Arkansas Legal Tint: 25% Front Sides, 10% Rearmost Window

For an ordinary passenger car, Arkansas allows aftermarket tint with at least 25% net visible light transmission (VLT) on the front side windows and side windows immediately behind the driver, and at least 10% on the rearmost window. Trucks and qualifying multipurpose passenger vehicles have a 10% minimum on the side windows immediately behind the driver. Ordinary windshield tint is limited to a top strip extending no more than five inches downward from the top center. These are finished glass-and-film limits—not film-package percentages. Arkansas Code § 27-37-306

Reviewed October 25, 2026, against Justia’s reproduction of the 2025 Arkansas Code and the underlying Arkansas acts. General information, not legal advice; confirm current requirements with Arkansas State Police or your DMV before installation.

Arkansas tint limits by window

The table covers ordinary aftermarket installations without a medical exemption or special chauffeur-for-hire status.

Window	Ordinary passenger car	Truck or qualifying multipurpose passenger vehicle
Windshield	Top strip only; no more than five inches down from the top center	Same
Front side windows beside the driver	At least 25% net VLT	At least 25% net VLT
Side windows immediately behind the driver	At least 25% net VLT	At least 10% net VLT
Rearmost window	At least 10% net VLT	At least 10% net VLT

The statute also names buses, trailers and motor homes in the rear-side-window exception. If you own an SUV or van, confirm whether it qualifies as a “multiple purpose passenger vehicle” rather than assuming every vehicle marketed as an SUV or van gets the exception. The limits appear in both the published code and Arkansas Act 967 of 1993.

The law says “at least,” not “more than.” Exactly 25% net VLT meets the stated 25% minimum, but selecting film labeled 25% does not establish that result. Nor does the ordinary five-inch windshield allowance authorize full-windshield film below the strip.

The numerical rules expressly cover 1994-and-newer vehicles. They also apply to older vehicles without qualifying tint under the specified 1991 acts, and to older vehicles with that qualifying tint when ownership transfers. An old model year alone is not a blanket exemption. § 27-37-306(h)

Why 25% film can be too dark

VLT measures the visible light passing through the window: a lower percentage means a darker result. Arkansas specifies net light transmission, so the existing glass matters.

For a planning estimate, multiply the glass transmission by the film transmission, expressed as decimals. Pacific Window Tint explains this calculation. Assuming glass with 80% VLT:

• 25% film: 0.80 × 0.25 = approximately 20% finished VLT—below Arkansas’s ordinary front-side minimum.
• 35% film: 0.80 × 0.35 = approximately 28% finished VLT—above that minimum in this example.

Those are illustrative calculations, not measurements of your vehicle. Ask the installer to meter the existing glass, choose a film that leaves room above the applicable minimum, and check the completed installation. If the glass already has factory privacy tint, adding film can reduce transmission further.

For more on nominal film ratings versus the finished result, see our 35% tint guide.

Installer label and violation consequences

Section 27-37-306 requires a label on the front glass immediately to the driver’s left. It must contain the installing company’s name and phone number and affirm that all tint on the vehicle conforms to the section. A receipt is useful, but it is not the attached label the law describes.

The same section classifies a violation by an installer or a person operating a noncompliant vehicle as a Class B misdemeanor. Do not treat a too-dark installation as solely the shop’s responsibility. Both requirements are stated in § 27-37-306(c) and (g).

Medical exemptions have their own limits

The medical exemption requires a physician to diagnose a disease or disorder and determine that an exemption is in the motorist’s best interest. For installations after August 16, 2013, the medical provision allows at least 20% net VLT on side windows beside and immediately behind the driver, 10% on the rearmost window and 50% on the windshield with the physician’s certification. It is not unrestricted permission for 5% tint.

The certification must be carried in the vehicle and is valid for three years from issue. An installer label is required. On transfer, the seller must disclose that the tint is outside ordinary legal limits without a medical waiver or remove the waiver-based tint. Earlier medical installations have separate documentation provisions. § 27-37-306(e); Act 293 of 2013

Two exceptions worth checking

An ordinary sedan is not a chauffeur-driven sedan under the special rule. Section 27-37-307’s 15% rear-door allowance applies to vehicles licensed as automobiles for hire, accommodating at least three rear passengers and chauffeur-driven; it excludes taxicabs and vans. It does not lower the rear-side limit for your personal sedan. Act 1141 of 2011

Out-of-state registration matters. Section 27-37-306 exempts motorists driving vehicles registered in other states that have enacted window-shading legislation. That is not a blanket exemption for every vehicle visiting Arkansas, nor permission to ignore the vehicle’s home-state rules. § 27-37-306(d)

Before approving a quote, ask for the applicable limit and expected finished VLT for each window, plus the required installer label—not simply an “Arkansas-legal” film shade.