Oregon tint laws require at least 35% total light transmittance through side and rear windows once the tint is on, using film that lets 50% or more light through and reflects 13% or less (ORS 815.221(2)). Pickups and SUVs with a mirror on each side may go darker behind the driver, and a windshield may carry tint on its top six inches only. Blue Rose Auto installs window tint for drivers in Eugene and Springfield, Oregon, and every rule below comes from the statute.
Reviewed October 8, 2026 against ORS 815.221, ORS 815.222 and ODOT’s window tint guidance.
Key takeaways
- Side and rear windows must pass three tests at once under ORS 815.221(2), film at 50% or more, reflectance at 13% or less and a 35% total.
- Most pages quote only the 35% total, and so does ODOT’s FAQ. The statute also sets a 50% rating for the film itself.
- A pickup or SUV with a mirror on each side may go darker behind the driver if the windows meet AS-3 glazing (ORS 815.221(4)).
- The windshield may carry tint on its top six inches and nowhere else (ORS 815.221(3)).
- Illegal tint is a Class B traffic violation with a $265 presumptive fine, and a court may reduce it if you fix the windows (ORS 815.222).
Need tint that passes? Blue Rose Auto installs window tint for drivers in Eugene and Springfield, Oregon. Call (541) 641-8877 for a quote.
Oregon Window Tinting Laws for Cars
Oregon writes its window tint rules into ORS 815.221. They rest on Visible Light Transmission (VLT), which measures how much light passes through a window, so a lower number means darker tint. On a side or rear window the statute applies three tests together (ORS 815.221(2)). The tinting material must have a light transmittance of 50% or more and a light reflectance of 13% or less. The total light transmittance through the window with the tint applied must be 35% or more.
Nearly every summary quotes only that last number. It is real, and ODOT’s window tint FAQ states the rule the same way, but it describes glass and film together. The statute also sets a 50% rating for the film on its own, so a film sold as 35% does not meet ORS 815.221(2)(a) on the side or rear windows of a car. That is our reading of the plain words.
| Window | Passenger car | Pickup or SUV with a mirror on each side | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front side windows | 35% total VLT or more, film 50% or more, film reflectance 13% or less | Same as a car | ORS 815.221(2) |
| Rear side windows | Same as front side windows | Darker than 35% allowed, must meet AS-3 glazing | ORS 815.221(2) and (4) |
| Rear window | Same as front side windows | Darker than 35% allowed, must meet AS-3 glazing | ORS 815.221(2) and (4) |
| Windshield | Tint on the top 6 inches only | Tint on the top 6 inches only | ORS 815.221(3) |
| Banned on every window | Mirror finish, red, gold, yellow, amber or black material, and liquid tint that is brushed or sprayed on | Same as a car | ORS 815.221(8) |
Side and rear windows also need film at 50% or more and reflectance at 13% or less. Total VLT means light through glass and film together.
Front Side Windows
Front side windows get no exception. ORS 815.221(2) does not split front side windows from rear ones, so every vehicle needs film at 50% or more, reflectance at 13% or less and a 35% total up front. Even a pickup or SUV with a mirror on each side follows that rule at the front doors, because the darker-tint allowance covers only windows behind the driver (ORS 815.221(4)).
Back Side and Rear Windows on a Passenger Car
On a passenger car, the rear side windows and the rear window follow the same three tests as the front. The statute names no separate sedan rule. Only a multipurpose passenger vehicle earns the behind-the-driver allowance covered below, and we check how a wagon or crossover is built before we quote.
Reflectivity and Banned Colors
Film on side and rear windows must have a light reflectance of 13% or less (ORS 815.221(2)(b)). Apart from that limit, ORS 815.221(8) says these types are not permitted.
- Mirror finish products
- Red, gold, yellow, amber or black material
- Liquid tinting material that is brushed or sprayed on
Why Window Tinting Rules Exist in Oregon
ODOT says dark tint makes it difficult for law enforcement to see inside a vehicle during a stop. Visibility matters from the driver’s seat too. On wet, dim winter commutes along I-5 and Highway 126, the side windows are how you check a lane or a cyclist.
How Film Percentage and Total VLT Work
Two different numbers decide whether a side window passes, and they are easy to mix up. The film has its own rating, which is the light the film lets through. Factory glass also blocks some light before the film adds its share. The finished window then needs a total of 35% or more, measured as light through glass and film together. Film reflectance must also be 13% or less (ORS 815.221(2)).
Glass is not perfectly clear. Factory glass absorbs some light, and the film removes more. As a rough rule the two percentages multiply. These examples use a made-up 80% glass figure, and your own glass will read differently.
