Florida's 2026 statutes set a 28% minimum for the front side windows. Behind the driver, the film-and-glass minimum is 15%, or 6% for a vehicle that meets the state's multipurpose-passenger definition. Windshield strips, reflectivity, labeling and exemptions have their own rules.
Read the official sources ↓Rules by window
| Window | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windshield | A transparent strip at the top is allowed if it does not enter the driver's direct forward viewing area, described in the statute by reference to the AS/1 portion of the windshield. This is not general permission for full-windshield tint. |
| Front side | At least 28% VLT through the installed material and glass; no more than 25% visible-light reflectance, measured on the nonfilm side. Applies to side wings and windows forward of or next to the driver's seat. |
| Rear side | At least 15% VLT, or 6% for a statutory multipurpose passenger vehicle, through the installed film and glass. Maximum visible-light reflectance: 35%. |
| Rear window | At least 15% VLT, or 6% for a statutory multipurpose passenger vehicle, through the installed film and glass. Maximum visible-light reflectance: 35%. Both side mirrors are required if the rear window is made nontransparent. |
Which vehicle class applies?
Section 316.2951 defines a multipurpose passenger vehicle as a powered vehicle designed for ten people or fewer that is built on a truck chassis or has special features for occasional off-road use. Check that definition against the actual vehicle rather than assuming that every SUV, van or pickup label settles its legal class.
The lower 6% minimum concerns windows behind the driver. The ordinary front-side rule stays at 28%. For these sections, the motor-vehicle definition generally covers vehicles registered or required to be registered in Florida, excluding farm-husbandry vehicles.
Measure the completed window
Sections 316.2953 and 316.2954 describe material applied to and tested on the glass of the specific vehicle. The relevant figure is the light passing through that finished combination, not just the film's advertised rating.
Section 316.2957 separately excludes manufacturer tinting or glazing that complies with, or is permitted by, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205. That factory-glazing exclusion should not be treated as permission to add any aftermarket film.
Reflectivity, color and mirrors
The ordinary film reflectance caps are 25% at the front sides and 35% behind the driver. The statutes specify measuring visible-light reflectance on the nonfilm side.
The reviewed sections do not provide a list of banned named colors. They restrict material that changes a window's color except as permitted by the applicable section. A VLT number alone does not establish that a colored or reflective product meets every requirement.
If material makes the rear window nontransparent, 316.2954(2) requires a mirror on each side. Section 316.294 requires a rearward highway view of at least 200 feet. Separate rules apply to perforated products, louvers and curtains; the ordinary film percentages should not be reused for those products.
Installer label and measurement tolerance
Under 316.2955, the installer or seller must supply a nonremovable, self-destructive vinyl-type compliance label naming the material and the business. The installer must place it inside the left door jamb. Compliant factory glazing does not need that label.
The same section provides a plus-or-minus 3% tolerance for the percentage measurements required by 316.2951–316.2954. This is a measurement provision, not a replacement for the listed limits. Approved measuring-device readings are presumed accurate and may be admitted as evidence.
Medical exemption process
Section 316.29545 directs FLHSMV to issue medical exemption certificates for lupus, autoimmune disease and other medical conditions requiring limited light exposure. The certificate is tied to a described vehicle and its registered owner or owners. It cannot be transferred and becomes invalid when the vehicle is sold or transferred.
Start with FLHSMV's Application for Sunscreening Medical Exemption, form HSMV 83390. Its instructions call for the medical-certification section to be completed by an eligible practitioner and for supporting identification and a per-vehicle fee. Use the current form for eligible signers, supporting documents, fee and submission instructions; older official procedural material differs on some of those details.
The statute also identifies specific exclusions for qualifying undercover or canine law-enforcement vehicles, certified process-server vehicles and licensed private-investigation vehicles. Those occupational exclusions should not be assumed to apply to an ordinary private vehicle.
Enforcement and source date
Section 316.2956 classifies operating a vehicle with illegally installed material as a noncriminal, nonmoving traffic infraction. Selling or installing noncompliant sunscreening material can be a second-degree misdemeanor. This guide does not quote a universal ticket total.
The complete relevant sections were read in the Legislature's 2026 Florida Statutes on October 14, 2026. The year identifies that code edition; it does not mean these tint limits were newly enacted in 2026. This is general information, not legal advice or a guarantee of compliance for a particular vehicle.
