Oregon Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits Explained

The short answer: what tint is legal in Oregon?

Here is the direct answer. Oregon law allows window tint on the side and rear windows of a car as long as the film lets through at least 50 percent of visible light on its own, reflects no more than 13 percent of light, and the glass and film together still pass at least 35 percent of visible light. The windshield may only be tinted across the top six inches. Trucks, SUVs and vans that count as multipurpose passenger vehicles may run darker film on every window behind the driver, provided the vehicle has mirrors on both sides. Red, gold, yellow, amber, black and mirror-finish films are banned on every vehicle. Those rules live in ORS 815.221, and the penalties live in ORS 815.222.

Custom Details installs Global carbon and ceramic IR window tint in-house at 3433 SW Multnomah Blvd in Portland, so we work inside this statute every week. The guide below explains what each number means, how the limits change by vehicle type, how the medical exemption works, what a tint citation costs, and how we build a tint package that reads legal on a roadside meter without giving up heat rejection. If you just want a legal, cool, factory-looking install, jump straight to our Portland window tinting packages and prices.

Oregon window tint limits by window

The table below summarizes ORS 815.221 as it reads on the Oregon Legislature website today. VLT stands for visible light transmittance: the share of visible light that passes through. A lower number means darker glass.

Two details trip people up. First, the 35 percent figure is measured through the glass and the film together, not the film alone. Factory side glass already blocks some light, so a film that reads 50 percent on the roll can push the combined reading under the limit on darker factory glass. Second, the statute never mentions an AS-1 line. Many states define the legal windshield strip by the AS-1 marking printed near the top edge of the glass; Oregon simply says six inches, measured from the top. On most windshields the AS-1 mark sits close to that line, but the statute controls, so we measure in inches.

Windshield: the top six inches only

ORS 815.221(3) allows tint of any darkness on the top six inches of the windshield and none at all below it. That six inch band is what most people call a sun strip or eyebrow. It cuts glare from a low winter sun on Highway 26 or I-5 without touching your forward view. Anything applied below that band, whatever its shade, is not permitted by the statute on a vehicle registered in Oregon.

Front side windows: 35 percent combined, on every vehicle

The driver and front passenger windows carry the same rule on every car, truck, SUV and van: film with a VLT of 50 percent or more, reflectance of 13 percent or less, and a combined glass-plus-film reading of at least 35 percent. The multipurpose vehicle exception does not reach the front doors. If a shop offers you 20 percent film on the front windows of a pickup without a medical document, that install is outside the statute.

Back side and rear windows: cars vs trucks, SUVs and vans

On a passenger car, the rear side windows and the back glass follow the same 35 percent combined rule as the front doors. Multipurpose passenger vehicles get more room. ORS 815.221(4) defines a multipurpose passenger vehicle as a vehicle designed to carry 10 or fewer people that is built on a truck chassis or has special features for occasional off-road use, and ODOT's tint brochure says plainly that pickups and SUVs fall under this definition. On those vehicles, every window behind the driver may be tinted darker than 35 percent, on two conditions: the vehicle must have rearview mirrors on both sides, and the tinted windows must meet the federal AS-3 glazing standard, the glazing class used for windows outside the driver's forward field of view.

Not sure which category your vehicle sits in? Open the driver's door and read the certification label on the jamb. It lists the vehicle type, usually as PASS CAR or MPV. Crossovers, minivans and wagons can go either way, so we check the label before we quote anything darker than 35 percent for the back half.

Reflectivity, colors and finishes

Every tinted window in Oregon must reflect 13 percent of light or less, whatever the vehicle. ORS 815.221(8) also bans three kinds of product outright: mirror-finish films, films colored red, gold, yellow, amber or black, and liquid tint that is brushed or sprayed on. Quality carbon and ceramic films are charcoal or neutral gray and sit far below the reflectance cap, so a modern film from a reputable brand passes this part of the law without any effort. Older metallized films are the ones to watch for reflectance.

