TENNESSEE TINT LAW 2023 (TN)
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Tennessee Tint Law – Legal Tint Limit For Passenger Vehicles
Here is a summary of the passenger vehicle window tint laws in Tennessee for 2023:
- Front Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line.
- 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
- Medical exemptions permit darker tints on front side windows with a doctor’s note.
- Mirrored or reflective tint is prohibited on all windows. Non-reflective, dye-based films are permitted.
- Violating the restrictions on front window tints can result in a fine of around $50 for a first offense.
- Tennessee has statewide tint laws, so local municipalities do not establish their own additional regulations.
In summary, Tennessee restricts front-side window tints to 35% or lighter while also allowing 35% darkness on rear windows for passenger vehicles in 2023. The front windshield can have a non-reflective tint as a small strip at the very top.
On this page, we have done our best to collect all of the legal information necessary about the 2023 Tennessee tint law, including how dark the tint is allowed to be and how reflective the tint is allowed to be in Tennessee. Aside from the basics, like tint percentages, there are also additional car window tinting rules and regulations in Tennessee that we have made available.
Tennessee window tint law was first put into place in 1990 with Tennessee being the 11th of the 50 states to enact these tinting laws.
What does VLT Mean according to Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.
Tennessee Tint Law – Legal Tint Limit For Multi-Purpose Vehicles
- Front Windshield: Must allow more than 70% of light in; any darkness on AS-1 line.
- Front seat side windows: up to 35% tint darkness allowed
- Back seat side windows: Must allow more than 35% of light in.
- Rear window: up to 35% tint darkness allowed
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 Tennessee Window Tint law Rules And Regulations:
Tennessee 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 Tennessee? Tennessee law is very vague about side mirrors. It literally says “motor trucks” must have at least one unobstructed mirror if it is loaded to allow the driver’s view of the rear.
- Is colored tint illegal in Tennessee? All tint colors are allowed in Tennessee.
- What are the Window Tint Certification Rules in Tennessee? Manufacturers of film do NOT need to certify the film they sell in Tennessee.
- Do I need a certified sticker from the company installing my window tint in Tennessee? The sticker to identify legal tinting is required between the film & glass on the driver’s side window.
- Are there Medical Exemptions in Tennessee for Window Tint? Tennessee law allows medical exemptions for special tint. For more details about the specific terms of the exemption, consult your state law.
Always remember that Tennessee 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 Tennessee was last updated on August 24th, 2023. Tinting laws in Tennessee were enacted in 1990. 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!
Tennessee Window Tint Law Medical Exemption References
Any person with a medical condition that is adversely affected by ultraviolet light may submit a statement to the commissioner from that person’s physician certifying that the person has a medical condition that requires reduction of light transmission in the windows of the person’s vehicle.
The commissioner shall submit the certified statement to the department’s medical review board for evaluation. If the review board finds the exemption warranted, it shall recommend that the commissioner authorize the exemption and the degree of tinting exemption that is appropriate. The commissioner shall then supply a certificate or decal, indicating the degree of exemption, to the applicant who shall display it in the motor vehicle.
For more information regarding window tint medical exemptions in _____ you can check out this resource:
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 Tennessee Information
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States, and it’s the 36th most extensive and the 17th most populous of the 50 United States. Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the Mississippi River forms the state’s western border. Tennessee’s capital and second-largest city is Nashville, which has a population of 609,644. Memphis is the state’s largest city, with a population of 652,050.
What is the Capital of Tennessee
The capital of Tennessee is Nashville
What is the population of Tennessee
The population of Tennessee is 6,829,174 according to Wikipedia as of 2019.
What is the area of Tennessee?
The area of Tennessee is 42,143 square miles and ranks as the 36th largest state in the United States!
Tennessee Wikipedia Page
Check out Tennessee’s Wikipedia page to learn all kinds of cool facts about the state!
Official Tennessee State Website
If you want to learn more about the laws in Tennessee check out their official Website Here
What are the main cities located in Tennessee?
Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Murfreesboro, Pigeon Forge, Clarksville, Johnson City, Franklin, Kingsport, Oak Ridge, Sevierville, Cookeville, Maryville, Hendersonville, Brentwood, Jackson, Germantown, Crossville, Mt. Juliet, Cleveland, Greeneville, Bristol, Collierville, Morristown, Lebanon, Smyrna, Gallatin, Manchester, Spring Hill, Columbia, Lynchburg, Goodlettsville, Jonesborough, Bartlett, Elizabethton, Tullahoma, McMinnville, Sewanee, Dyersburg, La Vergne, Athens, Shelbyville, Cordova, Paris, Millington, Antioch, Townsend, Alcoa
What are the main counties located in Tennessee?
Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, James, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, State Level Sites, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, Wilson
