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Georgia sets rules for how dark and how reflective your tint can be, and those rules changed on July 1, 2026 when House Bill 1161 amended O.C.G.A. 40-8-73.1. Darkness is measured as VLT, the percent of visible light a window lets through. A lower number means a darker tint. Here is the current law for passenger vehicles in plain English.
What changed in 2026
Before July 1, 2026 every window behind the windshield had the same limit, 32 percent. The new law splits the car in two. The front door windows, the ones directly beside the driver and front passenger, now have a 28 percent limit. The rear door windows and the back glass now have a 15 percent limit. Both carry a 3 point tolerance either way for meter variance. The reflectance cap stayed at 20 percent and the windshield rule did not change.
The limits window by window
The windshield may not have any light reducing film on it, except a transparent strip on the uppermost six inches that is not red or amber. Front door windows must let 28 percent or more of light through. Rear door windows and the rear window must let 15 percent or more of light through. No window may reflect more than 20 percent of light. The full table is on our Georgia tint law page.
The limit is the window, not the film
The statute measures the glass and film together. Factory side glass already blocks some light, so a film sold as 35 percent usually meters somewhere in the high 20s or low 30s once it is on the car. That is why 35 percent is the standard legal front shade in Georgia, and why we meter the finished window instead of trusting the number on the box. Ask for the reading before you leave, we are happy to show you.
Trucks, SUVs, and vans
Georgia exempts the rear door windows and rear window of a multipurpose passenger vehicle, which the law defines as a vehicle carrying ten or fewer people built on a truck chassis or with features for occasional off road use. Most pickups, body on frame SUVs, and vans qualify. The front doors on those vehicles still follow the 28 percent rule. Crossovers built on a car platform are a judgment call, so ask us about your specific vehicle.
Medical exemptions
The Georgia Department of Public Safety can issue an exemption for a person who needs to be shielded from direct sun for medical reasons, supported by a written attestation from a licensed physician or optometrist. It covers vehicles that person owns or regularly rides in. We walk through how it works in our medical exemption guide.
Why we will not go darker on the fronts
Installing film that puts a window out of spec is a misdemeanor for the installer, not just the driver. We will not do it on a front door without an exemption on file. We will happily go to 15 percent on the rear of a sedan, and as dark as you like on the back of a truck or SUV, because the law now allows it.
We keep you legal
This is general guidance, not legal advice, and laws change. We confirm the current limits with you before every install and meter the finished window so you leave knowing the number. Want the full breakdown? See our Georgia tint law page.