- Example film 50% on glass that passes 80% = 40% total, which passes
- Example film 45% on glass that passes 80% = 36% total, but the film is under 50%, so it fails
- Example film 35% on glass that passes 80% = 28% total, which fails
The middle example is the trap. The total clears 35%, yet the film is under 50%, so the window still fails ORS 815.221(2)(a). A box that says 35% and a window that reads 35% are two different facts, so ask for the film’s rated transmittance and reflectance in writing.
What Is the Darkest Legal Tint in Oregon
The darkest legal tint on a front side window is the film that still gives a 35% total, and that film must be rated 50% or more by itself. The same ceiling applies to every window of a passenger car.
Pickups and SUVs work differently behind the driver. If the vehicle has a mirror on each side, those windows may use film darker than the 50% and 35% numbers, and the statute sets no percentage for them. They must still meet AS-3 glazing (ORS 815.221(4)). The windshield may carry tint on its top six inches only (ORS 815.221(3)).
Is 20 Percent Tint Legal in Oregon
It depends on the window and the vehicle. On front side windows, 20% total VLT is too dark, and it is illegal on the rear side windows and rear window of a passenger car too. It can be legal behind the driver on a pickup or SUV that has a mirror on each side, provided the windows meet AS-3 glazing. On the windshield it can go on the top six inches only.
A “20 tint” label also says little about the finished window, since 20% film on glass that absorbs some light reads below 20% total.
Is 5 Tint Legal in Oregon
Not on a passenger car and not on front side windows. 5% tint lets only 5% of light through, far under the limits. Setting aside a medical exemption, it becomes legal in two places only, the windows behind the driver on a pickup or SUV with a mirror on each side (AS-3 glazing required) and the top six inches of a windshield.
We often remove illegal tint for customers who recently bought used cars, and we quote a replacement that passes.
What About 15, 30, 35 and 50 Percent
- 15% and 30% total VLT are darker than 35%, so they follow the 5% and 20% rows. The answer is “No” on front side windows and behind the driver on a car, and “Yes, with mirrors on both sides and AS-3 glazing” on a pickup or SUV.
- 35% total VLT passes on front side windows and behind the driver on a car only when the film is 50% or more, so the answer is “Yes, if film is 50% or more”. Behind the driver on a pickup or SUV it is simply “Yes”.
- 50% total VLT passes everywhere except the windshield, where tint still goes on the top six inches only.
Can You Tint Your Windshield in Oregon
Only the top six inches. ORS 815.221(3) lets film with a lower transmittance than the side-window numbers go on the top six inches of a windshield, and it states that tinting material may not be applied to any other portion. The statute sets no darkness number for that strip.
We measure six inches down from the top edge of the glass and stop the film there.
SUV, Pickup and Van Tint Rules
One vehicle class gets extra room. The statute calls it a multipurpose passenger vehicle, defined as a motor vehicle with motive power that is designed to carry 10 or fewer persons and is constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation (ORS 815.221(4)). ODOT and the Oregon Board of Optometry both say pickups and SUVs fall under it.
Three conditions apply before it can go darker.
- The darker tint goes on windows behind the driver only, never at the front doors or the windshield.
- The vehicle must have rearview mirrors on each side.
- The windows as tinted must meet the federal requirements for AS-3 glazing material.
Vans are a judgment call. ODOT names pickups and SUVs, not vans, so a van qualifies only if it fits the statute’s definition of 10 or fewer persons plus a truck chassis or off-road features. We confirm how a particular van is built before we quote darker film. A vehicle that does not qualify follows the 50% film and 35% total rules on every side and rear window.
Medical Exemption for Darker Tint
Oregon allows darker tint on side and rear windows for a medical need. ORS 815.221(5) covers a vehicle registered in the name of a person, or the person’s legal guardian, who holds one of three documents signed by a validly licensed physician or optometrist.
- An affidavit
- A prescription
- A letter on the practitioner’s letterhead
The document must say that the person or another person in the household has a physical condition requiring window tinting that produces a lower light transmittance than the statute allows. The condition does not have to be the driver’s.
Keep the document in the vehicle, because ORS 815.221(6) requires you to show it to a police officer who asks about the tint. ODOT adds that the DMV does not issue permits for darker window tint, that the installer certificate travels with the doctor’s document, and that an affidavit is generally considered a legal document that must be notarized. The Oregon Board of Optometry’s windshield tinting page repeats those answers.
