MINT HILL, NC – Window tint law in North Carolina is something we get asked about a lot. Oftentimes, we’ll meet someone who has failed their state inspection and they’ll say something like “it’s legal where I moved from,” or “it came off the lot like this,” so to answer some of those questions, I wanted to put together a quick guide.

Aftermarket tint is defined as something that was done to the vehicle after it rolled off the assembly line, not when it leaves the dealer lot. Glass that was darkened by the manufacturer is usually stained or darkened in some similar manner. Aftermarket tint is a film, and you can feel it with your fingernail. In our state, film tint has to be tested as an aftermarket.

North Carolina requires tint to be checked yearly on your state inspection with a few exceptions. Limos, touring/sightseeing vans, police vehicles, and people with medical waivers are exempt. For everyone else, the legal limit is 35%.

On cars of any kind (meaning sedans, hatchbacks, two-seaters and so on) all windows must meet this 35% requirement. For trucks, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, and everything else, only the driver and passenger front windows are limited to 35%. The rest can be as dark as you want.

You cannot tint the front windshield past the AS1 line (a line on every windshield showing how low sun-blocking tint can go without interfering with your line-of-sight) without a medical waiver.

Think you qualify for a medical waiver? We’ll talk about that next week.