Connecticut generally uses a 35% light-transmission standard for front side windows and ordinary passenger-car rear side windows. Rear-glass exceptions depend on mirrors and the vehicle’s actual classification; the windshield has its own placement rule.
Read the official sources ↓Rules by window
| Window | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windshield | Only a transparent top strip meeting the statutory seat-based placement test; it cannot be red or amber. The lower edge must be at least 29 inches above the undepressed driver’s seat, measured from a point five inches forward of the backrest with the seat fully rearward and lowered and the vehicle level. |
| Front side | At least 35% combined light transmission, subject to the statutory ±3-point allowance; no mirror-like appearance. |
| Rear side | Ordinary passenger cars: at least 35% combined transmission, subject to the statutory allowance. Windows behind the driver on legally classified trucks, motor buses, trailers, mobile manufactured homes and multipurpose passenger vehicles have an exception when both outside mirrors provide the required 200-foot rearward view. |
| Rear window | The rearmost window is exempt from the transmission restriction when left and right outside mirrors provide a view at least 200 feet behind the vehicle; otherwise the ordinary 35% standard applies. |
Reflection and vehicle identification
The statute specifies 27% front-side and 21% rear-window luminous reflectance, each with a three-point allowance, and bars mirror-like windows under the ordinary tint exceptions. The implementing rules state measured maximums of 30% and 24%. Do not treat the allowances as installation targets.
Check the manufacturer’s certification label for multipurpose-passenger-vehicle status. An SUV marketing name alone does not establish the exception.
Approval, stickers and medical permits
Tint material requires manufacturer approval and registration. Connecticut DMV directs owners of aftermarket-tinted vehicles to obtain testing and window compliance stickers.
For medical relief, use Form E-220 with supporting documentation from a Connecticut-licensed physician or optometrist. DMV must validate the request after measurement; carry the validated permit. Its ordinary process covers medically necessary transmission down to 20%; darker requests require further review.
Before you rely on this guide
This is general information, not legal advice, a vehicle inspection, or permission to install a particular film. Exceptions and enforcement procedures can depend on your circumstances.
- Research checked October 14, 2026; this is not a law-effective date or a guarantee for a particular installation.
- The DMV FAQ’s simplified 27% reflection statement does not reproduce the statute’s separate rear-window figure; use the statutory distinction above.
- Special livery and other nonordinary vehicle exemptions are not a substitute for checking the applicable vehicle category.
The research date shows when the sources were checked. It is not the date the law took effect, and it does not mean this page is monitored continuously. This research preview still awaits human editorial review; we do not claim attorney review.
Official sources
- Connecticut General Statutes §14-99g ↗
Official legislative copy covering windshield placement, combined glass-and-film VLT, reflectance, mirrors and certification.
- Connecticut regulations §§14-99g-1–8 ↗
Official implementing regulations; testing thresholds, material approval, stickers and medical process.
- Connecticut DMV vehicle inspection and tinted-window requirements ↗
Current DMV procedures and manufacturer-label guidance.