The installer certificate you should leave with

ORS 815.221(9) requires every installer who applies tint in Oregon to hand the customer a certificate that lists the installer's name and address, the film's light transmittance, the film's light reflectance, and a statement that the total light transmittance through each tinted window is not less than 35 percent. Subsection (10) says that certificate must be kept in the vehicle and shown to a police officer who asks about the tint. ODOT notes that some installers use a sticker in the door jamb instead of a paper card; either way, keep it with the car, and pass it to the buyer if you ever sell the vehicle.

This is also the easiest way to spot a shop that cuts corners. If an installer cannot tell you the film's VLT and reflectance, or has no certificate to give you, the film is undocumented, and you are the one who gets the citation.

Medical exemptions for darker tint

Oregon does allow darker tint on the side and rear windows for medical reasons, but the paperwork is specific. Under ORS 815.221(5), the vehicle must be registered to the person with the condition or to that person's legal guardian, and the person must hold one of three documents signed by a validly licensed physician or optometrist: an affidavit, a prescription, or a letter on the practitioner's letterhead. The document must state that the person, or someone in the person's household, has a physical condition that requires window tinting with a lower light transmittance than the statute otherwise allows.

A few points that ODOT and the Oregon Board of Optometry stress: the document must stay in the vehicle and be shown to an officer on request, along with the installer certificate; an affidavit is a legal document and is generally notarized; and DMV does not issue permits for darker tint, so there is no state sticker or card to apply for. The exemption never extends to the windshield below the six inch strip. If you already have a citation, ORS 815.222(5) lets the court dismiss or reduce it when you produce one of the same three documents.

Penalties: what an Oregon tint ticket costs

ORS 815.222 creates two offenses. Applying tint that does not comply with the statute, or applying it to a window that is not allowed to carry tint, is illegal window tinting, and it is aimed at the installer. Operating an Oregon-registered vehicle with non-compliant tint is a separate offense aimed at the driver. Both are Class B traffic violations. Oregon's fine schedule in ORS 153.019 sets the presumptive fine for a Class B violation at $265, and ORS 153.018 caps it at $1,000 for an individual. ODOT's window tint brochure quotes a $360 figure from an earlier schedule. Treat the exact dollar amount as something the court sets and the Class B label as the constant.

There is a built-in path to fix it. Under ORS 815.222(4), the court may dismiss the citation or reduce the fine if you show that the windows were brought into compliance after the ticket. A receipt from a shop for removing the film or installing legal film counts as evidence, and so does a written statement from an officer. If you moved here with darker tint from another state, the brochure is blunt: a vehicle registered in Oregon has to meet Oregon's limits, so have a shop meter the windows and remove or replace anything that reads under 35 percent. One more statute to know: ORS 815.220 makes obstructing the front windshield or front side windows with any material that impairs the view a Class D violation, but tint that complies with ORS 815.221 is expressly exempt.

How Custom Details tints to Oregon's legal limits

Our approach is simple: meter first, then pick the shade. Factory glass varies by make and model, so we read the bare glass with a tint meter before choosing a film, and we select a shade that keeps the combined glass-plus-film reading at or above 35 percent on every window the statute covers. On trucks, SUVs and vans that qualify as multipurpose passenger vehicles, we can go darker behind the driver when you want more privacy. Windshield work stays inside the top six inches. We install charcoal and neutral gray films from Global, so the color and reflectance rules take care of themselves, and you leave with the installer certificate the statute requires.

Every package below is installed in-house at our Multnomah Village shop, with pick-up and drop-off available. Prices are starting points; see the carbon and ceramic IR window tint price list for the full breakdown by vehicle.

• Global carbon film (Carbon CS): Window Strip from $99, Front 2 Window Match from $159, Full Windshield from $229, Full Vehicle Surround from $279. Color-stable carbon film that rejects up to 70 percent of infrared heat and up to 99 percent of UV.
• Global ceramic IR film: Window Strip from $159, Front 2 Window Match from $259, Full Windshield from $325, Full Vehicle Surround from $599. The film to choose when heat rejection matters more than shade.

