Tint laws in Maryland.

Maryland drivers from Elkton, North East and Rising Sun make the short trip to our Wilmington shop all the time. Maryland's rule is simpler than Pennsylvania's and tighter than Delaware's, and it depends on how your vehicle is registered. Here it is in plain English.

Here's what you'll find below:

• The short answer
• Limits by vehicle class
• The windshield rule
• Safety equipment repair orders
• How to pick a legal Maryland setup
• Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey

The short answer

On a Maryland passenger car, every window must let at least 35% of light through. On multipurpose vehicles, trucks and for-hire vehicles, the 35% rule applies only to the windows immediately left and right of the driver, so the rear windows can go darker. No tint goes on the windshield below the AS-1 line.

35% is a classic medium shade. On a Maryland car it's also the legal limit on every window.

Maryland tint limits by vehicle class

The percentage is light transmittance through glass and film together. Your registration card shows the class. Many SUVs are registered Class M, but some crossovers are Class A, so check before you pick a rear shade.

The windshield rule

Maryland allows no tint on the windshield below the AS-1 line, or below 5 inches from the top if there's no AS-1 mark. A sun strip across the top is fine; anything lower is not.

What a safety equipment repair order means

If an officer believes your tint is too dark, they can issue a citation and a safety equipment repair order, called a SERO. You then have the tint corrected and take the vehicle to an authorized Maryland inspection station, where a registered mechanic meters each regulated window and signs a window tint inspection report (form 23-04). Each regulated window has to read 35% or better to pass.

Altering the tint after the station signs off is its own violation, with a penalty of up to $500 or six months. If we tinted your car and you need a window brought into compliance, call us before the deadline on the order.

How to pick a legal Maryland setup in 3 steps

1. Check the class on your registration
2. Put 35% on the front doors
3. Decide the back by class

Let's go over each step.

1. Check the class on your registration

Class A means 35% everywhere. Class M, E or B means 35% on the front doors and your choice behind them. Bring the card to your appointment and we'll confirm it.

2. Put 35% on the front doors

35% is the limit on every Maryland vehicle's front doors. We install it in C2 Carbon or Apex Ultra Ceramic; the ceramic version rejects about 96% of infrared heat at that shade. Compare the two films.

3. Decide the back by class

On a Class M SUV or Class E pickup, 20% or 5% in the back is legal and popular. On a Class A car, the back stays at 35% too. Try the shades on a car in our tint visualizer.

Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Tint law follows the state the car is registered in, not where it was tinted. Delaware allows 50% fronts and anything in the back, Pennsylvania wants 70% on every window, and New Jersey allows no front tint at all.

General information for passenger vehicles, not legal advice. Laws change, so check Maryland's current rules before tinting. Sources: Maryland Transportation Article §22-406 and the Maryland State Police window tint inspection report.

Maryland tint law FAQ