Kansas window tint laws require a minimum of 35% VLT on every window of a registered vehicle including the front side, back side, and rear windows. A sun screening device on the windshield must stay above the AS1 line and remain non reflective. Kansas also bans red, yellow, and amber tint on any window. This guide covers the exact statute, penalties, exceptions, and a medical exemption process most sources describe incorrectly. The primary source is Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a as published by the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes.
Visible Light Transmission Explained
Visible Light Transmission, often shortened to VLT, measures how much light passes through a car window. Kansas law does not measure the tint film alone. It measures the combined result of the factory glass and any film applied on top. A film rated at 35% on its own can test darker than 35% once combined with factory glass, since most factory glass already blocks some light before any film is added.
The AS1 Line Explained
The AS1 line is a mark placed by the vehicle manufacturer near the top of the windshield. Kansas law allows a sun screening device on the windshield only above this line. The rest of the windshield below the AS1 line must remain clear. Drivers sometimes assume the entire windshield can carry the same tint used on side windows, but Kansas law treats the windshield differently from every other window on the vehicle.
Sun Screening Device Explained
Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a uses the term sun screening device to describe any window tint film or similar material applied to a windshield, side window, or rear window. The statute also separately restricts one way glass, which refers to reflective or mirror like glass or film. Both one way glass and sun screening devices fall under the same set of requirements set out in the Kansas code.
What Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a Requires
Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a governs one way glass and sun screening devices on any motor vehicle required to be registered in the state. The law applies to the windshield, side wings, side windows, and rear windows. A sun screening device used on the windshield must be non reflective and cannot be red, yellow, or amber. It may only be used along the top of the windshield and cannot extend past the AS1 line.
The 35% Combined VLT Requirement
The statute sets a minimum total light transmission of 35% whenever a sun screening device is used together with any other existing sun screening device on the vehicle. This 35% floor applies across the side wings, the side windows next to the driver, the side windows behind the driver, and the rear most window. Kansas law does not set a separate, more lenient VLT threshold for any particular passenger window on the vehicle.
Reflectivity and Color Restrictions
Beyond the VLT requirement, Kansas law separately restricts how a sun screening device can look regardless of how much light it lets through. A sun screening device used on the side wings or side windows next to the driver, the windows behind the driver, and the rear most window must be non reflective. The windshield strip above the AS1 line must also be non reflective and cannot be red, yellow, or amber in color under any circumstance.
Vehicles Covered Under Kansas Law
The 35% VLT requirement and the reflectivity rules in Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a, Office of Revisor of Statutes apply to any motor vehicle required to be registered in Kansas and operated on Kansas highways. The statute does not create a separate VLT standard for sedans compared to SUVs, vans, or trucks. Every registered passenger vehicle operating on Kansas roads is subject to the same 35% combined transmission floor on all covered windows.
Law Enforcement Vehicle Exception
Kansas law includes one specific carve out from the 35% VLT requirement. The statute states that the 35% minimum light transmission requirement does not apply to a window of a law enforcement motor vehicle. This exception is narrow and applies only to vehicles used by law enforcement agencies. It does not extend to any other government vehicle, commercial vehicle, or private passenger vehicle operating in the state.
The Medical and UV Protective Film Exemption
Kansas law does provide a medical exemption, though it works differently than many drivers expect. The exemption under Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a applies only to a clear, colorless, and transparent material, not standard dark tint film. This material must have a minimum visible light transmittance of 78% and must meet federal motor vehicle safety standard 205, including its 70% minimum light transmittance and its abrasion resistance requirement for AS14 glazing.
The material must also be designed and manufactured specifically to enhance the ability of the existing window glass to block the sun’s harmful ultraviolet A or B rays. This exemption is intended for UV protection rather than for reducing visibility into the vehicle. A driver relying on this exemption is not permitted to use a standard dark aftermarket tint film in place of a compliant windshield strip or side window film.
Documentation Required for the Medical Exemption
A driver or occupant relying on the clear UV protective film exemption must possess a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist. That statement must identify the driver or occupant with reasonable specificity and must state that, in the professional opinion of the physician or optometrist, equipping the vehicle with the material is necessary to safeguard that person’s health. The statement must be kept with the vehicle to be produced if requested.
The Sixty Day Citation Rule
If a driver is cited for failing to possess the required signed statement, Kansas law provides a specific cure period. The driver has 60 days from the citation to either produce the signed statement in court or remove the material described in the exemption. If the driver produces the statement or proves to the court’s satisfaction that the material has been removed, the court dismisses the citation. This 60 day window applies specifically to the documentation requirement, not to a VLT violation involving standard tint film.
Headlamp Covering Restrictions
Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a also addresses vehicle headlamps, a detail many tint focused articles leave out entirely. The statute prohibits equipping a registered vehicle with headlamps covered by any sun screening device, adhesive film, glaze, or other application that is highly reflective or otherwise nontransparent when the headlamps are not in operation. This rule exists separately from the window tint requirements but falls under the same statutory section.
Misdemeanor Classification
Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a states that any person convicted of violating its provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor. This is a codified fact directly from the statute text. A misdemeanor conviction carries a different legal classification than a routine traffic infraction, and a conviction under this section becomes part of a person’s record rather than functioning purely as a warning or a simple fix it notice.
Statutory Basis Versus Local Fine Amounts
The statute itself does not set a specific dollar amount for a tint violation. Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a states only that a violation is a misdemeanor, without listing a fixed fine schedule in the code language. Actual fines, court costs, and total amounts owed can vary by jurisdiction and by the local court handling the citation. A reader should not assume any single dollar figure applies statewide, since the codified law leaves that detail to enforcement and court practice rather than the statute text itself.
The Whole Windshield Can Be Tinted
A common misconception is that Kansas law treats the windshield the same as the side windows. Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a permits a sun screening device on the windshield only above the AS1 line, and that strip must remain non reflective. The remainder of the windshield below the AS1 line is not covered by this allowance. A full windshield tint job would fall outside what the statute permits for the windshield area.
There Is No Medical Exemption in Kansas
Some sources claim Kansas offers no medical exemption at all for window tint. This is inaccurate based on the statute text. Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a does provide an exemption, but it is narrowly defined around a clear, high transmittance, UV blocking material rather than a general allowance for darker tint. Understanding this distinction matters for anyone comparing Kansas rules against exemption processes described for other states.
A Doctors Note Allows Standard Dark Tint
Another misconception is that a signed statement from a physician or optometrist permits a driver to install ordinary dark aftermarket tint film. The exemption under Kansas Statutes Annotated Section 8-1749a is tied specifically to a clear, colorless material with at least 78% visible light transmittance that meets a specific federal safety standard. A signed medical statement does not authorize dark tint film below the general 35% VLT floor that applies to the rest of the vehicle.
Laws and enforcement may change. Check official state sources for the latest rules, including the Kansas Highway Patrol window tint guidance and the Kansas Legislature official statute portal for Section 8-1749a, before relying on any single summary of this law. For general guidance on how this article is intended to be used, see the Disclaimer.
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.