New Mexico tint rules at a glance
- Front side windows
- 20%
- Minimum VLT, film and glass together
- Back side windows
- 20%
- Minimum VLT, film and glass together
- Rear window
- 20%
- Minimum VLT, film and glass together
- SUVs, trucks and vans
- Behind the driver: back side windows any darkness, rear window any darkness.
- Windshield
- Nonreflective film only along the top, not below the AS-1 line or more than 5 inches from the top (whichever is closer to the top); not red, yellow or amber.
- Reflectivity
- All sun screening must be nonreflective (designed to absorb rather than reflect light); no numeric reflectance figure is set.
- Film colors not allowed
- red, yellow, amber (windshield strip)
- Medical exemption
- Yes, with documentation
- Sticker or certificate
- Required
- Two outside mirrors
- Required when the rear window is tinted
- Penalty
- Penalty assessment misdemeanor (NMSA 66-3-846.1(I)).
VLT is the share of light the glass lets through, film and glass together. Source: NMSA 1978 §66-3-846.1, checked Nov 5, 2026. Laws change; confirm with the statute before tinting.
New Mexico regulates window tint through NMSA 1978 §66-3-846.1. 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 New Mexico
- Front side windows: at least 20% VLT.
- Back side windows: at least 20% VLT.
- Rear window: at least 20% VLT.
SUVs, trucks and vans follow a different rule behind the driver: back side windows any darkness and the 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
Nonreflective film only along the top, not below the AS-1 line or more than 5 inches from the top (whichever is closer to the top); not red, yellow or amber.
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
All sun screening must be nonreflective (designed to absorb rather than reflect light); no numeric reflectance figure is set. Film colors not permitted: red, yellow, amber (windshield strip).
Medical exemptions
New Mexico allows darker tint with a medical exemption. Affidavit from a physician or optometrist licensed in the state stating a physical condition requires the film; it must be in the vehicle whenever that person is riding in it.
Stickers, mirrors and enforcement
A certificate or sticker identifying legal tint is required. Manufacturer label (max 1.5 sq in) with maker, manufacture date and VLT must be permanently fixed in the lower-left corner of each tinted pane; installers may not install without it. If the rear window is tinted, the car must have outside mirrors on both sides. Penalty assessment misdemeanor (NMSA 66-3-846.1(I)).
In practice
The 20% floor applies to every window behind the windshield on cars, measured as film plus glass, and only on vehicles with outside mirrors on both sides. Windows behind the driver on multipurpose passenger vehicles (most SUVs), truck tractors, buses, RVs and motor homes have no VLT limit. Two bills to rewrite the windshield rule (HB 200 in 2019, HB 286 in 2023) passed both chambers but died by pocket veto, so the 1997 text still governs; vehicles tinted before July 1, 1997 are grandfathered.
Sources
Checked Nov 5, 2026. Laws change; confirm with the statute before tinting.
Common questions about tint in New Mexico
Is 20% tint legal on front windows in New Mexico?
Yes. 20% is the darkest New Mexico allows on front side windows: the glass and film together must let at least 20% of visible light through. Anything darker fails a meter check.
Can I tint my windshield in New Mexico?
Nonreflective film only along the top, not below the AS-1 line or more than 5 inches from the top (whichever is closer to the top); not red, yellow or amber. Film below that line is not permitted for ordinary drivers.
Does New Mexico allow darker tint for medical reasons?
Yes, with documentation. Affidavit from a physician or optometrist licensed in the state stating a physical condition requires the film; it must be in the vehicle whenever that person is riding in it.
What happens if my tint is too dark in New Mexico?
Penalty assessment misdemeanor (NMSA 66-3-846.1(I)).
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