Arizona Tint Laws Defined
The regulations in Arizona revolve around the VLT (visual light transmission) percentage on the tinted window film and each state’s acceptance of the amount of light that a vehicle tint film allows to be seen through. Arizona is strict about the percentages of tint allowed and places a great deal of importance on the quality of the film.
The VLT percentage requires that Arizona drivers have a light transmittance of seventy percent on the front windshield, and more specifically including the lefthand, righthand, and rear windows too for passenger vehicles. SUVs and vans have a minimum of fifty percent of VLT. For sedans, SUVs, and vans the tint on the rear side windows and rear window can have a max of thirty percent VLT and up to five inches of a tinted strip atop the windshield.
Medical waivers are available in Arizona allowing for darker levels of window tint and, in some cases, opaque tint on the sides of a vehicle if extreme medical conditions exist. This does not mean that any condition qualifies for a waiver. Medical waivers must be approved by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Each waiver is specific to the individual , the condition and the vehicle they are driving—an exemption from the law does not extend to a different vehicle the person may drive.
Arizona is one of the few states that has no exemption to the tint laws for individuals who spend long hours in direct sunlight and are therefore at risk for skin cancer. However, they are working on legislation.
All window films used in Arizona must meet strict safety and installation requirements. No film can be made of glass or contain any reflective material and this is strictly enforced. The regulation specifies the tint must be able to pass a probe test of seven-tenths and is independent of the VLT. All manufacturers of aftermarket window tint must pay an annual registration fee of five hundred dollars and submit their films to the regulatory office for testing. Each manufacturer must also issue written certification of the quality and composition of the tint sold to vehicle owners and dealers in Arizona.
Why Does Arizona Have Tint Laws?
The enforcement of window tint laws in Arizona is not merely a bureaucratic hurdle, but serves several important purposes within the framework of the state’s traffic regulations. One primary reason for the stringent enforcement of these tint laws is to ensure the safety of all road users. Tinted windows can obstruct a driver’s view of the surrounding environment, particularly under certain conditions such as bright sunlight or heavy rain. This lack of visibility can increase the risk of accidents, putting not only the driver but also other motorists and pedestrians at risk. By enforcing window tint laws, authorities can minimize the potential for tinted windows to contribute to traffic collisions.
Another key reason is law enforcement and security. For police officers and other law enforcement personnel, maintaining an unobstructed view of the interior of a vehicle during a traffic stop is vital for their safety. Tinted windows may conceal illicit activities, pose potential hazards, or hide other security threats. When officers stop a vehicle with excessively tinted windows, the inability to see inside may not only impede the proper execution of their duties but can also increase their vulnerability.
Moreover, from a climate control standpoint, Arizona experiences some of the hottest weather in the United States. While tinted car windows can help to reduce the amount of sunlight entering the vehicle and consequently the internal temperature, excessively dark tints can hinder drivers’ abilities to gauge the severity of sun glare through their windows. This may lead to poor decisions regarding other drivers’ tints in an attempt to mitigate the resulting glare. The tint laws help in establishing a uniform standard for all vehicles to ensure safe driving conditions for all road users while purchasing tints.
The Arizona tint laws are thus rooted in safety, law enforcement needs, and climate concerns. The state enforces these laws to minimize safety risks associated with tinted windows and to ensure law enforcement personnel can adequately perform their duties.
Penalties for Illegal Arizona Tinting
In Arizona, the consequences for illegal window tinting vary depending on whether you are pulled over and ticked by law enforcement or don’t get caught. If you are stopped and ticketed for violating Arizona’s legal tinting laws and regulations, you will likely be issued a citation and required to pay a fine. This will occur if the officer at a traffic stop notices that your windows have been tinted and checks them with a window tint meter. Four of the five vehicles tinted with too much tint we see from our shop have received a traffic citation and are required to pay a fine. The maximum fine for violating the window tint law is up to $500. Going beyond the scope of the fine for window tint, you might want to consider the fact that the tint will probably be confiscated and you may have to make an appearance in traffic court to show that the tint has been removed. As a general rule, if your tint cannot be positively identified as above the legal limits through the window tint meter, the tinting will not be removed on the spot, then you’ll need to get a time to go back to meet with the DMV officer in charge of the tint violation program. The officer will ask you to bring in documents showing that your tint was installed by a certified installer, and he or she will check it. Hopefully, at this point your tint will be undetectable with the meter, otherwise you will be ordered to remove those windows on the spot with a fine and an appointment to appear in traffic court. The worst that can happen is up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to twice the amount of the fine for getting caught. For clients who know they are tinted at the wrong percentages, or whose cars have tinted side windows but not the rear window, we advise them that they are better off in the long run to simply avoid getting pulled over and caught for the infraction. Many of my clients have been pulled over for unrelated issues – speeding, illegal lane changes, etc. – then cited for their illegal window tint. For those clients who have been cited and received a fine as a result, we strongly recommend seeking the services of a knowledgeable traffic attorney.
