Colorado window tint laws require most vehicle windows to allow at least 27% VLT, and the windshield must allow at least 70% VLT. Illegal tint is generally a class B traffic infraction, while installing noncompliant tint can be a class A traffic infraction. Rear windows may go darker only if the front side windows and windshield meet the 70% VLT threshold. This guide covers penalties, exceptions, and common misconceptions under Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227.
What Colorado Law Requires
Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227 governs window tint on vehicles registered in the state. The law generally provides that no window other than the windshield may allow less than 27% light transmittance. The windshield itself must allow at least 70% light transmittance. This 27% figure is measured as Visible Light Transmission, commonly called VLT, and it applies to the combined effect of the factory glass and any film added to it.
The statute also prohibits any window material that presents an opaque, nontransparent, metallic, or mirrored appearance in a way that blocks more light than the law allows. This means even a film advertised as meeting VLT requirements can violate the law if it creates a mirrored or metallic look. The rule is written broadly enough to cover both darkness and reflectivity as separate compliance issues under Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227 (Windows Unobstructed).
Key Terms Defined
Visible Light Transmission, or VLT, describes the percentage of visible light that passes through a window. A higher VLT percentage means more light passes through and the tint looks lighter. A lower VLT percentage means less light passes through and the tint looks darker. Colorado calculates VLT based on the combined glass and film, not the film rating alone, which affects how installers and drivers should read a tint’s legality.
A class B traffic infraction is a civil violation that generally results in a fine without additional license consequences under Colorado’s infraction framework. A class A traffic infraction is treated as more serious and can carry a fine along with license points depending on the specific offense. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227 assigns these two classifications to different tint violations, which is explained further in the penalties section below.
Windshield Tint Rules
The windshield must allow at least 70% VLT under Colorado law. A nontransparent strip may be applied to the topmost portion of the windshield, but the bottom edge of that strip cannot extend more than 4 inches down from the top of the glass. This top strip is the only part of the windshield where any material may be applied beyond the 70% VLT standard that otherwise governs the full windshield.
Any material used on this top strip cannot be red or amber in color. It also cannot distort the perception of primary colors, distort vision, or contain lettering that obstructs the driver’s view. The material cannot reflect sunlight or headlight glare into the eyes of drivers in oncoming or preceding vehicles to a greater degree than an untreated windshield would. Tinting the full windshield below this strip is not permitted under the statute.
Front and Rear Side Window Rules
Front side windows, which are the driver and front passenger windows, must allow at least 27% VLT under the general rule in Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227. This is the figure most commonly measured during a traffic stop, since it applies uniformly regardless of vehicle body style. Colorado does not set a separate, looser standard for SUVs, vans, or trucks compared to sedans for this front window requirement.
Rear side windows and the rear window are also generally required to meet the 27% VLT minimum. However, the statute includes a specific exception for windows positioned to the rear of the driver. That exception allows those rear windows to go below 27% VLT under a defined condition involving the front windows and windshield, which is addressed in the Exceptions and Limitations section of this guide.
Prohibited Colors and Reflective Finishes
Colorado law separately prohibits any material on any vehicle window that presents a metallic or mirrored appearance. This prohibition applies regardless of the measured VLT percentage, meaning a film cannot rely on passing the light transmittance test if it still produces a mirrored or metallic look. The rule targets the visual finish of the material as its own distinct compliance requirement.
Red and amber coloring is specifically restricted on the windshield top strip described earlier, since these colors can distort how the driver or other road users perceive lights and vision. While the statute’s clearest color restriction is tied to that windshield strip, the broader ban on metallic and mirrored appearance applies to every window on the vehicle, not just the windshield.
Who This Law Applies To
Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227 applies to motor vehicles registered in Colorado. The statute’s core requirements govern the darkness and finish of window treatments on these vehicles as a matter of state equipment law, separate from registration or licensing requirements that might otherwise apply to a driver or vehicle owner in Colorado.
