MT · tint law reference

Montana window tint laws

Last verified September 14, 2026 · MCA 61-9-405(4) (standards); 61-9-428 (waiver); 61-9-429 (penalty)

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.

Montana window tint limits by window and vehicle type
Window Sedans SUVs, vans & trucks
Windshield Sunscreening material on the windshield must be clear and transparent below the AS-1 line, and material above the AS-1 line may not be red, yellow, or amber in color Same as sedan
Front side 24% VLT or lighter 24% VLT or lighter
Back side 14% VLT or lighter No VLT limit
Rear 14% 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

    Front side windows: luminous reflectance of not more than 35%. Rear window and side windows behind the front seat: not more than 35% — EXCEPT on a multipurpose vehicle, van, or bus, where 61-9-405(4)(c) does not apply at all, so neither the 14% transmittance floor nor the 35% reflectance ceiling binds those windows.

    Colors

    Red, yellow, or amber sunscreening material is prohibited ABOVE the AS-1 line on the windshield (61-9-405(4)(a)); below the AS-1 line the windshield must be clear and transparent regardless of color. No color restriction is stated for side or rear windows.

    Medical exemption

    Yes (MCA 61-9-428): the highway patrol or a local law enforcement agency may grant a waiver of the 61-9-405(4) standards for reasons of safety or security or for medical reasons based on an affidavit signed by a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse as defined in 37-8-102. The waiver must be in writing and must include the VIN, registration number, or other clear description of the vehicle, the date issued, the owner's name, the reason for granting it, the effective dates, and the signature of the granting officer; the issuing agency keeps a copy until it expires. Separately, MCA 61-9-405(7) provides a grandfather waiver, issued by the department, for a vehicle registered in Montana on October 1, 1991 that was then equipped with otherwise-prohibited sunscreening.

    Stickers & certification

    No general compliance sticker. A written waiver/certificate must be issued and kept with the vehicle where a waiver applies, containing the VIN or other vehicle identification, owner name, reason, and effective dates; MCA 61-9-405(7) refers to a 'currently valid certificate of waiver affixed' to the vehicle.

    Measurement tolerance

    This state does not state a measurement tolerance in the sources we checked.

    Penalties

    MCA 61-9-429: a person who owns or operates a motor vehicle in violation of 61-9-405(4) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as provided in MCA 46-18-212, and so is a person who applies sunscreening or glass-plastic glazing material in a manner that results in a window violating 61-9-405(4). MCA 61-9-405 itself states no dollar amount; secondary sources quote figures from roughly $100 to $500 with up to 6 months, which reflects the general misdemeanor sentencing range rather than a tint-specific fine.

    Notes

    CORRECTED SUV/VAN HANDLING — THIS WAS THE PREVIOUS ENTRY'S MAIN ERROR. MCA 61-9-405(4)(c) carries the exemption inside the prohibition itself: it bars operating a vehicle if 'the rear window or side windows behind the front seat have sunscreening or other transparent material that has a luminous reflectance of more than 35% or has light transmission of less than 14%, EXCEPT for the rear window or side windows behind the front seat on a multipurpose vehicle, van, or bus.' That carve-out is not limited to factory glass and does not depend on who installed the film — aftermarket film on the rear window and the side windows behind the front seat of a multipurpose vehicle, van, or bus is simply outside subsection (4)(c). The prior entry's note claiming the exemption 'applies only to manufacturer (OEM) installed tinted glass' conflated (4)(c) with subsection (7), which is a separate and broader exemption: subsection (7) exempts a multipurpose vehicle equipped with tinted windows installed BY THE MANUFACTURER from all of subsection (4), including the 24% front side window limit. 'Multipurpose vehicle' is defined in 61-9-405(5)(d) as 'a motor vehicle designed to carry 10 or fewer passengers that is constructed on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road use,' which covers SUVs. Front side windows on an SUV or van still must meet 24% VLT and 35% max reflectance unless the vehicle qualifies under subsection (7) or holds a waiver. Subsection (6) makes subsection (4) apply to all vehicles equipped with tinted windows, including factory-tinted glass of less than 100% light transmission to which additional sunscreening material has been applied. Subsection (4)(d) additionally requires the windows of a camper, motor home, pickup cover, slide-in camper, or other motor vehicle to meet the 49 CFR 571.205 safety glazing standards. Hearses, ambulances, and government vehicles are exempt. Three of four secondary sources (IWFA chart, tinting-laws.com, cartintlaw.com) correctly report 'any darkness' for Montana SUV/van back and rear windows; windowtintlaws.us incorrectly reports 14%.

    Montana tint questions

    What is the darkest legal tint in Montana?

    For a sedan in Montana, front side windows must let at least 24% of light through, back side windows at least 14%, and the rear window at least 14%. 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 24%, back side no VLT limit, rear no VLT limit.

    Is 20% tint legal in Montana?

    No, not on the front side windows. Montana requires at least 24% 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 14% floor, so 20% film can be legal there.

    Can I tint the windshield in Montana?

    Montana's rule for the windshield: Sunscreening material on the windshield must be clear and transparent below the AS-1 line, and material above the AS-1 line may not be red, yellow, or amber in color

    Does Montana allow a medical exemption for darker tint?

    What the source says: Yes (MCA 61-9-428): the highway patrol or a local law enforcement agency may grant a waiver of the 61-9-405(4) standards for reasons of safety or security or for medical reasons based on an affidavit signed by a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse as defined in 37-8-102. The waiver must be in writing and must include the VIN, registration number, or other clear description of the vehicle, the date issued, the owner's name, the reason for granting it, the effective dates, and the signature of the granting officer; the issuing agency keeps a copy until it expires. Separately, MCA 61-9-405(7) provides a grandfather waiver, issued by the department, for a vehicle registered in Montana on October 1, 1991 that was then equipped with otherwise-prohibited sunscreening. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.

    Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Montana?

    No general compliance sticker. A written waiver/certificate must be issued and kept with the vehicle where a waiver applies, containing the VIN or other vehicle identification, owner name, reason, and effective dates; MCA 61-9-405(7) refers to a 'currently valid certificate of waiver affixed' to the vehicle.

    Nearby states

    Where this comes from

    Statute cited: MCA 61-9-405(4) (standards); 61-9-428 (waiver); 61-9-429 (penalty)

    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.

    ← All 51 state tint laws