We cannot write the letter, because only your physician or optometrist can. If you hold one, bring it to the quote visit so we can read it with you before any film is cut.
Oregon Tint Laws 2026 What Has Changed
Nothing changed in the tint statute for 2026 as far as we can find. The history line for ORS 815.221 shows its last amendment in 2015 (2015 c.579 section 1), and ORS 815.222 shows the same 2015 amendment. We checked in October 2026 and found no 2025 or 2026 bill amending either one.
If a page claims new 2026 tint rules, ask which bill it means, and read ORS 815.221 on the Legislature’s site before you buy film.
Why Legal Tinting Matters
A ticket is the visible cost, and not the only one. Film that fails has to come off and be replaced, so you pay for the job twice. Installers carry risk too, since applying tint that does not comply is its own offense under ORS 815.222(1). Safety is the quieter reason, because in heavy rain or at night an overly dark window cuts what you see at the mirrors.
What Tint Tickets Cost
The court sets the final amount, and ODOT’s published figure is $360. Illegal window tinting is a Class B traffic violation (ORS 815.222(3)).
| Figure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Violation class | Class B traffic violation | ORS 815.222(3) |
| Minimum fine (a court may waive it) | $135 | ORS 153.021 |
| Presumptive fine | $265 | ORS 153.019 |
| Maximum fine | $1,000 | ORS 153.018 |
| Fine ODOT quotes for tint | $360 | ODOT window tint FAQ |
Fine figures online disagree. The $135 figure is the statutory minimum, not the usual fine. The $360 number comes from ODOT’s FAQ, whose file shows a 2016 creation date and a 2017 update, so treat it as ODOT’s stated figure and not a guarantee.
Can You Get a Tint Ticket Dismissed or Reduced
Sometimes. Two provisions give a court the option, and in both the word is “may”, so neither is a right. Under ORS 815.222(4), a court may dismiss a citation for driving with illegal tint, or reduce the fine, if you show the windows were modified to comply after the citation was issued. The court may weigh a business receipt for removing the tint or installing compliant tint, a written statement from a law enforcement officer, and any other evidence you produce.
Under ORS 815.222(5), a court may also dismiss or reduce the fine if, when you were cited, you or someone in your household had a physical condition requiring darker tint, shown by a physician’s or optometrist’s affidavit, prescription or letter.
What Happens If You Are Caught With Illegal Tint
The offense is operating a vehicle registered or required to be registered in Oregon that carries tinting material not in compliance with ORS 815.221 (ORS 815.222(2)). You receive a citation for a Class B traffic violation, and the statute then offers a route to a better result. The order matters, because the windows have to be changed after the citation.
The ladder reads Maximum $1,000, ODOT quotes $360, Presumptive $265 and Minimum $135. The steps run Citation, fix the tint and keep your receipt, then a court may dismiss or reduce the fine. Sources are ORS 153.018, 153.019, 153.021, 815.222(4) and ODOT.
Keep the receipt from the shop that removes or replaces the film, and get an officer’s written statement if you can, since both are named in ORS 815.222(4). Leaving the tint on and hoping is the weakest plan. We handle those fixes for drivers in Eugene and Springfield, and for the court side, follow the citation’s instructions or ask an attorney.
Tint Certificates and Cars Bought From Out of State
ORS 815.221(9) requires each person who installs window tinting material to give the customer a certificate stating four things.
- The name and address of the installer
- The light transmittance of the tinting material
- The light reflectance of the tinting material
- That total light transmittance through each window with the tint applied is not less than 35%
The certificate stays in the vehicle and must be shown to a police officer who asks about the tint (ORS 815.221(10)). ODOT notes that some installers also apply a certificate sticker to the door jamb, a practice the statute does not require.
Out-of-state purchases happen around Eugene and Springfield too. ODOT says cars bought out of state and then brought into Oregon are subject to Oregon law, and notes that neighboring states can be less strict. If you do not know what your windows read, take the car to an installer and ask for a meter reading, the step ODOT recommends.
Factory Tint vs Aftermarket Tint
Factory tint is dye built into the glass, often called privacy glass, and it is common on rear windows. Aftermarket tint is film applied to the inside of the window afterward. The difference matters because ORS 815.221(2)(c) measures the total through the window with the tint applied, so whatever the factory glass already blocks counts against the 35% total.
A sedan with dark factory rear glass may have little room left for film. We meter the glass first and talk numbers second. Many tint customers also add a ceramic coating to the paint.
How We Keep Tint Jobs Legal and Safe
We follow the same sequence on every tint job, and each step comes straight from the statute.
