Texas Window Tint Laws 2025 – What’s Legal? | Dark and Loud El Paso

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4 days ago
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Texas Window Tint Laws in 2025 – What’s Legal and What We Recommend

Thinking about tinting your vehicle in El Paso, Texas? Before you choose a shade, it’s important to understand what’s legal in the state of Texas—and how recent changes might affect you. At Dark and Loud, we install window film that’s not only high-quality, but also fully compliant with current laws.

Let’s break it all down.

🚔 What Are the Legal Window Tint Limits in Texas (2025)?

Texas law uses a measurement called VLT (Visible Light Transmission)—the percentage of light that passes through the window and tint combined.

Here are the legal limits:

Front Side Windows (driver and passenger):Must allow at least 25% of light through.
Back Side Windows and Rear Windshield:Any level of darkness is allowed if your vehicle has side mirrors.
Windshield:Only allowed on the top 5 inches or above the AS-1 line, using non-reflective tint with at least 25% VLT. No red, blue, or amber films are allowed.
Medical exemptions are available for drivers with certified medical needs.

⚠️ New in 2025: No More State Inspection for Private Vehicles

As of January 1, 2025, Texas no longer requires annual safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles (House Bill 3297).

What does this mean?

You won’t need to pass a state tint check at an inspection station anymore.
But police can still test your tint during traffic stops.
If your film is too dark, you could still get a ticket or be required to remove it.

So while inspections are going away, you still need to follow the law.

🛠️ Why We Recommend 35% Instead of 25% on Front Windows

Even though Texas law allows 25% VLT on front windows, we’ve found that applying a 25% film doesn’t always pass inspection once installed—especially on vehicles with slightly tinted factory glass.

Here’s why:

When you apply 25% tint film over factory-tinted glass, the final result often comes out darker—sometimes closer to 20%.
That means you might fail a roadside tint test even if you used legal film.

👉 Our recommendation: Use 35% tint on front windows. It looks great, still blocks heat and UV rays, and ensures your total VLT remains legal after installation.

This is especially important for trucks and SUVs, which often have darker factory glass.