Hawaii changed its tint statute in 2025. The current text includes sedans in its darker-rear-glass exception, while front side windows remain subject to the 35% standard.
Read the official sources ↓Rules by window
| Window | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windshield | A transparent top strip must stay outside the AS-1 viewing area; if there are no AS-1 markings, it may extend no more than 4 inches below the top windshield moulding, measured as the statute specifies. A separate provision permits transparent materials meeting FMVSS 205 in the AS-1 portion. |
| Front side | 35% transmission, plus or minus 6 percentage points, for the relevant front windows and wing vents, measured with the glazing. |
| Rear side | The current exception covers windows behind the driver on sedans, vans, minivans, trucks, and buses, with rearview mirrors on both sides; no numeric VLT floor is stated for those windows. |
| Rear window | The current exception covers rear glass, including rear windshields, on the listed vehicles and other motor vehicles with both outside mirrors; no numeric VLT floor is stated. |
The 2025 change matters
Act 129 was approved May 29, 2025 and is incorporated into the current statute. An older chart requiring 35% rear transmission on every sedan misses the amended vehicle list. Do not infer a particular vehicle classification from its marketing name.
Appearance and the installer certificate
Hawaii’s appearance rule combines federal safety-glass requirements with the statute’s exceptions. It addresses mirrored or highly reflective finishes that appear red, yellow, amber, or blue from outside. This review could not resolve how those conditions work together for a particular installation. Confirm the requirements before choosing a film. Keep the installer-issued compliance certificate in the vehicle. Safety inspection includes the glass and any tint material.
Traffic stops and medical claims
Drivers and passengers in vehicles with applied tint must fully lower their windows during a police traffic stop. The law has a physical-disability or mechanical-failure exception requiring the driver to communicate or cooperate by other reasonably available means. Section 291-21.5 does not provide a medical darker-tint exemption.
Inspection details to check before installation
For vehicles covered by Hawaii’s periodic-inspection rule, sunscreening in the windshield’s AS-1 area must read 70% on the meter; inspectors do not add the six-percentage-point allowance used for side and rear windows. The separate federal-conformity requirement still applies.
On model-year 2013 and newer vehicles covered by that rule, rear-window film cannot cover the portion through which the high-mounted stop lamp shines. The rear-glass tint exception does not resolve this separate inspection requirement.
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.
- The separate windshield provision depends on FMVSS 205 compliance. This guide does not promise that an aftermarket product advertised as clear or 70% automatically qualifies.
- The appearance provision joins federal-glazing and exterior-appearance conditions. Their combined application remains unresolved here; this guide does not infer an independent color or reflectance permission.
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
- Hawaii Revised Statutes 291-21.5 ↗
Current official text includes Act 129 (2025), the rear-glass exception, front combined measurement, inspection, certificates, and traffic-stop requirement.
- Hawaii Act 129, approved May 29, 2025 ↗
Signed enacted law, rather than an earlier bill draft; the enactment date is distinct from this guide’s research date.
- Hawaii HAR 19-133.2-34, current 2026 compilation ↗
PDF pages 40–43: inspection scope and meter procedure; section 19-133.2-2 on pages 7–8 supplies chapter scope. Current Highways Division rules link, effective August 30, 2026.