Maine requires at least 35% combined transmission on front side windows. Windows behind the driver can qualify for a broader exception when the vehicle has two properly adjusted outside mirrors. Aftermarket tint also has a certificate requirement.
Read the official sources ↓Rules by window
| Window | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windshield | No added reduction below the original or original-replacement windshield transmission, except tint above the AS-1 line or, if no AS-1 line exists, a strip along the top five inches. |
| Front side | At least 35% VLT, net of glass and material, with two-way visibility. |
| Rear side | Under the statute, the 35% and two-way-visibility provisions do not apply to windows behind the operator’s seat when two outside mirrors, one on each side, give a clear rearward highway view. Older linked rules add factory-tinted rear-glass restrictions whose current application is unresolved; confirm with State Police before adding darker film. |
| Rear window | The same two-outside-mirror exception applies; without it, the ordinary 35% combined-transmission provision remains relevant. Older linked rules may affect added film over factory rear tint; confirm their current application with State Police. |
Mirrors, reflection and paperwork
The rear-window exception is written for motor vehicles generally, rather than only for SUVs. It removes the specified transmission and two-way-visibility restrictions; it does not remove the separate ban on reflective window material.
Owners or operators with aftermarket tint must acquire the required light-transmittance certificate and present it at inspection. Maine State Police provides a list of certification stations. A tint product’s packaging does not replace vehicle certification.
Medical exemption
The Chief of State Police may grant an exception when sunlight adversely affects the health of the owner or a usual occupant. Apply through the State Police process and obtain the exemption certificate; it must be available when an officer requests it.
The State Police inspection page links the tint-waiver form. Do not install darker front tint on the assumption that a diagnosis or unsigned application is already an exemption.
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 date does not indicate a newly effective tint law.
- No separate numeric reflectance allowance or named permitted film colors were established; do not interpret silence as approval of a particular product.
- The statutory rear-window exception is conditional, and older rules still linked by Maine’s Secretary of State contain additional certification and factory-tinted rear-glass restrictions. Ask State Police to confirm their current application before adding dark film over factory rear tint. The rule’s meter-accuracy specification is not a darker legal installation target.
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
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A §1916 ↗
Official statute: glass-plus-material VLT, windshield strip, mirror exception, reflection and certification.
- Maine State Police motor vehicle inspections ↗
Official links to current inspection rules, tint certification stations and medical waiver.
- Maine Legislature motor vehicle modifications guidance ↗
Official law-library guidance links §1916 and inspection rule §170.1(7)(C); marked current through the 132nd Legislature’s second regular session.
- Maine Secretary of State: currently linked Chapter 12 tint rule ↗
Older rule still linked by the current rule index; its interaction with later statutory rear-glass exceptions remains unresolved.