West Virginia Window Tint Laws (May 2023)

It is vital that anyone tinting their windows adheres to the state regulations in West Virginia. The West Virginia state laws concerning window tinting will help reduce the likelihood of you encountering problems if you do not know what they cover. There are some states where the sunny conditions make window tinting necessary.

The West Virginia State Window Tinting Law was established in 1991. You need to be aware of how dark or reflective your window tint can be and then take the next step of purchasing a car with tinted windows or tinting your current car windows.

Our goal with this article has been to provide you with all the relevant information you need to know about everything related to window tinting in the state of West Virginia before you buy a car with tinted windows or before you decide to tint your car windows. This includes information about how reflective and dark the tint should be, among other various rules and regulations. Continue reading for more information…

Check out other States Window Tint Law :-

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 West Virginia, 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 on the top 5 inches of the windshield.
  • Front seat side windows: up to 35% tint darkness allowed
  • Back seat side windows: up to 35% tint darkness allowed
  • Rear window: up to 35% tint darkness allowed

Legal Tint Limit: Multi-purpose Vehicles

  • Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed on the top 5 inches of the windshield.
  • Front seat side windows: up to 35% 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 West Virginia 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, West Virginia state law allows only a certain level of reflection with a tint.

Tint reflection: Passenger Vehicles 

  • Front side windows: the tint reflection in the state of West Virginia must not be anything more than 20%.
  • Back side windows: the tint reflection in the state of West Virginia must not be anything more than 20%.

 Tint reflection: Multi-purpose Vehicles 

  • Front side windows: the tint reflection in the state of West Virginia must not be anything more than 20%.
  • Back side windows: the tint reflection in the state of West Virginia must not be anything more than 20%.

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 West Virginia? If only the back window is tinted then dual side mirrors are required in the state of West Virginia.
  • Is colored tint illegal in West Virginia? No, colored tint is legal in West Virginia. All tint colors are allowed in the state of West Virginia except for red, amber and yellow. 
  • What are the Window Tint Certification rules in West Virginia? The tint film manufacturers have to certify the film they sell in the state of West Virginia. Make sure you ask your dealer if they are using certified film or not. 
  • Do I need a certified sticker from the company installing my window tint in West Virginia? There is a need to have a sticker in between the film and glass on each and every tinted window in order to identify illegal tinting in the state of West Virginia.
  • Are there any medical exemptions in West Virginia for window tint? The state of West Virginia does allow medical exemptions for special tint. 
  • What are the penalties like in the state of West Virginia? If you violate the tinting laws in the state of West Virginia it is a very serious offense. You can get a misdemeanour with a maximum $200 fine.
  • Is it illegal to tint headlights in West Virginia? In the state of West Virginia, no person shall drive any vehicle on any highway with any lamp displaying any color of light visible from directly in front of the center except white or amber. Red and blue flashing lights are absolutely not permitted on passenger vehicles.