Minnesota Window Tint Laws 2026

Minnesota requires 50% VLT, plus or minus 3%, on every side window and the rear window, not just the front pair. The windshield allows no tint at all. And the exemptions that let some vehicles run darker rear glass are written as a specific list of vehicle types, which does not include the word "SUV."

Quick Reference

The Windshield Rule Is Absolute

Minnesota Statutes § 169.71, subd. 4(1) prohibits driving a vehicle when the windshield is "composed of, covered by, or treated with any material which has the effect of making the windshield more reflective or in any other way reducing light transmittance through the windshield." That last phrase does the work. Any film that reduces light transmittance at all is prohibited, which means no visor strip, no AS-1 line allowance, and no clear UV film that measurably dims the glass.

This is worth flagging because multiple tint guides list Minnesota as allowing a 5-inch strip or AS-1 line tint. Neither appears anywhere in the statute. The only windshield carve-out is for factory glazing that conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205 and hasn't been modified.

50% Applies to Every Side and Rear Window

Subdivision 4(3) sets the standard for "any side window or rear window," not just the front pair. A window violates the law if it has light transmittance below 50% (±3%), luminous reflectance above 20% (±3%), or is treated in a way that obstructs or substantially reduces the driver's clear view through it. That third clause is a separate, independent test, a film could pass the percentage check and still be non-compliant if it genuinely blocks the driver's view.

Subdivision 4(2) adds a flat ban on any window having "a highly reflective or mirrored appearance," applying to every window on the vehicle regardless of the measured numbers.

The Exemption List Is Specific, and Doesn't Say "SUV"

Most tint guides summarize Minnesota as "sedans 50% everywhere, SUVs and vans any darkness in back." The statute doesn't work that way. Subdivision 4a(a)(3) exempts glazing materials applied to a defined list:

Read the middle column closely, because the scope differs by vehicle. For pickups and vans, the exemption is limited to the back: rear windows on a pickup, and rear plus behind-the-driver side windows on a van. Front side windows stay at 50% on both. For funeral vehicles, limousines, and police vehicles, the statute says "side and rear windows" without limiting it to behind the driver, a broader carve-out than the pickup and van entries.

Whether a given SUV falls inside this list turns on Minnesota's definition of a van, which is "any vehicle of box-like design with no barrier or separation between the operator's area and the remainder of the cargo-carrying area," with a manufacturer's nominal rated carrying capacity of three-fourths ton or less. Many SUVs and minivans plausibly meet that description; a crossover with a different layout is a closer call. The honest answer is that the exemption is defined by vehicle construction, not by the marketing category "SUV," so it's worth confirming your specific vehicle rather than assuming.

The limousine entry has its own definition attached. Minnesota defines a limousine as a luxury passenger automobile with a seating capacity of not more than 15 persons including the driver, so a stretch vehicle over that capacity falls outside the exemption.

The Film Label Requirement Most Guides Skip

Subdivision 4(4) makes it a violation to drive with any material applied to a vehicle window after August 1, 1985 that lacks "an accompanying permanent marking which indicates the percent of transmittance and the percent of reflectance afforded by the material." The marking has to be positioned so it doesn't obscure vision and has to be readable when installed on the vehicle.

This means a technically compliant 50% film can still put the vehicle in violation if the installer didn't leave the permanent marking in place. Worth confirming with your shop before the job, not after.

Legal vs Illegal

Medical Exemptions, Updated in 2025

What the prescription must contain

A prescription or physician's statement of medical need exempts the vehicle from subdivision 4, but the statute is strict about what the document has to say. It must specifically state whether the medical need is a temporary or permanent condition, state the minimum percentage that light transmittance may be reduced to, and carry an expiration date no more than two years after issuance. The one exception: if the physician indicates the condition is permanent and that no expiration date is appropriate, the document doesn't need one. That temporary-versus-permanent language came in through a 2025 amendment.

Driving under a family member's exemption

This provision is unusual and genuinely useful. A driver may rely on a prescription issued to someone who isn't in the vehicle, provided all three conditions are met: the prescription was issued to the driver's parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or spouse, or to a person for whom the driver is a personal care attendant; the prescription specifies the make, model, and license plate of one or two vehicles that will have tinted windows; and the driver has the prescription in their possession.

So a parent driving a tinted car registered for a photosensitive child's use is covered, as long as the paperwork names that vehicle.

Penalties

The statute itself sets an explicit penalty in one place: subdivision 5 makes it a misdemeanor to sell, offer for sale, or apply as part of a business transaction any window material that fails to comply with subdivision 4. That's aimed at shops and installers rather than drivers. Notably, it does not apply to selling a vehicle that already has non-compliant windows.

For drivers, § 169.71 does not set a dollar figure, so the citation amount is handled through ordinary traffic penalty schedules and varies by county and court. If you see a specific fine figure quoted for Minnesota drivers, treat it as a typical local amount rather than a statutory one.

What Legal Tint Actually Costs in Minnesota

Because 50% applies to every side and rear window on most passenger cars, a uniform light ceramic film across the vehicle is the common install, chosen for UV and infrared rejection rather than darkness. Pickup and van owners have real room on the rear glass.

Use the calculator to get an estimate specific to your vehicle before contacting any shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tint Enforcement by City

Related Reading

Window Tint Laws by State

Minnesota tint law is one piece of a bigger picture. Every state sets its own VLT limits, and they vary more than most drivers expect. Browse the full directory below.

Minnesota tint law reference: Minn. Stat. § 169.71, subds. 4, 4a, and 5, with vehicle definitions at § 168.002 (van, subd. 40; pickup truck, subd. 26; limousine, subd. 15). Text current as of the 2025 statutes, including the 2025 amendment to the medical exemption provisions. Laws can change. Always verify current requirements with Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services before getting your windows tinted.