Ohio Administrative Code 4501-41-03
What tint is actually legal in Ohio.
Short version: 50% on your front doors. As dark as you want behind the driver. We confirm the limit with you before the work is done.
The limits
| Window | Minimum light through | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | 70%± 3 | Cannot be red or yellow. |
| Windshield top strip | Unregulated | A strip along the top is not regulated at all, as long as it stops at the AS-1 line or five inches down — whichever is closer to the top. Yes, you can have a visor strip. |
| Front side windows | 50%± 3 | The one that gets people ticketed. Cannot be red or yellow. |
| Rear side windows | Any darkness | Legal as dark as you like, if the car has both outside mirrors. |
| Rear window | Any darkness | Same — both outside mirrors required. |
- Never legal
Red or yellow film on the windshield or front doors.
- Never legal
Reflective or mirrored film. Any window, no exceptions.
- Required
A label with the maker’s name and the light-transmission percentage, in the lower left corner of the window, read from outside. We fit it on every car.
See it
Drag past the line and the readout turns red. Anything in the red is below the limit for front side windows.
Ceramic Grade A
Same price at 5% as at 35%. Darkness is free.
Starting price for a regular-size vehicle. Larger vehicles are quoted. All around means every window except the windshield.
The two questions
“Can you just do 20% on the front? Everybody else will.”
No. Ohio charges you for driving it and charges us for fitting it, and ours is the heavier charge. No signature you give us moves either one. Film fitted below the limit has to come back off the car.
“Then what do I actually do about heat?”
Ceramic. A legal 50% ceramic rejects more heat than a cheap 20% dyed film, because heat rejection is infrared, not darkness. Dark and cool are two different specifications.
Get it done legal.
Indoor bay, labelled film, warranty in writing. Talk to the shop before you book.
Source: Ohio Administrative Code 4501-41-03 and Ohio Revised Code 4513.241. Last checked July 2026. This is what the code says, not legal advice — if you’re arguing a ticket, talk to a lawyer.