Window Tint Laws in Delaware
The current window tint limits in Delaware, verified October 2026. Where a figure is given it is a minimum visible light transmission for the glass and film measured together, so a higher percentage requires a lighter film.
What is the legal tint in Delaware?
- Front side windows
- 50%
- Back side windows
- Any darkness
- Rear window
- Any darkness
- Windshield
- Strip above the AS-1 line
- Medical exemption
- Available
Measured against the other jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 7 require a lighter film than Delaware does and 35 allow a darker one. The identical front-side figure applies in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin.
Worth knowing: Delaware cut its front-side minimum from 70% to 50% on August 17, 2026, the day Senate Substitute 1 for SB 255 was signed; the bill text sets no later effective date. Section 4313 of Title 21 used to hold the windshield and front doors to the federal glazing standard, which meant 70 percent on the glass a driver looks through. It now allows 50 percent or greater on the side windows beside the driver and the side wings ahead of them, a transparent strip along the top of the windshield that stays above the AS-1 line, and any darkness on the side windows behind the driver and the rear window, with no mirror condition attached. Aftermarket film must still be backed by a manufacturer certificate displayed in the vehicle, and a validated inspection notice from the Division of Motor Vehicles is a defense in court. A signed statement from a physician, osteopath or optometrist that tinted windows are medically necessary is also a defense. Antique and street rod glass is exempt, as are vehicles operated by law-enforcement officers. The shop carries separate exposure under 4313A: an installer who fits illegal film is fined between $100 and $500 and must repay the owner the fee charged for the job.
Use the checker below to switch jurisdictions, or see every state and province side by side.
Verified October 2026 · General information, not legal advice — always confirm with your DMV, provincial authority, or installer before applying film.
Delaware: current tint limits
Medical exemption: available with physician certification — paperwork generally must be carried in the vehicle.
Delaware cut its front-side minimum from 70% to 50% on August 17, 2026, the day Senate Substitute 1 for SB 255 was signed; the bill text sets no later effective date. Section 4313 of Title 21 used to hold the windshield and front doors to the federal glazing standard, which meant 70 percent on the glass a driver looks through. It now allows 50 percent or greater on the side windows beside the driver and the side wings ahead of them, a transparent strip along the top of the windshield that stays above the AS-1 line, and any darkness on the side windows behind the driver and the rear window, with no mirror condition attached. Aftermarket film must still be backed by a manufacturer certificate displayed in the vehicle, and a validated inspection notice from the Division of Motor Vehicles is a defense in court. A signed statement from a physician, osteopath or optometrist that tinted windows are medically necessary is also a defense. Antique and street rod glass is exempt, as are vehicles operated by law-enforcement officers. The shop carries separate exposure under 4313A: an installer who fits illegal film is fined between $100 and $500 and must repay the owner the fee charged for the job.
Our listed installers currently cover New York and New Jersey, with more regions on the way. Browse the full directory — every shop page states the city it serves and the limits it installs to.
Delaware compared with bordering jurisdictions
Tint is enforced where you are stopped, not where it was installed, so a legal install at home can be a ticket one line over. These are the jurisdictions sharing a land border with Delaware.
| Jurisdiction | Front side windows | Back side windows | Rear window | Windshield | Medical exemption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 50% | Any darkness | Any darkness | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
| Maryland | 35% | 35% on Class A cars; unrestricted on Class M, E and B registrations | 35% on Class A cars; unrestricted on Class M, E and B registrations | No tint below the AS-1 line or 5 inches from the top, whichever is less | Available |
| New Jersey | No aftermarket film (medical exemption only) | Any darkness | Any darkness | No aftermarket tint below the top 6 inches | Available |
| Pennsylvania | 70% | 70% · no limit for trucks/MPVs | 70% · none for trucks/MPVs | Strip above the AS-1 line | Available |
Comparing more than the neighbors? The complete tables for all 50 states, D.C. and the 13 Canadian provinces and territories are on one page.
How to read these numbers
Three details trip up more drivers than the percentages themselves. First, the limit applies to the combined reading of glass plus film, and factory glass is never perfectly clear, so a film's box rating always overstates what a meter will read on the car. Second, the windshield is its own category everywhere: below the AS-1 line (the small marking near the top corner of the glass), meaningful tint is illegal across both countries, whatever the side windows allow. Third, reflectivity is regulated separately from darkness, and mirrored or metallic film fails in most jurisdictions even at a legal VLT.
Sources: state statutes and DMV publications including NY VTL §375(12-a), Cal. Vehicle Code §26708, Texas Transp. Code §547.613, La. R.S. 32:361.1 (as amended 2025), Iowa HF 766 (2026), NH RSA 266:58-a, the SAAQ's Quebec standards, and provincial highway traffic regulations, cross-checked against 2026-current legal references. Last verified October 2026. Spot an error? Email info@carwraps.net.
Delaware tint law questions, answered
What is the legal tint limit in Delaware?
Front side windows: 50%. Back side windows: Any darkness. Rear window: Any darkness. Where a figure is given it is a minimum VLT, meaning the share of light that must still pass through the glass and film together, so a higher number requires a lighter film.
Is 5% limo tint legal in Delaware?
Not on the front side windows: Delaware requires them to pass at least 50% of light, and 5% film blocks far more than that. Behind the driver the answer flips: Delaware sets no darkness floor on the back side or rear windows, so 5% limo film is fine there, subject to the mirror and vehicle-type conditions noted in the table.
What is the darkest legal tint in Delaware?
The darkest legal film on the front side windows in Delaware is 50% VLT. Of the shades shops commonly stock, 70% and 50% pass there, while 35%, 20% and 5% do not. Behind the driver there is no floor at all, so the darkest film available is legal on the back side and rear glass. A lower VLT number is a darker window.
Is a medical exemption for darker tint available in Delaware?
Yes. Delaware provides a medical exemption route for documented photosensitivity conditions. The paperwork has to travel in the vehicle, and an exemption attaches to the person's own car rather than to any car they drive.
What does Delaware allow on the windshield?
Strip above the AS-1 line. The windshield is regulated separately from side glass everywhere in North America, so whatever shade is legal on the doors says nothing about what is permitted up front.
Is Delaware stricter than other states on window tint?
Delaware requires 50% on the front side windows. Of the jurisdictions that publish a numeric limit, 7 require a lighter film than that and 35 allow darker. The same front-side figure applies in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Virginia.
Is there anything unusual about the Delaware rule?
Delaware cut its front-side minimum from 70% to 50% on August 17, 2026, the day Senate Substitute 1 for SB 255 was signed; the bill text sets no later effective date. Section 4313 of Title 21 used to hold the windshield and front doors to the federal glazing standard, which meant 70 percent on the glass a driver looks through. It now allows 50 percent or greater on the side windows beside the driver and the side wings ahead of them, a transparent strip along the top of the windshield that stays above the AS-1 line, and any darkness on the side windows behind the driver and the rear window, with no mirror condition attached. Aftermarket film must still be backed by a manufacturer certificate displayed in the vehicle, and a validated inspection notice from the Division of Motor Vehicles is a defense in court. A signed statement from a physician, osteopath or optometrist that tinted windows are medically necessary is also a defense. Antique and street rod glass is exempt, as are vehicles operated by law-enforcement officers. The shop carries separate exposure under 4313A: an installer who fits illegal film is fined between $100 and $500 and must repay the owner the fee charged for the job.