The Darkest Legal Window Tint in Georgia

Georgia’s Legal Limits for Window Tint Darkness and Reflectivity

Georgia’s tint law specifies the minimum light that must pass through each window (measured as Visible Light Transmission, or VLT) and the maximum reflectiveness of the tint. In general, 32% is the darkest legal tint (meaning the tint must let at least 32% of light in), and tint can be only mildly reflective (no more than 20% reflective). There is also a small enforcement tolerance of ±3% on the VLT measurement. Here are the limits by window type:

• Front Windshield: No tint is permitted on the front windshield below the top strip. Georgia law prohibits any material on the windshield that reduces light transmission. The only exception is a non-reflective tint strip along the top 6 inches of the windshield (the “sun visor” area), and even that strip cannot be red or amber in color. In practice, this means you can have a tinted band at the top of the windshield for glare, but the rest of the windshield must remain clear (untinted).

• Front Side Windows (Driver and Passenger windows): These windows must allow at least 32% of light to pass through. In other words, the tint on front side windows can be no darker than a 32% VLT tint (with up to a 3% variance). Additionally, the tint on these windows cannot be overly reflective – the law sets a 20% maximum light reflectance for any window tint. This reflectivity limit prevents use of mirror-like tints that could blind other drivers. (O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1(b)(2) establishes the 32% VLT minimum and 20% reflectivity limit for side windows.)

• Back Side Windows (Rear passenger windows): For most passenger cars (sedans), the same 32% minimum light transmission and 20% reflectivity rules apply to the rear side windows. You cannot legally tint back seat side windows darker than 32% VLT on a typical car. However, Georgia law provides an exemption for certain larger vehicles: the rear side windows of “multipurpose passenger vehicles” – which include SUVs, vans, and limousines – are exempt from the 32% tint limit. In those vehicles, you are allowed to have any darkness on windows behind the driver, as they often come with dark factory tint. (In short: if you drive an SUV/van, you can tint the rear side windows as dark as you want; if you drive a sedan, you must stick to 32% on those windows.) Even for these vehicles, any aftermarket tint should still comply with the 20% reflectivity cap to avoid mirror-like finishes.

• Rear Window (Rear Windshield): The law treats the rear window similarly to the back side windows. On a standard passenger car, the rear windshield must also let in at least 32% of light. So the darkest legal tint for a car’s back window is 32% VLT. Like the rear side windows, SUVs, vans, and other exempt vehicles are allowed to have darker tint on the rear windshield beyond 32%. This means the entire back half of an SUV or van (rear sides and rear window) can be tinted to any darkness if desired. Keep in mind that no rear window tint may be more than 20% reflective by law, regardless of vehicle type. Also, if the rear window is tinted, Georgia used to require dual side mirrors on the vehicle, but currently there is no side-mirror requirement in the Georgia tint statute (side mirrors are unrestricted).

These restrictions are codified in O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1. In summary, it says you may not operate a vehicle if the tint on side or rear windows lets in less than 32% of light or has more than 20% reflectance. The law explicitly allows the top 6 inches of the windshield to be tinted (non-red/amber) as an exception. It also exempts certain vehicles (like factory-tinted SUVs, buses, limos, etc.) from the 32% limit on rear and rear side windows. If you have a medical exemption from the Department of Public Safety, you may be permitted darker tint for health reasons, but you must carry the approval documentation (medical waivers are granted only with a doctor’s attestation and DPS approval).

Penalties for Illegal Window Tint in Georgia

Violating Georgia’s window tint law is not just an equipment violation – it is a criminal offense. Under O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1(h), any person who operates a vehicle out of compliance with these tint restrictions is guilty of a misdemeanor. This means a police officer can pull you over and issue a citation if your windows appear too dark or non-compliant.

What are the penalties?

As a misdemeanor traffic offense, illegal window tint can be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 and even up to 12 months in jail in Georgia. In reality, typical first-time offenders will usually face a monetary fine (often somewhere in the low hundreds of dollars) rather than jail time. However, the law does technically allow for jail in serious or repeat cases, and each window tint violation is a separate misdemeanor. Georgia previously required a sticker certifying legal tint, but that sticker is no longer required by law – enforcement is done with a tint meter during a traffic stop.

