Thinking about having your car’s windows tinted? It can provide a number of benefits. Obviously, it’s a way to add style to your vehicle, but it can also help to prevent damaging UV rays from penetrating your car. It can reduce internal temperature, and it can help prevent damage to your dash, door panels and more. However, before you invest any money, it’s important to know the legal limit for tint in Florida.
What Is a Tint Limit?
Not sure what a tint limit is, or why it matters? Essentially, it’s a limit on how dark/opaque your vehicle’s windows can be. There is a specific limit for all windows, including your windshield, driver and passenger front windows, driver and passenger rear windows, and your back glass.
Why Is There a Limit?
Tint limits are put in place for one reason only – safety. For instance, if you tinted your windows very dark, and were then pulled over for speeding, the officer approaching the car could not see within to determine whether you or a passenger presented a safety threat. There is also the potential for the tint to be reflective – if it is too reflective, it could blind other drivers, causing accidents and injuries, or even resulting in needless deaths.
The Legal Limit for Tint in Florida
Florida’s tint limits have changed several times over the years. The most current legal limit for tint in Florida can be found below.
Sedans:
Windshield – You can apply non-reflective tint only above the A-1 line created by the manufacturer.
Front Side Windows – Tint must allow more than 28% of light to pass through.
Back Side Windows – Tint must allow more than 15% of light to pass through.
Back Glass – Tint must allow at least 15% of light to pass through.
For SUVs and vans, the primary difference is that back side windows and back glass can have any darkness applied but no lower than six inches from the top of the window. It’s also important to note that front side windows cannot be more than 25% reflective, and back side windows cannot be more than 35% reflective. No tinting colors are prohibited, though, and there are medical exceptions possible that affect the legal limit for tint in Florida.
With this information, you should be able to choose the best tint color and percentage for your vehicle.