Exemptions and Special Cases for Tints
Medical exemptions are available in Arizona for tinting windows darker than permitted under the state’s window tint law. But those exemptions require some planning, as well as extra effort and expense, because applying for one is a legal process. Doctors in certain medical specialties can prescribe window tint because of sunlight sensitivity, an explication that the Arizona DMV accepts for issuing a medical window tint prescription certificate.
Certain vintage cars, trucks and SUVs manufactured before 1986 are also exempt from all tinting laws , according to the Arizona Tint Law website. The Tint Law website is operated by the nonprofit Window Film Association and has a wealth of information about the laws and applications of window tinting in all 50 states.
Other exemptions involve bank and security company armored vehicles that are essentially exempt from window tinting laws nationwide, due to their special status.
Motor homes are also exempt, as are RVs designed as moving homes rather than simply as larger passenger vehicles.
Motorcycle helmets may have tinted visors that impair night vision, according to the Arizona DMV’s window tint law brochure, provided that the tint doesn’t exceed 50 percent visual light transmission, or VLT. Even with exemptions, however, all tinting materials used for vehicles must be certified on an approved certificate.
Choosing a Legal Tint Film
The final step for your new Arizona registered vehicle with tint is to have it tinted. First, you need to decide which of the major legal categories you want and then even within a category you have a choice as to what manufacturer and which product from that manufacturer you want. As most manufacturers have at least three different products in each category and have several different types in each (metalized, dyed, carbon, ceramic, etc,) there are literally hundreds of choices a tinting specialist may have.
If you want to do it yourself there are a few big box stores where you can find rolls of window film. Falcon is the only ones I know of that as of this blog post have any selection of ceramic tint. To clarify I am not saying DIY does not produce good results and can be a very cost effective solution if the film is applied correctly. I am saying it is not for everyone and I do not recommend a DIY installation unless you have another set of hands with experience applying tint available to help you.
A legal window tint film will always have a tint label affixed on the film or have a tint sticker on the box that comes from the manufacturer. If the tinting specialist attempts to tint your windows without these the installer is probably ripping you off. It is your responsibility to check the tint after it has been installed. Although I am sure the tinting specialist is never intending to rip you off it happens anyway. The most common ways used to skirt the tint law is to sell a window tint film from a window tint manufacture that is not registered in Arizona and / or not issuing the proper tint label for their tint film. There are a few legitimate manufacturers that are doing things outside of the tint law but it has not been tested enough to be addressed here.
The Arizona Window Tint FAQ
Question: Which windows are considered front-facing in Arizona?
Answer: The Arizona tint law applies to the front two windows on each side of the vehicle, the windshield, and the rear windshield.
Today, rear windows can be tinted for privacy or other purposes in Arizona. However, there are legal and degree limits to the tint that can be applied to front windows. Contrary to what might seem intuitive, Arizona law defines the front windows as being any windows that are part of the driver’s compartment, which would include the triangular vent windows and the full windows on both sides of the vehicle. This means that legal limit for tint on the driver’s window and passenger window will also be 33%, as opposed to only 50% .
Question: Can I have my back window tinted up to 33% too?
Answer: No, even though Arizona law allows tinted glass to be rated at 33% on the front windows, the back window can be tinted totally black. Even if you can see through the windows during the daytime, they still must be totally black in order to be compliant.
Arizona law places a total ban on the use of any reflective tint on the windshield. If you do not want the sun through the windshield, you must use a transparent tint, which will comply with the 33% legal limit for front-facing windows only. In particular, Arizona law prohibits any tint made from metal or other metallic material.