Illegal Tint and Liability in Car Accident Lawsuits

Beyond the traffic ticket and criminal penalties, having illegally dark tint can also hurt you in a civil lawsuit if you’re involved in a car accident. The person injured in an accident could hire a car accident lawyer and file a lawsuit against you. Window tint laws are considered safety regulations. If you violate a safety statute and that violation contributes to an accident, it can be used as evidence that you were negligent.

This is especially true if the tint directedly affects your ability to see or be seen. For example, if you are driving at night and have illegal tint on your front windshield. A jury may find that you were negligent for failing to maintain proper visibility. This could lead to liability for any resulting damages in a car accident.

Negligence Per Se

Georgia follows the doctrine of negligence per se, which means that breaking a law intended to protect public safety can automatically be considered negligence in a civil case. In other words, if a driver was breaking the tint law and an accident happened as a result, the driver’s legal violation itself may be seen as a breach of duty. For instance, if you had illegal tint on your windshield that obstructed your view and you failed to see a pedestrian or oncoming car, causing a collision, a court could deem you negligent as a matter of law for violating O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1. The injured party would argue that the tint law is a safety statute meant to prevent crashes due to poor visibility, and you broke that law – thus you were negligent. Georgia case law supports this: a driver who violates a traffic safety law and causes injury can be held accountable under negligence per se (though the violation must be proven to be a proximate cause of the accident).

In practical terms, illegal window tint can be a powerful piece of evidence for the plaintiff in a lawsuit. A personal injury attorney in Georgia will likely highlight the fact that the driver had unlawful tint to show the driver “knew or should have known” their windows were too dark and could pose a hazard. As one Georgia law firm notes, applying a tint that obscures your vision is inherently negligent, and if it leads to a crash, the tinted driver will likely bear liability for the damages. Even if it’s not automatic negligence per se (Georgia’s tint statute itself does not explicitly mandate civil liability), a jury may still find the driver negligent because common sense says that excessively dark tint is unsafe.

Comparative Fault Considerations

The tint issue can also come up in the context of comparative negligence if you are the injured party seeking damages. Georgia is a modified comparative negligence state, meaning each party’s share of fault for an accident is considered when determining damages. If a plaintiff (the person suing) is found to be partially at fault, their recovery is reduced by that percentage of fault. Importantly, if a plaintiff is 50% or more at fault, Georgia law bars them from recovering anything. How does this relate to window tint? Imagine you are driving with illegally tinted windows and another driver hits you. You file a lawsuit for your injuries. The other driver (defendant) could argue that your illegal tint contributed to the crash – perhaps you didn’t see them in time due to your dark windows, or you drove more carelessly because of reduced visibility. If the jury finds that your tint (and thus your negligence) was, say, 20% responsible for the accident, your damage award would be reduced by 20%. If the tint (or related conduct) is found 50% or more at fault, you would recover nothing.

For example, suppose you made a left turn and collided with an oncoming car, and you had unlawful 15% VLT tint on your front windows. The other driver might argue that your heavily tinted windows kept you from seeing his vehicle. If the jury believes this and assigns you the majority of the blame, you could lose any right to compensation due to Georgia’s 50% bar rule. On the other hand, if you are the defendant, your illegal tint can make it easier for the other side to prove your negligence. They may even introduce the police report or an officer’s testimony noting the illegal tint as evidence. In short, violating the tint law not only risks a ticket – it can put you at a serious disadvantage in civil litigation by painting you as a careless or reckless driver.

Bottom Line

Adhering to Georgia’s window tint law is important not just to avoid fines, but also to protect yourself legally. The darkest legal tint on most Georgia vehicles is 32% VLT on side and rear windows (with 20% max reflectivity), and no tinting on the windshield except the top 6 inches. If you keep your tint within these legal limits, you’ll stay on the right side of O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1 and avoid giving police or other drivers a reason to claim your windows created a hazard. Georgia drivers – especially those considering after-market tint – should ensure their tint installer is using certified film and that the finished tint meets the 32% light transparency requirement. Not only will this help you avoid a misdemeanor charge and fines, but it could also prevent your window tint from becoming an issue of fault in the unfortunate event of an accident.