Common installation questions
Is 28% film legal on my front windows in Florida?
Ask for the expected reading through your vehicle’s glass with the film installed. Florida’s ordinary front-side minimum is 28% for that combination, so the percentage printed on a film box does not establish compliance. Front-side visible-light reflectance must also be no more than 25%, measured from the nonfilm side. The statutory measurement tolerance is a separate testing provision, not a replacement for the stated installation limits.
Official sources: Florida Statutes 316.2953: front side windows ↗ · Florida Statutes 316.2955: labels and tolerance ↗
How do I know whether my SUV or crossover qualifies for the 6% rear limit?
Check the vehicle against Florida’s statutory definition: a powered vehicle designed for ten people or fewer, built on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road use. An SUV or crossover sales label alone does not settle that classification. The ordinary minimum behind the driver is 15% combined transmission, or 6% for a qualifying multipurpose passenger vehicle. The front-side minimum remains 28%, and rear film has a 35% reflectance cap.
Official sources: Florida Statutes 316.2951: definitions ↗ · Florida Statutes 316.2953: front side windows ↗ · Florida Statutes 316.2954: windows behind the driver ↗
What should I do if I need windshield tint for a medical condition?
Start with FLHSMV’s current medical-exemption application, HSMV 83390, and its medical-certification instructions. The ordinary windshield rule permits a transparent top strip outside the driver’s direct forward viewing area; a medical exemption uses a separate state-issued certificate. That certificate identifies a specific vehicle and its registered owner or owners, cannot be transferred, and becomes invalid when the vehicle is sold or transferred. Check the current form directly for documents, fees and submission instructions.
Official sources: Florida Statutes 316.2952: windshield ↗ · Florida Statutes 316.29545: medical and occupational exclusions ↗ · FLHSMV form HSMV 83390: medical exemption application ↗
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.
- Source-checked refers to the complete 2026 statutory sections listed here; it does not mean attorney review or a vehicle-specific compliance determination.
- The official medical application and procedural PDFs were visible through indexed official text but could not be fully retrieved. Their fee and identification instructions differ; check the current application directly before submitting.
- The vehicle's actual classification matters. A marketing label such as SUV does not by itself establish the statutory multipurpose-passenger classification.
- The guide summarizes ordinary film installations. Specialized products, exempt vehicles, factory glazing and medical certificates have separate conditions.
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
- Florida Statutes 316.2951: definitions ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Defines motor vehicle, multipurpose passenger vehicle, transmittance, reflectance and window.
- Florida Statutes 316.2952: windshield ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Subsection (2)(b) governs the transparent top strip and AS/1 viewing area.
- Florida Statutes 316.2953: front side windows ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Requires 28% VLT and no more than 25% visible-light reflectance on the installed glass/material combination.
- Florida Statutes 316.2954: windows behind the driver ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Ordinary film: 15% VLT, or 6% for multipurpose passenger vehicles; 35% reflectance cap. Also covers special products and dual mirrors.
- Florida Statutes 316.294: mirrors ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Requires a mirror positioned for a highway view of at least 200 feet behind the vehicle.
- Florida Statutes 316.2955: labels and tolerance ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Compliance label, left door-jamb placement, plus-or-minus 3% tolerance and approved measuring-device evidence.
- Florida Statutes 316.29545: medical and occupational exclusions ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Medical eligibility, vehicle-specific nontransferable certificate and listed occupational exclusions.
- FLHSMV form HSMV 83390: medical exemption application ↗
Official text available in search results identifies a July 2025 revision and application requirements. The complete current PDF could not be opened for this review, so the full form was not verified. Confirm the instructions on the current form before applying.
- FLHSMV procedure RS-48: medical exemption certificates ↗
Official indexed text identifies revision May 2025. It differs from the later application form on fee and identification details. Direct PDF retrieval was unavailable; no fee or mailing address is prescribed by this guide.
- Florida Statutes 316.2956: penalties ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Distinguishes the driver's nonmoving infraction from seller/installer misdemeanor liability.
- Florida Statutes 316.2957: manufacturer glazing exemption ↗
2026 edition, full section read. Excludes qualifying manufacturer tinting or glazing complying with or permitted by FMVSS 205.