Virginia Window Tint Law (March 2023)

In Virginia, it will be considered illegal for any individual to utilize any vehicle they own on a highway with a colored or tinted film, poster, sign, sun-shading material on the front, rear side windows, or even the windshield except if permitted by the federal law. It is best to go by the rules rather than going against them and facing severe consequences.

The Virginia window tint law came out in the year 1999 and since then they have been very strict as well as specific about their rules and regulations put forward. Further in this article, you will come across all the window tint laws in Virginia as well as the other rules and regulations regarding window tints in Virginia. 

Check out other States Window Tint Law :-

What Does VLT Mean According To Virginia State Law

VLT(Visible Light Transmission) is the light percentage allowed by the window tint film to travel through your car windows. In Virginia there are different legal allowable terms when it comes to window tinting.

In Virginia, the amount of light allowed to pass through your film and also glass varies for Passenger vehicles and Multi-purpose vehicles. Let us break it down for you so you understand it better.

The higher the VLT the more amounts of light will be allowed to pass through your window tint film. For instance, a 60% tint will allow only 60% of the light to pass through whereas a 7% tint will allow only 7% of the light to pass through.

What Is The Legal Tint In Virginia: Passenger Vehicles

  • Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.
  • Front seat side windows: up to 50% tint darkness allowed
  • Back seat side windows: up to 35% tint darkness allowed
  • Rear window: up to 35% tint darkness allowed

Legal Tint Limit In Virginia: Multi-purpose Vehicles

  • Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.
  • Front seat side windows: up to 50% tint darkness allowed
  • Back seat side windows: Any tint darkness can be used
  • Rear window: Any tint darkness can be used

Window Tint Reflection In Virginia

Tint reflection for passenger vehicles:

  • Front side windows: must not be more than 20% reflective.
  • Back side windows: must not be more than 20% reflective.

Tint reflection for multi-purpose vehicles:

  • Front side windows: must not be more than 20% reflective.
  • Back side windows: must not be more than 20% reflective.

Reasons For Tinting Windows

There are many reasons for tinting windows, in fact many benefits of it. They are as follows:

  • Reduces glare
  • Protects the interiors of vehicles
  • Hides your valuables
  • Style
  • Skin protection from the harmful UV rays
  • Climate control
  • Energy efficiency

Other window tint rules and regulations in Virginia

Virginia like the other states has a few rules and regulations besides the basic laws to be adhered to. Especially if you are someone who hasn’t tinted your car windows yet or are basically thinking of doing so then you should definitely consider all of these rules as well before getting your windows tinted.

  • Do I need to have side mirrors in Virginia? Only if the back window is tinted then you need to have side mirrors.
  • Is colored tint illegal in Virginia? Except for red, amber and blue all colours are allowed.
  • What are the window tint certification rules in Virginia? The tint film manufacturers do not have to get their films certified before selling it in Virginia.
  • Do I need a certified sticker from the company installing my window tint in Virginia? The law in Virginia does not say that a sticker is needed but also does not mention the exact rule.
  • Are there medical exemptions in Virginia for window tint? Only for special tint there are medical exemptions allowed in Virginia.

How much is a ticket?

Now the answer to this question totally depends on the area you live in and also how dark your tint is. Not only those two points but also your ticket charge can be based on a fine you had earlier like past warnings as well as tickets that clearly instructed you to take off your tint.

Sometimes it is possible to reduce the amount if you take off the tint on the spot. If you do not do that you will have to do the following:

  • Pay $25+ for a fix-it ticket
  • Pay $100+ for a first citation
  • Pay $200 + for second ticket

And if you decide to not take off your tint at all you will have to face major consequences of the fee rising every time. Along with that, there are good chances of you coming across tint removal verification fees, court fees, and late fees as well.