/ What changed
Effective July 1, 2026, HB 1161 rewrote the passenger-car tint numbers in O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1. The prior wording is in the 2024 Georgia Code.
| Window or rule | Before July 1, 2026 | From July 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Front side and door windows (left and right of the driver) | At least 32% VLT (±3%) | At least 28% VLT (±3%) |
| Rear windshield and rear side or door windows on a standard passenger car | Same 32% VLT (±3%) rule. Old (b)(2) covered “the rear windshield or the side or door windows” | At least 15% VLT (±3%) (new (b)(3)) |
| Rear glass on a multipurpose passenger vehicle | Already excepted. Old (c)(6) excluded “the rear windshield or the side or door windows, except those windows to the right and left of the driver” | Still excepted. New (c)(6) covers “the rear windshield or the rear side or door windows” |
| Light reflectance on those regulated side and rear windows | No more than 20% | No more than 20% (unchanged) |
| Front windshield | No light-reducing material, except listed items (including a transparent, non-red/non-amber item on the uppermost six inches) | Unchanged |
Sources: current O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1 (effective July 1, 2026); 2024 O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1; HB 1161 (Section 3 amends the tint statute; Section 8 sets July 1, 2026). This article is general information, not legal advice.
For film types and how to choose a shade, see How to Choose Window Tint in Marietta.
/ What this means for your car
A lower VLT number is a darker window. On a standard passenger car, you can now go darker than the old 32% floor: about 28% on the front doors and about 15% on the rear windshield and rear side windows, each plus or minus 3%, with reflectance still no higher than 20%. A car that sat just below the old 32% front-side floor—but at or above 28%—may now be legal if the finished glass also meets the reflectance cap. The same is true of rear glass that was darker than 32% but no darker than 15%.
Those “may”s matter. Georgia measures “material and glazing” together, so the legal reading is the finished window (film plus factory glass), not a box percentage. Plan around the 28% and 15% floors and have the shop meter the glass.
A “multipurpose passenger vehicle” is designed to carry ten persons or less and built on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation. Some SUVs, pickups, and vans qualify; a crossover on a car platform may not. Rear glass on those vehicles was already excepted from the old 32% rule; front doors were not. The rewrite keeps that rear exception and still holds the windows beside the driver to the front-side limit, now 28% (±3%). Ask the shop to confirm your vehicle class.
The windshield rule did not loosen. Light-reducing material there remains unlawful except as listed, including a transparent, non-red/non-amber item on the uppermost six inches. If you have not heard about the July 2026 update, that is not a reason to add full-windshield film.
/ Get a legal shade in Marietta
If you want to use the new limits—or confirm what you already have—MeggaMaxx can match a legal LLumar ceramic film at 80 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta, GA 30062. The shop has been an authorized LLumar dealer since 1999 and offers a lifetime warranty on the film and the installation. Same-day car tint is available when bay time allows. Call 678-355-9300 or request a quick estimate. Walk-ins are welcome Monday–Friday 10 am–6 pm and Saturday 10 am–5 pm (Sunday closed), one block north of the Big Chicken.
/ 7 steps after Georgia’s 2026 tint-law change
1. Learn how Georgia measures tint
Ask for quotes in VLT and reflectance, not slang like “limo” or a box percentage. Factory glass already lowers transmission, so near-limit film can meter too dark on the car.
2. Apply the July 1, 2026 limits window by window
Plan front doors around 28% (±3%) and, on a standard car, rear glass around 15% (±3%), with reflectance at or under 20%. Leave the windshield clear except for an allowed top-band item.
3. Confirm whether your rear glass is excepted
Check the multipurpose-passenger-vehicle definition and other (c)(6) rear-glass exceptions before asking for unrestricted darkness in the back. Front side windows stay at 28% even when rear glass is excepted.
4. Choose film technology separately from darkness
Ceramic film can reject heat at a legal shade. MeggaMaxx’s window tint page says LLumar ceramic blocks up to 99% of UV rays and rejects up to 85% of infrared heat, without metal layers that can interfere with phones, GPS, or keyless entry. Compare film types in the Marietta tint buying guide.
5. Respect the windshield rule
The 2026 amendment did not open the windshield. The Code still bars light-reducing material there, with listed exceptions such as a transparent, non-red/non-amber item on the uppermost six inches. MeggaMaxx will not install illegal windshield film.
6. Use the official medical process if you need an exemption
Bring official DPS paperwork rather than asking a shop to go darker than the statute allows. Subsection (d) lets the Georgia Department of Public Safety issue an exemption when a person must be shielded from the sun for medical reasons, with written attestation from a licensed physician or certified optometrist. The steps are on georgia.gov (updated June 2026). A shop visit is not a medical workaround.
7. Book an in-shop install that will meter the glass
Pick a shop that will refuse an illegal shade and warrant film and labor. MeggaMaxx, an authorized LLumar dealer since 1999, offers a lifetime warranty on film and installation and does tint in-shop at 80 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta, GA 30062. Call 678-355-9300 or send a quick estimate. Follow the aftercare card (usually 3–5 days before rolling windows down) and use an ammonia-free cleaner. Installing or driving with illegal tint is a misdemeanor under subsection (h); the statute lists no fixed ticket amount.
/ Georgia tint update checklist
- I know the law changed July 1, 2026 (HB 1161 / O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1)
- Front sides: 28% VLT (±3%), down from 32%; reflectance still 20% max
- Standard-car rear glass: 15% VLT (±3%); it used to share the old 32% side-and-rear rule
- I checked whether my vehicle may be a multipurpose passenger vehicle for rear glass only
- No windshield film beyond the allowed top band (unchanged)
- I want finished windows metered, not a box percentage
- Medical needs go through the official DPS application
- In-shop appointment at 80 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta, GA 30062 (678-355-9300)
- I planned several days before rolling windows down
Contact the shop with vehicle questions before you book.
/ FAQs
Did Georgia’s tint law change in 2026? +
Yes. HB 1161 amended O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1 effective July 1, 2026. Front side windows moved from 32% to 28% VLT (±3%). A standard car’s rear windshield and rear side windows now have a separate 15% (±3%) minimum. Reflectance remains capped at 20%.
What percent tint is legal on front windows in Georgia now? +
Front side windows to the left and right of the driver may not be reduced below 28% light transmission, plus or minus 3%, or reflect more than 20%. Ask the shop to meter the finished glass—film plus factory glass—not just the number on the film box.
Can I go darker on the back of my car now? +
On a standard passenger car, yes: rear windshield and rear side windows may now go down to 15% VLT (±3%). Before July 1, 2026, those windows shared the old 32% (±3%) side-and-rear rule, unless a statutory exception such as a qualifying multipurpose passenger vehicle applied.
Can I tint my windshield in Georgia? +
Light-reducing material on the front windshield remains unlawful, with listed exceptions. The most common is a transparent item that is not red or amber on the uppermost six inches. That windshield rule did not change in 2026. MeggaMaxx states it will not install illegal windshield film.
How do I get a medical window-tint exemption in Georgia? +
Apply through the Georgia Department of Public Safety with a physician’s or optometrist’s written attestation, vehicle details, and a $10 fee (money order or certified or cashier’s check). Keep the approved exemption in the vehicle and renew it every four years. Start at georgia.gov.
Where can I get legal window tint in Marietta? +
MeggaMaxx is an authorized LLumar dealer (est. 1999) at 80 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta, GA 30062. Tint is installed in-shop, with a lifetime warranty on the film and the installation. Call 678-355-9300 or request a Quick Estimate.