A note on the two windshield packages. The Window Strip is the six inch eyebrow the statute allows. For the Full Windshield packages, Oregon only permits tinting material on that top band, so we go through the windshield film options with you against ORS 815.221(3) before anything is scheduled, and we will not put a dark film across the windshield of an Oregon-registered vehicle.

Ceramic IR film: legal shade, real heat rejection

The most common misunderstanding we hear is that a legal 35 percent tint cannot keep a car cool. Darkness and heat rejection are two different properties. Shade controls visible light. Heat arrives mostly in the infrared band, and a ceramic IR film blocks infrared with nano-ceramic particles built into the film rather than with dye or metal. That means a light, fully compliant ceramic IR film on the front doors can reject more heat than a dark dyed film that fails the meter. It also will not turn purple or fade the way cheap dyed film does, and because it is not metallized, it keeps reflectance well under the 13 percent cap and does not interfere with phone or GPS signals.

If you want the numbers and a plain comparison of how the two film types age in Portland, read our guide to ceramic IR tint vs standard dyed film. Then book window tinting at our SW Multnomah Blvd shop and we will meter your glass, match the shade to the statute, and match the front doors to any factory privacy glass in the back.

Oregon window tint law FAQ

What is the legal tint percentage in Oregon?

On side and rear windows the glass and film together must pass at least 35 percent of visible light, the film itself must have a VLT of 50 percent or more, and reflectance must be 13 percent or less. Trucks, SUVs and vans that qualify as multipurpose passenger vehicles may go darker on the windows behind the driver. The source is ORS 815.221.

Can I tint my windshield in Oregon?

Only the top six inches. ORS 815.221(3) allows tinting material of any darkness on that strip and prohibits tinting material on any other part of the windshield. The medical exemption does not change the windshield rule.

Is 20 percent tint legal in Oregon?

Not on the front side windows of any vehicle, and not on any window of a passenger car, unless you hold a medical document under ORS 815.221(5). On a pickup, SUV or van that meets the multipurpose passenger vehicle definition and has mirrors on both sides, 20 percent film is allowed on the windows behind the driver.

What is the darkest legal tint in Oregon?

For a car, the darkest legal result is a combined reading of 35 percent through the glass and film, using film rated at 50 percent VLT or lighter. Because factory glass already blocks some light, the film that lands you at 35 percent depends on the vehicle, which is why we meter the bare glass first. Behind the driver on a qualifying truck, SUV or van there is no minimum.

How do I get a medical exemption for window tint in Oregon?

Ask your physician or optometrist for an affidavit, a prescription, or a letter on their letterhead stating that you or someone in your household has a physical condition that requires darker window tint. The vehicle must be registered to you or your legal guardian. Keep that document and the installer certificate in the vehicle and show them to police on request. DMV does not issue tint permits.

Is ceramic window tint legal in Oregon?

Yes, as long as the shade meets the same limits as any other film: 50 percent or more VLT for the film, 35 percent or more through glass and film together, and 13 percent or less reflectance. Ceramic IR film is popular in Oregon precisely because it blocks heat without needing a dark shade, so a legal install still keeps the cabin cooler.

Disclaimer, sources and review date

This page is general information about Oregon's window tint statutes, written by a window tint installer, not legal advice. Statutes, fine schedules and enforcement practice change, and the statute controls if anything here differs from the current text. Check the sources below or ask an attorney about your specific situation. Last reviewed: 2026-09-22.

• ORS chapter 815, Vehicle Equipment Generally, Oregon Legislature (sections 815.220, 815.221 and 815.222).
• ORS 815.221, Tinting; authorized and prohibited materials; certificate, section text with amendment history.
• ORS 815.222, Illegal window tinting; dismissal; penalty, section text with amendment history.
• ODOT Vehicle Equipment Safety, the Oregon Department of Transportation page on window tinting.
• Frequently Asked Questions about Window Tinting (PDF), the ODOT brochure that covers installer certificates, medical documents and multipurpose passenger vehicles.
• Oregon Board of Optometry, Windshield Tinting, the licensing board's consumer page on medical documentation.
• ORS 153.019, presumptive fines and ORS 153.018, maximum fines for traffic violation classes.