Some current-source details could not be fully reconciled. Read the limitations below before relying on this summary.
Indiana’s current 2026 code considers both how much light passes through a window and how much it reflects. It also names the windows covered. The code and agency summaries use different wording, so this guide cannot give one percentage that guarantees a legal installation.
Read the official sources ↓Rules by window
| Window | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windshield | Under current IC 9-19-19-4(d), ordinary windshield treatment is limited to the uppermost portion and may not extend below the manufacturer’s AS-1 line. |
| Front side | Current IC 9-19-19-4(c) names front-door windows and side wings. Its prohibition joins total solar reflectance of visible light above 25%, measured on the nonfilm side, and light transmittance below 30%. See the statutory-wording caution below. |
| Rear side | Rear side windows are not among the windows enumerated in current IC 9-19-19-4(c). That omission is not a blanket exemption from other vehicle-equipment or clear-view requirements. |
| Rear window | The rear back window is expressly listed with the same conjunctive 30% transmission/25% reflectance wording. This section does not provide a passenger-car-versus-SUV distinction. |
Statutory wording and agency guidance
The current 2026 code joins reflectance above 25% and transmission below 30% with the word “and.” Lafayette Police’s FAQ gives simpler advice: at least 30% transmission and no more than 25% reflectance. The state FAQ uses older wording about identifying people inside the vehicle. These sources do not say the same thing. Do not assume that meeting just one number guarantees a legal installation or prevents a ticket. Confirm the proposed installation with Indiana State Police.
Factory glass and medical paperwork
Current IC 9-19-19-4 excepts federally compliant or permitted manufacturer tinting/glazing when proof from the manufacturer, supplier or installer is carried in the vehicle. Its medical provision covers a qualifying owner or habitual passenger and requires an Indiana-licensed physician’s or optometrist’s certification carried in the vehicle and renewed annually. Subsection (e) separately addresses an installer’s reliance on the required medical statement.
Ask for an installed measurement
Have the installer assess the finished window rather than choosing film by its advertised percentage alone. The available official text measures reflectance from the nonfilm side.
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.
- Current 2026 statutory text was verified. Public state and local agency summaries use different wording; this guide preserves that discrepancy and does not infer a guaranteed legal percentage or enforcement outcome.
- The reviewed sources did not establish an ordinary film-sticker requirement, prohibited-color list, tint-specific mirror condition or a detailed glass-plus-film measurement protocol.
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
- Indiana Code 2022, Title 9, state-published PDF ↗
IC 9-19-19-3 and -4 read directly, PDF pages 323–324: historical numerical benchmarks, placement, named windows, manufacturer glazing and medical certification.
- Indiana General Assembly, 2026 Title 9 ↗
Current 2026 IC 9-19-19-4 read in the official General Assembly display on October 14, 2026. Confirms the conjunction, named panes, AS-1 placement, manufacturer proof and medical certification. Section history ends P.L.164-2018, SEC.9.
- IN.gov: What is the Indiana law concerning tinted windows? ↗
Official FAQ, updated March 2, 2023, uses occupant-identification wording and directs questions to Indiana State Police; discrepancy with code text disclosed.
- City of Lafayette Police: window tint FAQ ↗
Live municipal guidance states at least 30% light transmission and no more than 25% reflectance. It is agency guidance, not a substitute for the current statute’s conjunction.