Check Mississippi Tint Limits Against Your Finished Glass
See which Mississippi windows need 28% VLT, when SUV and truck rear glass qualifies for an exception, and how compliance labels and medical waivers work.
Mississippi’s standard window-tint limit is at least 28% visible light transmission (VLT) through the finished window, not simply a film labeled “28%.” Passenger-car rear windows generally share that limit. Qualifying pickups, SUVs and vans have a conditional rear-window exception, but their front side windows still need 28% VLT. Ordinary windshield tint is restricted to the authorized uppermost sun-shield area. These rules appear in Mississippi Code § 63-7-59, as amended in 2026.
Choose your vehicle and window; enter a measured finished VLT to check the darkness requirement.
Check a Window’s Tint Requirement
Use the completed window’s meter reading, not the film label. Leave blank if unknown.
Darkness Check
Front side windows require at least 28% finished VLT.
Finished VLT: —. Enter a measurement from 0% to 100% to compare with the minimum.
Passing the darkness check does not certify legality. Non-exempt aftermarket tint also needs the required compliance test and label; mirrored-effect glazing is prohibited.
Scope and exceptions
This check covers ordinary vehicles required to be registered in Mississippi, without a medical exemption. The rear exception depends on the completed window meeting the minimum transmission requirements federally permitted for that window and vehicle before factory delivery. Vehicle classification alone does not confirm compliance.
Federally permitted factory tint and specified statutory vehicle exemptions require separate assessment. The 28% side-window minimum does not authorize full-windshield film.
Source: Mississippi Code § 63-7-59(1)–(6), as amended by SB 2453 in 2026. This is a darkness screen, not an official inspection.
The checker covers ordinary vehicles required to be registered in Mississippi, without a medical exemption. It does not certify an installation. Confirm exemption eligibility and current requirements with Mississippi DPS before installation; this is general information, not legal advice.
Tint Limits Depend on the Window and Vehicle
Lower VLT means darker glass. The limits below apply to the completed window, including both glass and any aftermarket film.
| Window | Passenger Car | Qualifying Pickup, SUV or Van* |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Authorized uppermost sun-shield area only | Same restriction |
| Front two side windows | At least 28% finished VLT | At least 28% finished VLT |
| Side windows behind the front two | At least 28% finished VLT | Conditional rear-window exception |
| Rear window | At least 28% finished VLT | Conditional rear-window exception |
The statutory rear-window exception also covers qualifying motor homes, recreational vehicles and multipurpose vehicles.
Section 63-7-59(1)–(3) supplies these distinctions. For the rear-window exception, aftermarket darkening is permitted only to the extent that the completed window meets the minimum transmission requirements federally permitted for that window and vehicle before factory delivery. It is not permission to darken the front doors below 28%.
The statute also exempts federally permitted factory tint from subsection (2), along with specified vehicles such as school buses, certain nonprofit buses and vans, limousines, and listed emergency vehicles. Business ownership alone does not establish an exemption: an ordinary work pickup still needs compliant front windows.
Windshield Tint and Mirrored Film Have Separate Restrictions
The windshield rule is separate from the 28% side-window rule. Without an applicable medical exemption, a full-windshield film is not authorized simply because it transmits more than 28% of visible light. Have the installer identify the permitted uppermost sun-shield area on your windshield.
Mississippi also prohibits glazing that creates a mirrored effect on the windshield, side wings, side windows or rear window. Subsection (1) uses that prohibition rather than a numerical “20% reflectivity” allowance.
A 35% Film Can Finish Below the Legal Minimum
A 35% film is not automatically legal. Existing glass already reduces light transmission, so adding film makes the finished window darker than the film-only rating suggests.
For an installation estimate, finished VLT ≈ glass VLT × film-only VLT, with both percentages expressed as decimals.
Installer Diversity Auto Films explains this glass-and-film calculation. Check what the film specification measures before using it: a value already measured on glass is not a film-only value.
Assuming the bare glass measures 75% VLT:
| Film-Only VLT | Calculation | Estimated Finished VLT | Against 28% Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35% | 0.75 × 0.35 | ~26.25% | Below |
| 50% | 0.75 × 0.50 | ~37.5% | Above |
These are illustrative calculations, not certification results. Ask the shop to meter the existing glass, choose film with a reasonable margin above 28%, and test the completed installation. Our 35% tint guide explains the difference between the film label and finished VLT.
A finished window measuring 20% or 5% VLT fails the ordinary 28% requirement. Darker rear glass may qualify under the pickup/SUV/van exception, but neither percentage becomes legal on the front doors or ordinary passenger-car rear windows without an exemption.
Non-Exempt Aftermarket Tint Needs a Compliance Label
Meeting the darkness limit is not the whole job. For non-exempt aftermarket tint, the statute requires a compliance label affixed to the lower-left corner of the windshield, readable from outside.
An official tint inspection station must test compliance before affixing the label. Section 63-7-59(6) sets the testing fee at $5; that is the statutory testing fee, not a quoted installation price.
DPS maintains a tint compliance location list and gives 601-487-7028 as the contact number for finding a station on its Window Tint Compliance page. Call ahead to confirm service availability.
For a used car with existing tint, have the windows measured rather than relying on the previous owner’s description. A film receipt or claimed tint percentage does not tell you the finished glass VLT.
Medical Exemptions Changed July 1, 2026
Mississippi permits an exemption for a physical condition or disease seriously aggravated by minimal sunlight exposure. A Mississippi-licensed physician or optometrist can now provide the qualifying diagnosis and attest to the affidavit.
SB 2453 added optometrists effective July 1, 2026. The official legislative history records the governor’s approval on March 13, 2026.
Under the amended exemption provisions, the applicant must present an affidavit personally signed by the applicant and signed and attested by the qualifying physician or optometrist. The applicant must also provide proof of vehicle ownership, or the vehicle owner’s signed affidavit when the vehicle is operated for the applicant’s use.
County tax collectors issue the certificate free of charge. It must be signed by the person on whose behalf it is issued and prominently displayed on the vehicle dashboard. The exemption can cover a vehicle the person owns, operates or regularly travels in as a passenger. A diagnosis or doctor’s note alone does not replace the certificate.
Check the paperwork before an optometrist appointment. DPS’s Tint Waiver page and its linked affidavit still use physician-only wording despite the statutory change. Ask your county tax collector which affidavit to use for an optometrist-supported application.
Penalties Differ for Driving, Installation and Document Misuse
The often-quoted penalty of up to $1,000, up to three months in county jail, or both applies specifically to violations involving prohibited installation, improper label issuance, or label/exemption-certificate misuse under subsections (7)–(9).
Other violations are referred to § 63-7-7’s misdemeanor provision. Section 63-7-59(10)–(11) makes that distinction; the higher penalty is not a universal ticket amount for every driver with dark tint. The cited provision does not establish one flat tint-ticket price.
Before paying for tint, ask the installer to put the window-by-window plan in writing: vehicle classification, expected finished VLT, windshield-strip boundary, and who will arrange the compliance test and label.