With the state of Montana having 159 sunny days throughout the entire year, tinted windows are a no-brainer. If someone is suffering from a medical condition, they may be unable to expose themselves too much to sunlight, but that is no problem. Special tints are available.
The Montana State Window Tinting laws were brought into existence in 1991. The laws were amended in 2007. Since then they have been strict regarding the laws they have built for their people. When purchasing a car with tinted windows or tinting your current car windows, you need to understand how dark or reflective the window tint can be.
It turns out that there are quite a few rules and regulations that govern auto window tinting in Montana. It is important to be aware of what the Montana state window tinting laws cover to help avoid the potential for costly and painful legal issues.
In this piece, we have attempted to cover all the possible information you need to know before purchasing a car with tinted windows or doing any car window tinting. You will find information like how reflective or dark the tint should be and other relevant rules and regulations. For more information, continue reading…
Check out other States Window Tint Law :-
- Kentucky Window Tint Laws
- New Mexico Window Tint Laws
- Alaska Window Tint Laws
- Rhode Island Window Tint Laws
- Idaho Window Tint Laws
What is VLT?
VLT(Visible Light Transmission) is the light percentage allowed by the window tint film to travel through your car windows. Each and every state has dissimilar allowable terms for it. In the state of Montana, the proportion of light allowed to pass through passenger vehicle window films and multi-purpose vehicle window films is different.
HIGH VLT= MORE AMOUNTS OF LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH YOUR WINDOW TINT FILMS.
LOW VLT= LESS AMOUNT OF LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH YOUR WINDOW TINT FILMS.
For instance, an 83% tint will allow only 83% of light to pass through whereas a 10% tint will allow only 10% of light to travel through the window tint film.
Legal tint limit: Passenger Vehicles
- Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.
- Front seat side windows: up to 24% tint darkness allowed
- Back seat side windows: up to 14% tint darkness allowed
- Rear window: up to 14% tint darkness allowed
Legal Tint Limit: Multi-purpose Vehicles
- Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.
- Front seat side windows: up to 24% tint darkness allowed
- Back seat side windows: Any tint darkness can be used
- Rear window: Any tint darkness can be used
The light percentage allowed through your window film and glass in the state of Montana is very strict. The lint limits vary for passenger vehicles and multi-purpose vehicles.
Tint reflection
The one main reason for having window tints is so that it helps reflect light which then further in the process reduces glare as well as heat. Depending on the vehicle type as well as the type of tint, the window tint laws in the state of Montana allow only a certain level of reflection with a tint.
Tint reflection: Passenger Vehicles
- Front side windows: the tint reflection in the state of Montana must not be more than 35%.
- Back side windows: the tint reflection in the state of Montana must not be more than 35%.
Tint reflection: Multi-purpose Vehicles
- Front side windows: the tint reflection in the state of Montana must not be more than 35%.
- Back side windows: the tint reflection in the state of Montana must not be more than 35%.
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Other Window tint rules.
Besides the basic laws that you have come across already, there are some other rules and regulations that you need to pay good attention to, in order to avoid any form of negative situations. It is important to consider the laws as well as these particular rules and regulations altogether before you decide to get your car windows tinted. These rules and regulations may vary in other states.
- Do I need to have side mirrors in Montana? In the state of Montana, if the back window is tinted then dual side mirrors are a must to have.
- Is colored tint illegal in Montana? No, colored tint is not illegal in the state of Montana. You can make sure of all tint colours except red, amber and yellow.
- What are the Window Tint Certification Rules in Montana? The tint film manufacturers in the state of Montana do not have to certify the film they sell in the state at all.
- Do I need a certified sticker from the company installing my window tint in the state of Montana? No, the state law does not require stickers to identify legal tinting but the law does recommend having it in the state of Montana.
- Are there medical exemptions in the state of Montana for window tint? For special tint, the state of Montana does allow the medical exemption. If you want to get a medical exemption, you should get an application for medical exemption. After this, you need to notarize and complete the application by your physician. Consult your state law for detailed information.
- What are the penalties like in the state of Montana? There is a reason why there are laws as well as these rules and regulations made, mainly to be followed. In the state of Montana, if you are driving your vehicle with windows that are too dark or too reflective you will come across a misdemeanour with up to $500 fine or up to six months in county jail. (Montana law 46-18-212)
- Are tinted headlights illegal in the state of Montana? According to the Montana Driver manual issued by the Montana Department of Justice Motor Vehicle Division, motor vehicle headlights are prohibited from using tinted headlights.
- Can you have tinted tail lights in Montana? A person may not operate a motor vehicle on a highway with tail lamps that are covered by a lens or a plastic cover or with a tinted or coloured material, substance, system, or component placed on or in front of rear lamps, taillamps, license plate lamps, or even rear lamp combinations in the state of Montana.