compliance sticker or label is required for ordinary tint. An installer who applies medical-exemption film must obtain a copy of the physician's certified statement or letter before installing and keep it in permanent records (§ 12-503(a-10)(2)).
Where this comes from
Statute cited: 625 ILCS 5/12-503
- ilga.govhttps://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/fulltext?DocName=062500050K12-503
- ilga.govhttps://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K12-503
- tinting-laws.comhttps://tinting-laws.com/illinois/
- windowtintlaws.ushttps://windowtintlaws.us/illinois/
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.