California window tint law in 2026, window by window

California lets you put film on every window of a car, but not the same film. Under Vehicle Code 26708, the front side windows may take only clear, colorless film, the windshield takes film only along the top, and the rear side windows and rear window can go as dark as you like when the car has outside mirrors on both sides. Red, amber and blue tints are not allowed.

This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; the code can change, so check Vehicle Code 26708 for the current text.

The rules, window by window

Here is how the code reads for each piece of glass, and which of our shades fit it. Our shade guide runs 70%, 50%, 40%, 20% and 5%. The number is how much visible light gets through, so the lower the number, the darker the glass.

The front side windows: clear film only

The front side windows are the ones beside the driver and the front passenger. Vehicle Code 26708 allows film there only if it is clear, colorless and transparent, with at least 88% visible light transmission. The window with the film on it must still meet the 70% light-transmission standard, and the installer must give the driver a certificate stating that the film complies.

Ask us what is allowed on your front windows; we advise before any film is cut.

So, is 35% legal in California? Not on the front side windows. A 35% film is a tint, not the clear film the code allows at the front. It is fine behind the driver, where any darkness is allowed on a car with two outside mirrors.

The windshield and the AS-1 line

Most windshields carry a small AS-1 mark near the top edge. The code allows film above that line, which in practice is a strip across the top four inches. That strip takes the sun out of your eyes when it sits low, without darkening your view through the rest of the glass.

Clear, near-colorless windshield film is its own question; ask us what is allowed on your car. Is it a good idea to tint a windshield? The top strip is a common choice for glare.

Behind the driver: rear side windows and the rear window

Behind the front seats, the code is relaxed. The rear side windows and the rear window may be any darkness, as long as the car has outside mirrors on both sides. Most cars on the road have both, but check yours if it is a classic or has had a mirror removed.

This is where the darker shades go:

• 50% lets half the light through. Softer glare, a lighter look.
• 40% is the popular balance between privacy and seeing out.
• 20% is the privacy shade. The back seat is hard to see into from outside.
• 5% is maximum privacy, the darkest shade we fit.

If kids ride in the back, 20% or 5% keeps the back seat out of sight. If you reverse a lot at night, 40% leaves a clearer view out of the rear window.

Colors and the medical exemption

Red, amber and blue tints are not allowed. If you have a colored film in mind, ask before you choose. The 3M and Autobahn films we fit are color-stable, so they do not fade to purple over the years. The shade you pick is the shade you keep.

The code also allows a medical exemption, with a signed letter. What it permits, and on which windows, is set out in the code itself, and the specifics are worth checking before you rely on it. If you have a letter, bring it when you ask us about film, and we will go through what it means for your car.

How we choose the shade with you

At the shop on N Altadena Dr in Pasadena, the shade conversation comes before any film is cut. We look at your car, tell you what is legal on each window, and you choose from there. Then any old tint comes off, each piece is cut and heat-shrunk by hand to follow the curve of the glass, and the film is squeegeed flat on the inside. A typical tint job takes two to four hours, depending on the car and the film.

If you already know roughly what you want, Quick Quote shows a starting estimate; staff confirm the final price. To see the six films and the full shade guide, start on our window tint page. Drivers come in from across the San Gabriel Valley, and the advice is the same for every car: legal at the front, your choice behind.