Hawaii tint rules at a glance
- Front side windows
- 35%
- Minimum VLT, film and glass together
- Back side windows
- Any
- Any darkness allowed
- Rear window
- Any
- Any darkness allowed
- Windshield
- Only a transparent strip along the top edge that stays out of the AS-1 area, or no lower than 4 inches from the top if the glass has no AS-1 mark.
- Reflectivity
- Mirrored or highly reflective finishes that look red, yellow, amber or blue from outside are banned.
- Film colors not allowed
- red, yellow, amber, blue (reflective appearance)
- Medical exemption
- No
- Sticker or certificate
- Required
- Two outside mirrors
- Required when the rear window is tinted
- Penalty
- Owner fined $300 to $550 per offense; installer $700 to $1,200 plus free re-do (HRS 291-21.5(f)).
VLT is the share of light the glass lets through, film and glass together. Source: HRS § 291-21.5, checked Nov 5, 2026. Laws change; confirm with the statute before tinting.
Hawaii regulates window tint through HRS § 291-21.5. Below: the minimum visible light transmission (VLT) for each window, the windshield rule, what counts as too reflective, who can get a medical exemption, and how an officer checks a car at the roadside.
Legal tint limits in Hawaii
- Front side windows: at least 35% VLT.
- Back side windows: any darkness.
- Rear window: any darkness.
VLT is measured through film and glass together. Factory glass already blocks some light, usually landing between 70% and 80% VLT before any film, so a roll sold as "35%" on a window that started at 75% ends up darker than 35% once installed. Officers meter the finished window, not the box the film came in.
Windshield
Only a transparent strip along the top edge that stays out of the AS-1 area, or no lower than 4 inches from the top if the glass has no AS-1 mark.
Federal standard FMVSS 205 sets the baseline for the glass itself: the windshield and front side windows of a new car must transmit at least 70% of visible light. State law decides what film may be added afterwards, which is why the windshield rule is usually a strip above the AS-1 line rather than a percentage.
Reflective and colored film
Mirrored or highly reflective finishes that look red, yellow, amber or blue from outside are banned. Film colors not permitted: red, yellow, amber, blue (reflective appearance).
Medical exemptions
Hawaii does not provide a medical exemption from its tint limits.
Stickers, mirrors and enforcement
A certificate or sticker identifying legal tint is required. The installer must issue a compliance certificate at installation and it must stay in the vehicle; its absence at a stop is evidence against the installer. If the rear window is tinted, the car must have outside mirrors on both sides. Owner fined $300 to $550 per offense; installer $700 to $1,200 plus free re-do (HRS 291-21.5(f)).
In practice
Act 129 of 2025 rewrote the section: front side windows and wing vents must read 35% plus or minus 6% measured through film and glass together, while rear windshields on all vehicles and rear side windows on sedans, vans, minivans, trucks and buses are exempt if the vehicle has mirrors on both sides. SUVs are not named in that exemption, so treat SUV rear doors as unsettled. Occupants of tinted vehicles must fully lower their windows when stopped by police unless disability or a mechanical fault prevents it. HB 720, which would have cut the limit to 25%, died in the 2026 session.
Sources
Checked Nov 5, 2026. Laws change; confirm with the statute before tinting.
Common questions about tint in Hawaii
Is 35% tint legal on front windows in Hawaii?
Yes. 35% is the darkest Hawaii allows on front side windows: the glass and film together must let at least 35% of visible light through. Anything darker fails a meter check.
Can I tint my windshield in Hawaii?
Only a transparent strip along the top edge that stays out of the AS-1 area, or no lower than 4 inches from the top if the glass has no AS-1 mark. Film below that line is not permitted for ordinary drivers.
Does Hawaii allow darker tint for medical reasons?
No. Hawaii's statute does not provide a medical exemption from its tint limits.
What happens if my tint is too dark in Hawaii?
Owner fined $300 to $550 per offense; installer $700 to $1,200 plus free re-do (HRS 291-21.5(f)).
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