The statute includes a limited exception for law enforcement vehicles. A law enforcement vehicle may have its windows, other than the windshield, treated to allow less than 27% VLT only when this serves a valid law enforcement purpose. A law enforcement vehicle using this treatment cannot be used for traffic law enforcement operations, and its windshield remains subject to the same top strip limits as any other vehicle.
Exceptions and Limitations
The most significant exception in Colorado’s tint law involves rear windows. The statute allows the windows to the rear of the driver, including the rear window, to permit less than 27% VLT if the front side windows and the windshield on that vehicle allow at least 70% VLT. In practical terms, a vehicle can have darker rear windows only when its front windows and windshield stay at the lighter 70% threshold.
This means a driver cannot simply choose maximum darkness on every window. The rear darkness allowance depends directly on the front windows meeting a higher light transmittance standard than the general 27% rule that otherwise applies to non-windshield windows. Readers should understand this as a linked condition rather than a separate, unrestricted allowance for rear glass.
Colorado law also includes a manufacturer exemption. Nothing in the statute prevents the use of a window that was composed of, covered by, or treated with material approved by federal statute or regulation, as long as that treatment was part of the vehicle at the time of manufacture, or a replacement window meets those same federal guidelines. This exemption covers factory-installed glazing rather than aftermarket film added later by an owner or installer.
Penalties for Illegal Window Tint
Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227 states that a person who violates any provision of the section generally commits a class B traffic infraction. Class B traffic infractions in Colorado generally fall within a fine range of $15 to $100 plus a surcharge, based on the state’s general traffic infraction penalty structure under Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-1701.
A different and more serious classification applies to the act of installing, covering, or treating a windshield or window so that it fails to meet the section’s requirements. The statute states that this specific act generally constitutes a class A traffic infraction rather than a class B traffic infraction. This distinction means the classification can depend on whether a person is simply driving with noncompliant tint or was responsible for creating that noncompliance.
Class A and class B traffic infractions in Colorado generally share the same statutory $15 to $100 fine range plus surcharge under Section 42-4-1701, though court-imposed amounts and local surcharges may vary by jurisdiction within that structure. The Traffic Infractions overview, Colorado Legislative Council Staff confirms this general penalty and surcharge schedule for class A and class B traffic infractions statewide.
Common Misconceptions About Colorado Tint Law
One of the most repeated misconceptions involves medical exemptions. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227 does not contain a medical exemption provision for darker window tint. The statute’s text lists specific exceptions, including the rear window condition and the manufacturer exemption, but it does not include any provision allowing a physician’s documentation to permit tint darker than the general VLT limits described in this guide.
A second common misconception involves out-of-state vehicles. A bill introduced in 2019, House Bill 19-1067, would have required vehicles registered outside Colorado to meet a 20% VLT minimum on windows other than the windshield. That bill was postponed indefinitely in the House Transportation and Local Government Committee on March 5, 2019, and it never became law. The HB19-1067 Motor Vehicle Window Tint bill status, Colorado General Assembly confirms this bill did not pass.
Because that bill never became law, Colorado does not currently have a separate statutory VLT standard for out-of-state vehicles under Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227. Readers who encounter claims describing a 20% VLT allowance for out-of-state vehicles as current Colorado law should treat that claim with caution, since it reflects a proposal that did not advance past committee review. Cross-verification is available through Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227, Justia Law and Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-227, FindLaw.
Laws and enforcement may change. Vehicle owners who want to confirm the darkness or finish of a specific film before installation, or who need to understand how these rules could apply to their own vehicle, can review the official statute directly or consult a licensed attorney in your state. This guide reflects general statutory language rather than an evaluation of any individual vehicle or citation. Readers can review Lawwalls’ Disclaimer for more on how this information is intended to be used.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Lawwalls publishes informational content only and does not provide legal services or legal advice.
For legal advice about your specific situation contact a licensed attorney in your state. Laws change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify current rules with official government sources or a qualified lawyer.