Yes, you can get pulled over for tint in Maryland with no other violation involved. Window tint is a primary offense under state law, so an officer who believes your windows look darker than the legal limit has enough on its own to stop you, write a $70 citation, and hand you a repair order.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-406
Tint Is a Primary Offense in Maryland
Maryland law explicitly authorizes an officer who observes a vehicle with tint that appears to violate the rules to stop the driver and issue both a citation and a repair order.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-406 The officer does not need to see you speeding, running a light, or committing any other infraction first. A visual read that your tint looks too dark is enough.
That is what separates tint from a secondary offense, which can only produce a ticket after a stop for something else. Tint stands on its own.
Out-of-state plates do not help. Maryland courts have held that drivers registered elsewhere must comply with Maryland’s tint rules while driving on Maryland roads. Legal tint back home does not shield you from a stop or a citation here.
What Counts as Illegal Tint
Maryland measures tint darkness by Visible Light Transmission (VLT), the percentage of outside light that passes through the glass and any film on it. Lower VLT means darker glass. The threshold depends on the vehicle and the window.
Passenger Cars
On sedans, coupes, convertibles, and station wagons, every window with aftermarket tint must let through at least 35% of light. Front sides, rear sides, and rear windshield are all held to the same 35% VLT minimum.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-406 – Safety Glazing Material in Motor Vehicles
SUVs, Trucks, and Vans
Multipurpose vehicles get more room behind the driver. The front side windows still have to meet 35% VLT, but the rear side windows and the rear windshield can be tinted to any darkness, including full blackout.3Maryland State Police. Vehicle Equipment FAQs This rule covers Class E trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.
The Windshield
No aftermarket tint is allowed on the windshield below the AS-1 line, or below five inches from the top, whichever leaves less tinted area.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-406 – Medical Exemption for Enhanced Tinted Windows The AS-1 line is a small marking etched into the glass by the manufacturer. For most drivers, it corresponds to the thin shaded strip across the top of the windshield.
Banned Colors and Reflective Film
Some film is illegal no matter how much light it lets through. Red, yellow, and amber tint is prohibited, along with any film that sparkles or has a reflective or mirrored finish.3Maryland State Police. Vehicle Equipment FAQs Hitting 35% VLT does not save film in these categories.
How Officers Measure Your Tint
The visual read justifies the stop; the number on the ticket comes from a tint meter. These devices shine a beam of light through the glass at 550 nanometers (the peak of human eye sensitivity) and measure how much reaches a sensor on the other side.
The meters used in enforcement are accurate to plus or minus two percentage points. A reading of 33% could reflect an actual VLT anywhere from 31% to 35%. That matters if your film is right at the legal minimum, because normal measurement variation can push a borderline window into ticket territory. Reputable installers usually aim a few points above 35% for exactly this reason.
What Happens After the Stop
A tint citation carries a standard fine of $70 for operating a vehicle with unauthorized tinting material.5Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule It is a civil traffic offense, not a criminal charge.
The fine is the smaller problem. Along with it, the officer issues a Safety Equipment Repair Order, or SERO. The SERO gives you 10 days to remove or replace the illegal film. Once the work is done, an authorized inspection station has to certify it, and you must submit that certification to the Maryland State Police Automotive Safety Enforcement Division within 30 days of the date the SERO was issued.6Maryland State Police. Safety Equipment Repair Order (SERO)
Miss that 30-day window and the consequences grow. If the State Police do not receive your certified documentation in time, you get a notice that your vehicle registration will be suspended.6Maryland State Police. Safety Equipment Repair Order (SERO) Driving on a suspended registration exposes you to charges well beyond the original $70. Professional tint removal generally runs $50 to $250, depending on how many windows are involved and whether you replace the film with a legal version.
Medical Exemptions Are Narrow
Maryland allows darker tint if a medical condition requires extra protection from sunlight. As of October 1, 2025, either a Maryland-licensed physician or a Maryland-licensed optometrist can certify the need.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 22-406 – Medical Exemption for Enhanced Tinted Windows The certification has to be on an official Maryland State Police form stating that tint below 35% VLT is medically necessary.7Maryland State Police. Physician’s Written Certification of Necessity for Medical Exemption
A few limits on the exemption are worth knowing before you rely on one:
- It covers darker tint on the front sides, rear sides, and rear window, plus tinting above the AS-1 line on the windshield. It does not authorize tint across the main viewing area of the windshield.
- It lasts up to two years unless the certifying provider states the condition is permanent.
- You have to keep the completed form in the vehicle and present it if an officer stops you for tint.
Without the form in hand at the stop, the exemption will not keep you from being ticketed.