Oregon Window Tint Laws 2026

Oregon's tint rule has three separate parts most guides collapse into one number. The film itself must transmit at least 50% of light on its own, its reflectance can't exceed 13%, and the combined reading through the film and the factory glass together must still be at least 35%. On a passenger car, that combined 35% standard covers every side and rear window. SUVs, vans, and pickups can go darker behind the driver through a separate provision tied to federal AS-3 glazing rules.

Quick Reference

The Real Rule: Three Requirements, Not One

ORS 815.221(2) sets out three separate conditions for side and rear window tint, all of which must be met together: the tinting material itself must have a light transmittance of 50% or more, its light reflectance must be 13% or less, and the total light transmittance through the window once the tint is applied, film and factory glass combined, must be 35% or more. Most guides collapse this into "35% VLT," which captures the combined reading but skips the separate 50% film-only requirement, a film could theoretically hit 35% combined while testing below 50% on its own if the glass alone is dark enough, which is exactly why the statute checks both.

How SUVs Actually Get Darker Rear Glass

The rear-window freedom for SUVs, vans, and pickups doesn't come from a blanket "SUV exemption," it comes from a specific provision, ORS 815.221(4), that permits lower transmittance on all windows behind the driver on a multipurpose passenger vehicle, on the condition that the vehicle has rearview mirrors on each side. Those windows, once tinted, have to meet the federal standard for AS-3 glazing material, and separately, the statute states there are no light transmittance requirements at all for glazing that qualifies as AS-3. That's the real mechanism, not an open-ended darkness allowance, but a recognized glazing category the statute treats as exempt from the transmittance rule entirely.

The Windshield: A Flat Line, No Exception Below It

The windshield rule is stricter than the side-window rule, and simpler. Tinting material is only permitted on the top 6 inches, and it has to be non-reflective. No tinting material of any kind, including a very light or nearly clear film, is permitted on any other portion of the windshield. There's no reduced-darkness allowance below the strip, the line is the line.

Legal vs Illegal

The Installer Certificate

Anyone who installs window tinting material in Oregon has to give the customer a certificate stating the installer's name and address, the film's light transmittance, its light reflectance, and confirmation that the total light transmittance through each tinted window is not less than 35%. That certificate has to be kept in the vehicle and shown to a police officer who asks about the tint, a genuinely useful document to hold onto after an install, not just a receipt.

Reflectivity and Prohibited Materials

Reflectivity

The tinting material's own reflectance can't exceed 13%, part of the same three-part test that governs transmittance. This is noticeably stricter than the 20% to 35% reflectivity ceilings common in most other states.

Prohibited materials

ORS 815.221 flatly bans mirror-finish products, red, gold, yellow, amber, or black tinting material, and any liquid tinting material that's brushed or sprayed on rather than applied as film. The color ban is broader than most states, most only restrict red and amber, Oregon adds gold, yellow, and black to the list.

Medical Exemptions

How the exemption works

Oregon's exemption is broader than a simple doctor's note for the driver alone. A vehicle registered to a person, or their legal guardian, can carry tint below the standard transmittance limits if that person holds documentation, signed by a licensed physician or optometrist, stating that the registered owner or another person in their household has a physical condition requiring reduced light transmittance. The documentation has to be kept in the vehicle and shown to an officer who asks about the tint. The statute doesn't specify a hard percentage floor for the exemption itself, so how dark it can go depends on what the physician's documentation supports, this research didn't find a confirmed statutory minimum, so don't treat a specific percentage as guaranteed without checking directly with Oregon DMV.

Enforcement

Tint is a primary offense in Oregon. State Police and local departments can stop a vehicle based on tint appearance alone using a certified photometer, checking both the VLT reading and the reflectivity level, since Oregon's stricter 13% reflectivity cap makes reflectivity violations more common here than in many neighboring states.

What Legal Tint Actually Costs in Oregon

Since sedan owners have to hold the whole vehicle to the 50%/13%/35% standard, many Oregon installs use a fairly uniform ceramic film across the car. SUV, van, and pickup owners have real freedom on AS-3-glazed rear windows once mirrors on both sides are confirmed in place. Ceramic film is a common upgrade for UV and infrared rejection at any given VLT, and non-reflective finishes are worth prioritizing given the strict 13% cap.

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

Oregon 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.

Oregon tint law reference: ORS 815.221 and OAR 735-110-0000. Laws can change. Always verify current requirements with Oregon DMV before getting your windows tinted.