Tinted window films on your car provide you privacy and may protect against harmful UV rays. However, before you get your car windows tinted in Colorado, you need to know the state’s car tinting laws: Ignoring these rules can lead to fines and even impact you in a car accident.
In this article I break down four key things you need to know about Colorado window tinting law.
1. Your Vehicle Has “Visible Light Transmission” (VLT) Limits
“Visible Light Transmission,” or VLT, refers to how much light passes through the tinted window into your car. For example, a 70% VLT tint lets 70% of light in and is relatively light; meanwhile, a 5% VLT tint (often called “limo tint”) only lets 5% of light in and is therefore very dark.
Colorado law sets the following VLT percentage requirements for different windows on your sedans and SUVs.
Windshields
In Colorado, you can have non-reflective tint only on the top four inches of your front windshield. This windshield tint must allow at least 70% VLT.
This small strip is meant to help with sun glare without blocking your view of the road. You cannot tint your entire windshield, regardless of how light the tint is.
Front Side Windows (Driver and Front Passenger)
Front side windows on both sides must allow at least 27% VLT. This means the tint cannot be too dark, ensuring police can see into your vehicle and you can clearly see your surroundings, including pedestrians and other drivers.
Rear Side Windows and Rear Window (Back and Back Passenger)
If your front side windows have at least 70% VLT (meaning they are very light or untinted), then your rear side windows and rear window can have any level of tint darkness, including very dark “limo tint.”
However, if your front side windows have less than 70% VLT (meaning they have some tint, but still meet the 27% VLT requirement), then your rear side windows and rear window must also allow at least 27% VLT.
Note that if your rear window is tinted, Colorado law requires you to have dual side mirrors (one on each side of the vehicle). This is to ensure you still have good rearward visibility even with a darker rear window.1
Be sure to have your vehicle window tinting done by a reputable installer.
2. The Tint Type and Color Also Matter
Colorado law prohibits any window tint that has a metallic or mirrored appearance on any window of your vehicle. This kind of tint can create dangerous glare for other drivers, especially at night or in direct sunlight.
You also cannot have red or amber colored tint on any of your vehicle windows These tint colors could interfere with the perception of traffic signals or other vehicle lights.2
In Colorado, your back side windows must have at least 27% VLT if if your front side windows have less than 70% VLT (but at least 27% VLT).
3. Violating Colorado Tint Laws Carries Penalties
Most window tint violations in Colorado are class B traffic infraction. This is generally a civil matter carrying $15 to $100 plus a surcharge but no jail. You might also receive a “Fix-It Ticket” requiring you to remove the unlawful tint and provide proof of compliance within a certain time frame.
In cases where the tint is excessively dark and presents a clear safety hazard – or where you have repeated tinting infractions – police may find a way to cite you for a misdemeanor traffic offense. Penalties include up to 12 months in jail, up to $1,000 in fines, and DMV points (too many of which can trigger a driver’s license suspension).3
Unlike some other states, Colorado does NOT have medical exemptions for window tinting. Even if you have a medical condition that makes you sensitive to sunlight, you must still adhere to the standard tinting laws.
It is recommended – but not required – that you have stickers on your motor vehicle to identify lawful tinting. Having documentation from a reputable tinting installer can be helpful if you are pulled over by police, who use a “tint meter” to measure how much light penetrates your windows.
CRS 42-4-227 permits darker tint films on rear windows as long as the front windows have at least 70% VLT.
4. Unlawful Tinting May Increase Your Blame for a Crash
If you are involved in a car accident – and the court finds that your unlawful dark window tint obstructed your view and contributed to the crash – you could be held partially or fully liable for the accident.
Colorado state law follows the modified comparative negligence rule where you are assigned a percentage of blame for an accident. You can recover personal injury damages only if you are less than 50% responsible for the accident; even if you do recover damages, they will reduced by your percentage of fault.4
Therefore if you sustain $10,000 in damages in a car crash – but you are found to be 49% at fault due to illegal tinting on your car – the most you can recover is $5,100.
Having tinted windows can potentially increase your liability in a car crash case.
Additional Reading
For more in-depth information, our law firm recommends you refer to the following scholarly articles:
- Window tinting regulations and medical exemptions in the United States: Implications for patients and providers – Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
- Effect of Aftermarket Automobile Window Tinting Films on Driver Vision – Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
- Effects of car window tinting on visual performance: a comparison of elderly and young drivers – Ergonomics.
Legal References
- Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) § 42-4-227. Brooke Williams, Colorado law: How dark can vehicle windows be tinted? FOX 31 (.
- Same.
- Colorado Revised Statute 42-4-1701.
- CRS 13-21-111. In addition, violating tint rules may make law enforcement more suspicious of you during a traffic stop. See People v. Martinez (Colo.App. 2025) 23CA2198; People ex rel. E.J.G. (Colo.App. 2023) 21CA1986.