- We check the vehicle type and which windows get film, since that decides whether the 50% and 35% numbers or the behind-the-driver allowance applies.
- We meter the existing glass with a tint meter so we know how much room the 35% total leaves.
- We choose a film whose rating and the resulting total stay inside ORS 815.221, including the 13% reflectance limit.
- We meter the finished window instead of trusting the number on the film box.
- We issue the installer certificate that ORS 815.221(9) requires, and we tell you to keep it in the vehicle.
Window Tinting for Eugene and Springfield Drivers
Blue Rose Auto opened in 1994, and our shop is at 3436 Olympic St in Springfield, Oregon. We install Geoshield, HITEK, XPEL and 3M window tint. We also tint for drivers in Junction City, Harrisburg, Veneta, Cottage Grove, Creswell and Coburg.
We are also a one-stop shop for mechanical repair, collision work, detailing, wraps and paint protection film, so a used car can get a repair check and a tint check in one visit. Call (541) 641-8877 and we will tell you what your windows need to pass.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oregon Tint Laws
What is the legal tint in Oregon?
Oregon requires 35% or more total light transmittance through side and rear windows with tint applied, using film rated 50% or more with reflectance of 13% or less (ORS 815.221(2)). Pickups and SUVs with a mirror on each side may go darker behind the driver (ORS 815.221(4)).
What is the darkest legal tint in Oregon?
Apart from a medical exemption, 35% total is the darkest on front side windows and every window of a passenger car, with film at 50% or more. On a pickup or SUV with a mirror on each side, windows behind the driver have no set percentage but must meet AS-3 glazing. A windshield may be tinted on its top six inches only.
Is 5 percent tint legal in Oregon?
Apart from a medical exemption, only in two places. A pickup or SUV with a mirror on each side may carry it behind the driver if the windows meet AS-3 glazing, and a windshield may carry it on the top six inches. It is not legal on front side windows or any window of a passenger car (ORS 815.221).
Is 20 percent tint legal in Oregon?
The answer matches 5% tint. It is legal behind the driver on a pickup or SUV with a mirror on each side when the windows meet AS-3 glazing, and on a windshield’s top six inches. It is illegal on front side windows and a passenger car’s rear windows (ORS 815.221).
Can you tint your windshield in Oregon?
Only the top six inches. ORS 815.221(3) lets darker film go on the top six inches of the windshield and bars tinting material from any other portion of it. The statute sets no darkness number for that strip, and side windows follow different rules.
Is 35 percent tint legal in Oregon?
A window can read 35% total and pass, but the film must also let 50% or more light through. A film sold as 35% does not meet ORS 815.221(2)(a) on a car’s side or rear windows. Behind the driver on a pickup or SUV, ORS 815.221(4) applies instead.
Can I get a medical exemption for darker tint in Oregon?
Yes. A physician or optometrist signs an affidavit, prescription or letterhead letter saying you or someone in your household has a physical condition requiring darker tint. It covers side and rear windows, and you keep it in the vehicle. ODOT says the DMV issues no tint permit (ORS 815.221(5) and (6)).
How much is a tint ticket in Oregon?
Illegal tint is a Class B traffic violation under ORS 815.222. The presumptive fine is $265, the minimum is $135, the maximum is $1,000, and ODOT’s tint FAQ cites $360. The court sets the final amount, so your ticket may differ.
Can an illegal tint ticket be dismissed in Oregon?
Possibly. Under ORS 815.222(4), a court may dismiss the citation or reduce the fine if you show the windows were changed to comply after it was issued, using a shop receipt, an officer’s written statement or other proof. A qualifying medical condition can also support relief under ORS 815.222(5).
Do Oregon tint laws apply to cars bought out of state?
Yes. ODOT says cars bought out of state and brought into Oregon are subject to Oregon law, and ORS 815.222(2) covers vehicles registered or required to be registered here. Neighboring states can be less strict, so have a shop meter the windows after you buy.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For a specific citation or exemption question, talk with the court named on your citation or an attorney.
- Oregon Legislature, ORS chapter 815, including ORS 815.221 (Tinting) and ORS 815.222 (Illegal window tinting)
- ORS 815.221, Tinting, authorized and prohibited materials, certificate
- ORS 815.222, Illegal window tinting, dismissal, penalty
- ORS 153.018, maximum fines
- ORS 153.019, presumptive fines
- ORS 153.021, minimum fines
- Oregon Department of Transportation, Frequently Asked Questions About Window Tinting
- Oregon Board of Optometry, Windshield Tinting
Is perforated tint treated differently at all?
Yes, perf is treated differently