Since December 1, 2025, North Carolina’s annual safety inspection no longer checks window tint. That has led some drivers to think the tint rules went away. They did not: the limits are still in the statute and still apply on the road. This article sets out what North Carolina allows, what changed in 2025, and what to think about when a tinted window or windshield is replaced.
What changed in 2025
The General Assembly’s summary of Senate Bill 391 says: ‘Section 22 of S.L. 2025-47 (Senate Bill 391) eliminates inspection of window tint from vehicle safety inspection requirements.’ It took effect on December 1, 2025. What came out was the inspection check. The tint limits themselves, in G.S. 20-127, stayed.
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The limits in G.S. 20-127
| Glass | What NC allows |
|---|---|
| Windshield | Tint only along the top, no more than five inches below the top or below the AS1 line, whichever is longer. A clear UV-blocking film that does not obstruct vision is allowed. |
| Other windows | Total light transmission of at least 35 percent; a light meter reading over 32 percent is conclusively presumed to comply. |
| Reflectance | 20 percent or less. |
| Colours | No red, yellow or amber film. |
The 35 percent rule has exceptions. They include windows behind the driver on multipurpose vehicles such as minivans and pickups, limousines, and vehicles with a medical exception permit. The windshield rule has no exceptions. A violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor under G.S. 20-127(d).
The roll-down rule
The statute now also says a driver with tinted windows ‘shall roll down the driver side window upon the approach of a law enforcement officer’, and the passenger window if the officer comes from that side. That is in G.S. 20-127(g).
What the AS1 line is
Most windshields carry a small mark near the top edge labelled AS1, often with a line or arrows beside it. It marks how far down the glass a tint band may come. North Carolina lets tint on the windshield reach five inches below the top or the AS1 line, whichever is longer. If you are not sure where your line is, look in the corner markings on the glass, or ask the technician when the windshield is replaced.
When tinted glass is replaced
Film tint is stuck to the inside of the glass, so when a window or back glass breaks, the film goes with it. A new pane comes clear unless the vehicle uses glass that is tinted in the glass itself, which many SUVs, vans and pickups do for the rear windows. That factory privacy glass is ordered to match by VIN, so the new pane looks like the old one.
If you put film back on afterwards, it has to meet the limits above. Windshields are the other case to watch: many come with a tinted shade band across the top, and some have an acoustic or heat-reflective layer. The VIN check picks the version your vehicle was built with. See windshield replacement in Raleigh, side window replacement and back glass replacement for how each job is done.
Tint and driver-assistance cameras
The forward camera on most newer cars looks through the windshield behind the mirror. Any film or band that crosses the camera’s view can affect what it sees, which is one more reason to keep windshield tint to the strip the law allows. If your car has been calibrated after a new windshield, avoid adding anything to the glass in front of the camera afterwards. Our page on ADAS calibration in Raleigh explains why the camera’s view matters.
The rest of the inspection
With tint gone from the list, the inspection’s only check at the windshield is the wipers, which must work freely and clean the glass. The glass itself is not on the list, and no North Carolina statute sets a crack size. The full list and the wiper rule are in our NC windshield laws guide.
Impex Auto Glass replaces side windows, back glass and windshields at your vehicle across Raleigh. Call the number on this page or send the quote form with the vehicle and the window.
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Questions people ask
Is window tint still checked at NC inspections?
No. Since December 1, 2025, S.L. 2025-47 removed window tint from the safety inspection. The limits in G.S. 20-127 still apply on the road.
What is the darkest legal tint in NC?
For windows other than the windshield, at least 35 percent total light transmission, with a meter reading over 32 percent presumed to comply, and reflectance of 20 percent or less. Multipurpose vehicles have an exception behind the driver.
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