
NEW MEXICO TINT LAW 2023 (NM)
New Mexico Tint Law – Legal Tint Limit For Passenger Vehicles
- Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line or top 5 inches is allowed.
- Front seat side windows: up to 20% tint darkness allowed
- Back seat side windows: up to 20% tint darkness allowed
- Rear window: up to 20% tint darkness allowed
On this page we have done our best to collect all of the legal information necessary about the 2023 New Mexico tint law, including how dark the tint is allowed to be and how reflective the tint is allowed to be in New Mexico. Aside from the basics, like tint percentages, there are also additional car window tinting rules and regulations in New Mexico that we have made available.
New Mexico window tint law was first put into place in 1997 with New Mexico being the 31st of the 50 states to enact these tinting laws.
What does VLT Mean according to New Mexico State Law
The percentage of light that a window tint film allows to pass through your car windows is called the VLT (Visible Light Transmission), and each state has different legal allowable limits. The amount of light allowed to pass through your film and glass in New Mexico is very specific to the state and is different for Passenger Vehicles and Multi-Purpose Vehicles.
A HIGHER VLT means that more light is allowed to pass through the window tint film.
Example: a 75% tint will allow 75% of the light to pass through whereas a 5% tint will only allow 5% of the light to pass through, making the 5% tint a much darker film.
HOW MUCH DOES CAR WINDOW TINTING COST? The cost of tinting your car windows can be very affordable. If you want to learn how much it costs to tint your car, click here.

New Mexico Tint Law – Legal Tint Limit For Multi-Purpose Vehicles
- Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line or top 5 inches is allowed.
- Front seat side windows: up to 20% tint darkness allowed
- Back seat side windows: Any tint darkness can be used
- Rear window: Any tint darkness can be used

Want to D-I-Y?
How to tint car windows. To D-I-Y, check out how to tint car windows yourself here.
We have created an article discussing everything you need to know about VLT and Window Tint Percentages for your reference. If you want to learn the difference between the tint levels and preview the tint percentages we recommend you check it out.
Other New Mexico Window Tint law Rules And Regulations:
New Mexico has a few other important things that you will need to consider regarding window tinting and we recommend that you check them out before deciding whether or not you tint your windows:
- Do I have to have side mirrors in New Mexico? Dual side mirrors are required if and side or back windows are tinted.
- Is colored tint illegal in New Mexico? All tint colors are allowed in New Mexico except for Red, Amber and Yellow.
- What are the Window Tint Certification Rules in New Mexico? Manufacturers of film need to certify the film they sell in the state. Ask your dealer if they are using certified film.
- Do I need a certified sticker from the company installing my window tint in New Mexico? The sticker to identify legal tinting is required between the film & glass on every tinted window.
- Are there Medical Exemptions in New Mexico for Window Tint? New Mexico allows medical exemptions for special tint.
Always remember that New Mexico tint laws can change on a daily basis and these rules and regulations may be interpreted differently on a city to city or county to county basis. We recommend double-checking the information contained on this website with your local DMV or local law enforcement agencies for accuracy. This information relating to window tint laws in New Mexico was last updated on January 5th, 2023. Tinting laws in New Mexico were enacted in 1997. In case any of our info provided is not up to date or correct be sure to contact us so we can fix it. Thanks!
New Mexico Window Tint Medical Exemption References
New Mexico permits unspecified VLT with medical exemptions. Physicians or optometrists licensed in New Mexico can issue affidavits that must be in the vehicle at all times.
Want a complete guide for medical exemptions for tinted windows in all 50 states?
Click this button to be taken to a PDF file that will help you to understand the medical exemptions in all 50 states
State of New Mexico Information
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. New Mexico is the 5th most extensive, the 36th most populous, and the 6th least densely populated of the 50 United States.

What is the Capital of New Mexico
The capital of New Mexico is Santa Fe
What is the population of New Mexico
The population of New Mexico is 2,096,829 according to Wikipedia as of 2019.
What is the area of New Mexico
The area of New Mexico is 121,700 square miles and ranks as the 5th largest state in the United States!
New Mexico Wikipedia Page
Check out New Mexico’s Wikipedia page to learn all kinds of cool facts about the state!
Official New Mexico state Website
If you want to learn more about the laws in New Mexico check out their official Website Here
What are the main cities located in New Mexico?
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Taos, Roswell, Rio Rancho, Alamogordo, Silver City, Ruidoso, Carlsbad, Farmington, Gallup, Clovis, Truth or Consequences, Hobbs, Las Vegas, Taos Ski Valley, Socorro, Red River, Española, Raton, Deming, Cloudcroft, Artesia, Los Lunas, Tucumcari, Angel Fire, Abiquiú, Pecos, Grants, Hatch, Aztec, Bernalillo, Tijeras, Sunland Park, Chama, Belen, Jemez Springs, Mesilla, Weed, Santa Rosa, Pie Town, Corrales, Lordsburg, Portales, New Mexico, Cimarron, Fort Sumner, Vermejo Park Ranch, Questa, Elephant Butte
What are the main counties located in New Mexico?
Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, Sandoval, San Juan, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia