Reference
Alabama window tint law, in plain English
What the statute says, what a meter reads, and what we will and will not put on your car.
What the statute says, what a meter reads, and what we will and will not put on your car.
Alabama’s tint rule lives in Title 32, Chapter 5C of the state code. It is short, and it sets one standard for every window behind the windshield.
| Window | Rule |
|---|---|
| Front windshield | A transparent strip, not red or amber, on the top 6 inches. No darkening film below that. |
| Front side windows | At least 32% light transmission. No more than 20% reflectance. |
| Rear side windows | At least 32% light transmission. No more than 20% reflectance. |
| Rear windshield | At least 32% light transmission. No more than 20% reflectance. Factory privacy glass is allowed with an outside mirror on each side. |
The statute itself, Ala. Code 32-5C-2, bars operating a vehicle with “material or glazing applied or affixed to the rear windshield or the side or door windows which reduce light transmission through the rear windshield or side windows to less than 32 percent or increase light reflectance to more than 20 percent, with a measurement tolerance of at least 3 percent.” That 3% tolerance matters: a meter reading of 29 on film sold as 32 is still inside the rule.
Alabama requires a compliance label on tinted vehicles, affixed by the installer, visible from outside. We put one on every car we tint. If you bought a car that already has film and no label, we can meter it and tell you where it stands.
The law allows darker film for medical conditions. A physician licensed in Alabama writes a statement, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency reviews it and can attach conditions, and an approved vehicle gets a decal with a unique number for the windshield. The application goes through ALEA’s Medical Records Unit. Bring the approval when you come in and we install to it.
A violation is a misdemeanor. The reported schedule steps up with repeat offenses inside a year:
| Offense | Reported penalty |
|---|---|
| First offense | Up to $100 and up to 10 days |
| Second within a year | Up to $200 and up to 30 days |
| Third within a year | Up to $500 and up to 3 months |
Before a stop the officer has to have a meter, and before a charge the glass has to be measured with it. That is in the statute too.
Legal shades only, metered before you leave, with the label on the glass. The good news is that the legal shade is the one most people want anyway: dark enough to cut the heat and the glare, light enough to see out of at night. If you want to see the difference, both showrooms have every shade on the wall, and shade never changes the price. Auto tinting at Tint Pro
This page explains the law as we read it and as the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency summarizes it. It is not legal advice. The statute is the last word.
Text the year, make and model. We price every film at the legal shade.
No, not on a car with aftermarket film. The side and rear windows have to let at least 32% of light through, with a 3% tolerance on the meter. 20% is a common shade in other states, which is why the question comes up.
32% on the side and rear glass. Film is sold in fixed shades, so the shade we install to land inside the rule after the meter tolerance is what we call the legal limit, and it is the shade most people picture when they say "tinted".
A transparent strip that is not red or amber on the top 6 inches, and a clear or very light film across the rest that stays above the transmission rule. Dark film on the windshield is not legal.
The Alabama statute sets one number for every window behind the windshield, and it does not carve out SUVs or vans. What the law does allow is factory privacy glass: if the glass behind the driver came from the manufacturer darker than 32%, that is fine, and the vehicle needs an outside mirror on each side. Film applied on top of it still has to meet the rule.
Yes. A physician licensed in Alabama writes a statement of the medical condition, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency reviews it, and if approved you get a decal for the windshield. Bring the paperwork when you come in and we install to the exemption.
The law measures light transmission and reflectance, not what the film is made of. Ceramic film at a legal shade is legal. Metallic or mirror film that reflects more than 20% is not, whatever its shade.
Yes. The statute says light transmission has to be measured with a meter before anyone is charged, and the officer has to have the meter before making the stop. We meter every car we install so the number is never in doubt.
A misdemeanor. Reported fines run up to $100 on a first offense and step up for a second and third within a year. We are not lawyers and the statute is the last word, but the short version is that a ticket costs more than the difference between a legal shade and an illegal one.
Come look at the films on real glass at either shop.
Your number is all we need to start.
Off I-59 at the Trussville exit, minutes from Pinson, Clay, Leeds and Moody.
See inside this shop in 3D before you come.
Just off US-31 and I-65, minutes from Alabaster, Hoover and Helena.