South Carolina Window Tint Laws 2026
South Carolina sets a 27% VLT floor on front side windows, the windows behind the driver, and the rear-most window. Sedans have to meet that everywhere. SUVs get a real exemption behind the driver. Pickup trucks, despite being lumped in with SUVs by nearly every other guide, do not.
The claim almost every tint guide gets backwards: S.C. Code 56-5-5015(I) says the 27% rule applies to windows behind the driver on pickup trucks, but does not apply to windows behind the driver on multipurpose passenger vehicles. Under the standard reading, a pickup's rear glass stays regulated while an SUV's does not, the reverse of the "SUVs and trucks get unlimited rear tint" line you'll see almost everywhere else.
Quick Reference
| Window | Sedan | SUV (multipurpose vehicle) | Pickup truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Nonreflective device above the AS1 line only, no VLT percentage applies | ||
| Front side windows | 27% | 27% | 27% |
| Windows behind driver / rear-most | 27% | Not regulated | 27% |
The 27% Rule and How It's Actually Measured
Subsection (C) sets the front-window standard: a single sunscreening device on the side wings or side windows adjacent to the driver must be nonreflective, and the combined light transmission of the device plus the factory-installed glazing must not be less than 27%. That's a combined reading, film and glass together, not the film's rating in isolation.
Subsection (D)(2) applies that same 27% combined standard to the rear-most window on vehicles where it's regulated, with one added condition: if a sunscreening device is used on the rear-most window, one right and one left outside rearview mirror is required.
Windshield: Placement Only, No Percentage
Subsection (B) doesn't set a VLT number for the windshield at all. It only regulates where a nonreflective sunscreening device can go: along the top of the windshield, not extending downward beyond the AS1 line, the federal glazing position marking defined in 49 CFR 571.205. If the AS1 line isn't visible on that particular windshield, no sunscreening device may be applied to it at all. Red, yellow, and amber are prohibited on any sunscreening device, anywhere on the vehicle.
The Vehicle-Type Split, Read Correctly
This is the part most competitor pages simplify into "SUVs and trucks get unlimited rear tint." The actual statute, subsection (I), draws the line differently: the light transmittance requirement applies to windows behind the driver on pickup trucks, but does not apply to windows behind the driver on other trucks, buses, trailers, mobile homes, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and recreational vehicles.
"Multipurpose passenger vehicle" is defined in subsection (J)(5) as a vehicle with motive power designed to carry ten persons or fewer, built either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation. A body-on-frame SUV or one with genuine off-road equipment clearly fits. A unibody crossover with neither a truck chassis nor an off-road package is a closer question, the marketing category "SUV" isn't what the statute tests, the vehicle's actual construction is.
On scope: subsection (I) exempts "windows behind the driver" without separately naming subsection (C)'s side windows or subsection (D)'s rear-most window. Subsection (A), which frames the whole section, treats "windows to the rear of the driver" as the general category that both (C) and (D) fall under, and South Carolina legal explainers describe the rear side windows and the rear-most window as one combined 27% category. Read together, the exemption in (I) is best understood as covering both, not just the side windows behind the driver, though no appellate ruling on this specific point turned up in this research to make that a certainty rather than the standard reading.
Vans sit in a genuine gray area. The statute doesn't name "van" as its own category. A cargo van built to carry property could plausibly fall under the "truck" definition in (J)(7), designed primarily for transportation of property, putting it in the exempt group. A passenger van seating ten or fewer with off-road features could qualify as a multipurpose passenger vehicle instead. Either path likely lands in the exempt category, but which definition actually applies depends on the specific vehicle's configuration, not the word "van" itself.
The Certificate of Compliance
This is a real, separate legal requirement most tint guides skip entirely. Under subsection (E), any vehicle with after-factory tint must carry a certificate of compliance attached to the inside, lower right-hand corner of each window that has tint applied. The certificate must show the percentage of light transmission, the installer's name, address, and telephone number, and the date of installation.
A vehicle can have perfectly legal 27% tint and still be in violation if this certificate is missing, since subsection (G) makes it a separate offense to install tint without permanently affixing it.
Legal vs Illegal
Legal
- ✓27%+ combined VLT on front side windows, every vehicle
- ✓Unregulated darkness behind the driver on an SUV or MPV
- ✓Nonreflective device above the AS1 line on the windshield
- ✓Dark rear window on a sedan or pickup, with dual outside mirrors installed
Illegal
- ✕Combined VLT below 27% on front side windows, any vehicle
- ✕Pickup truck rear window below 27% VLT, treated as a sedan window
- ✕Red, yellow, or amber sunscreening device on any window
- ✕Tinted window without the attached certificate of compliance
Penalties, and There Are Two Different Kinds
South Carolina has two separate penalty tracks that get conflated in most summaries. General tint-darkness violations, having film that's too dark, fall under subsection (K): a misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $200 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days.
Certificate-of-compliance violations are punished separately and more heavily under subsection (G). A consumer who violates the certificate requirement is guilty of a misdemeanor with a fine of not less than $200 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days. A professional window tinter who violates it faces a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, for each offense, a substantially steeper minimum aimed squarely at shops.
| Violation | Who | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Tint darker than legal limit | Driver | Up to $200 fine or up to 30 days, misdemeanor |
| Missing compliance certificate | Consumer | At least $200 fine or up to 30 days, misdemeanor |
| Missing compliance certificate | Professional tinter | At least $1,000 fine or up to 30 days, per offense |
Medical Exemptions
How the exemption works
Subsection (H)(1) exempts a vehicle from the entire section, transmittance, reflectance, and placement, if it's registered to a person, or their legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician or an optometrist licensed in South Carolina stating a physical condition makes the sunscreening material necessary. The affidavit must be in the vehicle at all times and produced on request of a law enforcement officer, and it must be updated every two years.
There's a separate, narrow exemption too: a law enforcement vehicle used regularly to transport a trained police canine is exempt under (H)(2).
Enforcement
Tint is a primary offense in South Carolina. Officers can stop a vehicle based on tint appearance alone and check both the VLT reading and whether the certificate of compliance is present.
What Legal Tint Actually Costs in South Carolina
Given the vehicle-type split, SUV owners commonly pair a compliant 27% front with much darker film behind the driver, while sedan and pickup owners tend toward a more uniform tint across the vehicle since the whole car is held to the same 27% floor. Ceramic film is a common upgrade for UV and infrared rejection given South Carolina's summer heat.
| Film Type | Sedan / Pickup | SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Dyed film | $130 to $250 | $190 to $360 |
| Carbon film | $190 to $310 | $250 to $400 |
| Ceramic film | $220 to $420 | $310 to $570 |
Use the calculator to get an estimate specific to your vehicle before contacting any shop.
Free Tint Cost CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
Tint Enforcement by City
Columbia
State capital, I-20, I-26, and I-77 corridors see regular patrol presence from both SCHP and Columbia PD.
Charleston
I-26 and I-526 corridors, coastal humidity and heat drive steady demand for heat-rejecting film.
Greenville
I-85 and I-385 corridor, standard statewide 27% rule applies.
Myrtle Beach
Seasonal tourist traffic on US-17 and SC-31 adds to routine enforcement volume.
Rock Hill
Near the North Carolina border on I-77, consistent statewide enforcement pattern.
Related Reading
Window Tint Laws by State
South Carolina 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.
South Carolina tint law reference: S.C. Code § 56-5-5015, current 2025 code, subsections (A) through (K). Laws can change. Always verify current requirements with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety before getting your windows tinted.