Maryland’s ordinary passenger-car rule is 35% transmission after tint is applied. Qualifying light trucks, vans and multipurpose passenger vehicles have different rear-glass rules; heavier and special-use vehicles can face stricter restrictions.
Read the official sources ↓Rules by window
| Window | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windshield | For ordinary passenger cars and qualifying light vehicles, added tint must remain above the AS-1 line and the point five inches from the top: use whichever permits the smaller strip. |
| Front side | At least 35% transmission after application for ordinary passenger cars, light trucks, vans and qualifying multipurpose passenger vehicles. Specified heavier/special-use classes prohibit added front-side tint. |
| Rear side | Passenger cars, convertibles and station wagons: at least 35% combined VLT. Qualifying light trucks, vans and multipurpose passenger vehicles may use darker rear-side tint. |
| Rear window | Passenger cars, convertibles and station wagons: at least 35% combined VLT. Qualifying light trucks, vans and multipurpose passenger vehicles may use darker rear tint. Outside mirrors on both sides are required with permitted side/rear aftermarket tint. |
Vehicle classes, color and reflection
COMAR prohibits mirrored, one-way-vision or sparkling-effect tint, red/yellow/amber tint, and tint that changes to those colors.
Added windshield and immediate front-side tint is prohibited on trucks over 10,000 pounds GVWR, truck tractors, buses, limousines and the larger or commercial multipurpose vehicles specified in the regulation. GVWR means gross vehicle weight rating: the manufacturer’s maximum rated weight for the fully loaded vehicle. School vehicles prohibit added tint on all windows.
Medical certification
Carry a Maryland-licensed physician’s certification in the State Police’s required format. It generally lasts for the physician’s stated need, up to two years; a physician-certified permanent condition now permits indefinite validity. That amendment took effect October 1, 2025. The current ASED form also names optometrists; confirm acceptable certification with ASED if relying on that broader signer wording.
Medical relief does not authorize windshield tint below the permitted strip. ASED handles medical tint inspection and certification; the exemption is unavailable for the regulation’s specified heavy/special-use and school vehicles.
Rear-window brake-light area
Under COMAR 11.14.02.14(D)(4), a vehicle with an inside-mounted high brake light must not have aftermarket tint on the rear-window area in front of that lamp. This placement restriction is separate from the transmission percentage.
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 differs from the October 2025 medical amendment’s effective date.
- No universal consumer tint-product sticker or film-brand certification requirement was established; vehicle inspection and medical certification are separate.
- The statute specifies a Maryland-licensed physician; the current ASED form also names optometrists. Confirm acceptable certification with ASED when this distinction matters.
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
- Maryland Transportation §22-406 ↗
Current statute and medical certificate duration.
- COMAR 29.02.01.11 ↗
Official regulation: completed-window measurement, windshield, classes, mirrors and colors.
- Maryland HB436, 2025 chapter 452 ↗
Permanent-condition amendment effective October 1, 2025.
- COMAR 11.14.02.14: Vehicle Glazing ↗
Inspection rule, §D(4): rear-window area in front of an inside-mounted high stop lamp. Reviewed October 14, 2026.
- Maryland State Police: current medical tint waiver form ↗
Agency form also names optometrists, while the statute specifies a Maryland-licensed physician. Signer/process difference remains unresolved.