Oregon Window Tint Laws Explained: Legal VLT Limits for 2026
Oregon front side windows must hit 35% total VLT with reflectance at 13% or less. Here's the full breakdown on windshields, SUVs, the medical exemption, and banned colors.
On this page
Maybe you moved up from California and assumed the rules travel with you, or maybe you’re a lifelong Oregonian finally tinting a new ride. Either way, the number that matters is this: front side windows in Oregon must let through 35% total VLT. Once that’s locked in, the reflectance and windshield details fall into place.
How dark can you legally tint in Oregon?
Side and rear windows must carry 35% total VLT through the combined glass and film, with the film itself rated at 50% or more transmittance and 13% or less reflectance. Those exact figures sit in subsection (2) of Oregon Revised Statutes § 815.221. The windshield is limited to film on the top six inches and nothing below. There’s no separate darker allowance for back side windows on a normal car — only multipurpose vehicles get that.
| Window | Legal limit (VLT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Top 6 inches only | No film below; clear UV film allowed elsewhere |
| Front side windows | 35% total or more | 13% reflectance cap, film rated 50%+ |
| Back side windows | 35% total or more | SUV/van may go darker with dual mirrors |
| Rear window | 35% total or more | SUV/van may go darker with dual mirrors |
Is Oregon as strict as people say?
Myth: every window in Oregon is locked at 35% no matter the vehicle. Not so. Subsection (4) lets a multipurpose passenger vehicle — an SUV or van built on a truck chassis or set up for occasional off-road use — run lower transmittance on all windows behind the driver, as long as it wears outside mirrors on each side.
Myth: Oregon won’t budge for a medical reason. Wrong. Subsection (5) plainly allows darker side and rear glass when the owner holds an affidavit, prescription, or letterhead note from a licensed physician or optometrist. That document stays in the vehicle and gets shown to any officer who asks.
Reflectivity, color, and the windshield rule
Oregon caps reflectance at 13%, so mirror-finish film is out. The statute also bans red, gold, yellow, amber, and black material, plus any liquid spray-on tint. The windshield gets film only along the top six inches, never into the driver’s main viewing area — the area the federal glazing rule, FMVSS 205 (49 CFR 571.205), marks as AS-1. Clear UV-blocking film with no darkening effect is fine across the windshield.
Penalties and what you must keep
Illegal tint in Oregon is a Class B traffic violation under § 815.222, and the installer must hand you a certificate documenting the film’s transmittance and reflectance.
35% VLT
Front limit
13%
Reflectance cap
Top 6 inches
Windshield
Yes
Medical exemption
Class B traffic
Violation
What to do: keep the installer’s certificate in the glovebox, carry your physician’s letter if you qualify, and confirm any SUV with dark rear glass has both side mirrors.
| Rule | Oregon standard | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Reflectance | 13% or less | § 815.221(2)(b) |
| Banned colors | Red, gold, yellow, amber, black | § 815.221(8) |
| Dual mirrors | Required for darker SUV/van glass | § 815.221(4) |
| Certificate | Installer must provide, kept in vehicle | § 815.221(9)–(10) |
| Penalty | Class B traffic violation | § 815.222 |
Good Questions, Straight Answers
Can I tint my front windshield in Oregon?
Only the top six inches may take film; the rest must stay clear, though clear UV film is allowed.
What’s the reflectance limit?
13% or less — mirror and metallic-look films don’t qualify.
Are SUVs treated differently?
Yes, multipurpose vehicles can run darker glass behind the driver with mirrors on both sides.
Does Oregon offer a medical exemption?
Yes, with an affidavit, prescription, or letter from a licensed physician or optometrist kept in the car.
Is 20% tint legal?
Not on front or rear side windows of a standard car; the floor is 35% total VLT.
Ready to spec it out? Browse our window tint options, study the full window tint laws library, and look over pricing when you get started. Pairing tint with protection is smart — see paint protection film and ceramic coating. Comparing states? Our California window tint laws page is a useful contrast.
Ready For Your Exact Quote?
Sixty seconds of questions, one honest number, from DFW's 5.0-rated installer.
Get My Free Quote