Tint Percentage Calculator for the VLT a meter reads through glass and film together, checked against your state limit, with the darkest shade your windows can take and still pass.
Tint percentages multiply, they don’t add. Officers meter the glass and film together, so the glass itself counts against the limit.
Existing Film and Safety Margin
Tinting over old film stacks a third layer. Leave it at 100% if the glass is bare. The margin keeps your film choice clear of a meter reading right at the limit.
Tint Limits by State
| State | Front Side | Back Side | Rear | Your Front Side |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 32% | 32% | 32% | Too Dark |
| Alaska | 70% | 40% | 40% | Too Dark |
| Arizona | 33% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Arkansas | 25% | 25% | 10% | Legal |
| California | 70% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Colorado | 27% | 27% | 27% | Too Dark |
| Connecticut | 35% | 35% | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Delaware | 70% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| District of Columbia | 70% | 70% | 50% | Too Dark |
| Florida | 28% | 15% | 15% | Too Dark |
| Georgia | 32% | 32% | 32% | Too Dark |
| Hawaii | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Idaho | 35% | 20% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Illinois | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Indiana | 30% | 30% | 30% | Too Dark |
| Iowa | 70% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Kansas | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Kentucky | 35% | 18% | 18% | Too Dark |
| Louisiana | 25% | 25% | 12% | Legal |
| Maine | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Maryland | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Massachusetts | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Michigan | No Film | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Minnesota | 50% | 50% | 50% | Too Dark |
| Mississippi | 28% | 28% | 28% | Too Dark |
| Missouri | 35% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Montana | 24% | 14% | 14% | Legal |
| Nebraska | 35% | 20% | 20% | Too Dark |
| Nevada | 35% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| New Hampshire | 70% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| New Jersey | No Film | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| New Mexico | 20% | 20% | 20% | Legal |
| New York | 70% | 70% | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| North Carolina | 32% | 32% | 32% | Too Dark |
| North Dakota | 35% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Ohio | 50% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Oklahoma | 25% | 25% | 25% | Legal |
| Oregon | 35% | 35% | 25% | Too Dark |
| Pennsylvania | 70% | 70% | 70% | Too Dark |
| Rhode Island | 70% | 70% | 70% | Too Dark |
| South Carolina | 27% | 27% | 27% | Too Dark |
| South Dakota | 35% | 20% | 20% | Too Dark |
| Tennessee | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Texas | 25% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Legal |
| Utah | 35% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Vermont | 43% | Any Darkness | Any Darkness | Too Dark |
| Virginia | 50% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Washington | 24% | 24% | 24% | Legal |
| West Virginia | 35% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Wisconsin | 50% | 35% | 35% | Too Dark |
| Wyoming | 28% | 28% | 28% | Too Dark |
Tint Percentage Calculator for Glass and Film Together
The Tint Percentage Calculator shows what a tint meter will read once film goes on your glass, then checks that number against your state’s limit for each window. It also works backward and finds the darkest film your glass can take and still pass. Drivers use it before booking an install, and so do buyers of used cars that already have film on them.
Pick your state, vehicle type and window, then enter the glass VLT before tint and the film shade you want. VLT means visible light transmission, so a lower number is darker. The Existing Film and Safety Margin panel covers tinting over old film and sets how far above the legal line you want to stay.
Why 35% Film Never Meters 35%
Glass and film each let through a share of the light, and those shares multiply rather than add. Window film maker Filmvantage notes that most untinted factory glass is already around 70% VLT. That factory shade takes its cut before the film does.
$$\text{Net VLT} = \frac{\text{Glass VLT} \times \text{Film VLT}}{100}$$
With the calculator’s default glass at 75% and a 35% film, the window reads about 26.3%. In Texas that clears the 25% front side limit by only 1.3 points. The film lost almost nine points to the glass, which is why a shade that sounds legal on the box can meter below the line.
Owners on the Tahoe Yukon Forum report the same effect on real cars. One member’s 45% film metered 36% against North Carolina’s 35% limit, and another says a 35% film metered around 27% and earned a ticket. The third card shows the same gap as points lost to the glass, alongside how much visible light the window now blocks.
Working Backward From Your State’s Limit
The second result card flips the formula to find the darkest film that still passes. It adds your safety margin to the legal limit, then divides by what the glass already lets through. The answer is then matched to the common shades sold, from 5% limo film up to 80%.
$$\text{Darkest film} = \frac{(\text{Limit} + \text{Margin}) \times 100}{\text{Glass VLT}}$$
For Texas front windows with 75% glass and a 2-point margin, that works out to 36%. No common shade sits there, so the calculator points to 40% film, which meters about 30%. A 35% film would pass on paper but leave very little room for a different meter or dirty glass.
Film Over Privacy Glass or Old Tint
Factory privacy glass on SUVs and trucks is often around 20% before any film goes on. Filmvantage works the example of a 35% film over 20% privacy glass, which comes out near 7%. The Tint Percentage Calculator shows that drop as soon as you pick the privacy glass preset.
A Tahoe owner on the same forum metered the result on real glass. His 20% factory privacy glass read 5% after a 20% ceramic film went over it, close to the 4% the math predicts. Tinting over old film works the same way, so the calculator multiplies in a third layer when you enter the film already on the glass.
Checking One Shade Across Every State
The last result card counts how many states would pass your exact glass and film on the same window. With the default 26.3% front side reading on a car, the answer is 7 of 50, since most states set front side limits between 27% and 70%. The Tint Laws by State table below the cards lists every state’s front side, back side and rear limits with a pass or fail for your setup.
That count matters if you move or drive across state lines often. A shade chosen for Texas or Arkansas can fail as soon as the car is registered in a stricter state. Switching Vehicle Type to SUV, Truck or Van changes the table too, because many states allow any darkness behind the driver on those vehicles.
A few states allow some meter tolerance, and the Tint Percentage Calculator marks a reading that only passes inside that tolerance as borderline rather than legal. Glass and film VLT must be above 0% and no more than 100%, and the safety margin can run from 0 to 30 points. Enter 100% for the old film when the glass is bare.
What a Tint Law Actually Measures
Most limits apply to the window as it sits in the car, not to the film on its own. Texas Transportation Code 547.613 sets the front side windows at 25% light transmission in combination with the window. The same section exempts factory-tinted windows that meet federal standards.
Texas also treats the rear glass differently. The Texas DPS rule removes the minimum on the back window when the car has outside mirrors on both sides. That is why the calculator shows any darkness as legal for the Texas rear window.
Limits also change. Louisiana’s Act 143 lowered its front side limit from 40% to 25% on August 1, 2025, and some older charts still show 40%. The calculator notes these cases on the result card, but check your state’s current statute or DMV before paying for film.
Each state’s card also lists its windshield rule, such as tint above the AS-1 line, and whether it offers a medical exemption. Darkness is not the only test either. Many states cap reflectivity, so a mirror-look film can fail even when its shade is legal.