Window Tint Guide: Understand
SC vs Georgia vs North Carolina Tint Laws
Anderson sits a short drive from both state lines. Cross Lake Hartwell and you are in Georgia; head up I-85 or US-25 and you reach North Carolina. All three states regulate window tint, and they do it in noticeably different ways.
Georgia also changed its law in 2026, so many tint charts online are out of date. This comparison works straight from the three statutes, current as of October 2026.
The short answer
South Carolina requires at least 27% combined light transmission on front sides and, for cars and pickups, all windows behind the driver. Georgia, since July 1, 2026, allows 28% plus or minus 3% on front sides and 15% plus or minus 3% on rear side windows, with MPV rear windows exempt. North Carolina requires 35%, presuming compliance above 32%, and exempts rear windows of MPVs, including pickups and minivans.
Key points
- Front side windows: SC 27% combined, Georgia 28% plus or minus 3%, North Carolina 35% with a 32% presumption.
- Pickups are the biggest split: South Carolina regulates their rear windows, North Carolina treats them as multipurpose vehicles and exempts them.
- Georgia's July 2026 amendment created a separate 15% limit for rear side windows on vehicles that are not MPVs.
- North Carolina exempts windows on vehicles registered in another state that meet their home state's rules; Georgia's statute has no such exemption.
- South Carolina's statute applies to vehicles required to be registered in South Carolina.
Front sides
Front side windows: three different numbers
South Carolina allows one film on the windows to the immediate right and left of the driver, and the film combined with the factory glass must let through at least 27% of visible light. There is no stated tolerance.
Georgia's statute, as amended by House Bill 1161 effective July 1, 2026, makes it unlawful for film on the front side windows to reduce light transmission below 28%, plus or minus 3%, or to raise light reflectance above 20%. The law defines front side windows as those directly to the right and left of the driver. Before the change, Georgia's figure was 32% for all side and rear windows, which is why older charts disagree.
North Carolina requires at least 35% total light transmission on windows other than the windshield, but says a window that measures more than 32% on a light meter approved by the Commissioner is conclusively presumed to comply. Of the three, North Carolina's front windows end up the lightest.
Behind the driver
Rear windows, SUVs and the pickup split
South Carolina applies the 27% combined rule to side windows behind the driver and to the rear-most window, and a tinted rear-most window requires both outside mirrors. Subsection (I) then exempts windows behind the driver on multipurpose passenger vehicles, other trucks, buses, trailers, mobile homes and recreational vehicles, but says plainly that the requirement still applies to pickup trucks.
Georgia's amended law adds a separate limit of 15%, plus or minus 3%, for the rear windshield and rear side windows. Its exemption list keeps the rear windshield and rear side windows of multipurpose passenger vehicles, certain buses and vans, limousines, and vehicles whose windows were tinted or darkened before factory delivery. One drafting oddity: the amended text lists the rear windshield under both the 28% and 15% limits. If you plan to rely on Georgia's rear windshield number, ask Georgia's Department of Public Safety how it is enforced.
North Carolina exempts windows behind the driver on a multipurpose vehicle, defined as a passenger vehicle designed for 10 or fewer passengers that is built on a truck chassis or has features for occasional off-road use, and the statute states that a minivan and a pickup truck are multipurpose vehicles. That is the opposite of South Carolina's treatment of pickups.
Windshield
Windshields and sun strips
- South CarolinaAS1 line only
- Film may be used only along the top and may not extend below the AS1 line. If the AS1 line is not visible, no film may go on the windshield. The statute makes no exception for clear film. The AS-1 line rule
- GeorgiaTop six inches
- Material that reduces light transmission through the windshield is unlawful, except a transparent item that is not red or amber placed on the uppermost six inches.
- North CarolinaFive inches or AS1
- Tint only along the top, not more than five inches below the top or below the AS1 line, whichever is longer. North Carolina also allows an untinted clear film that reduces ultraviolet radiation and does not obstruct vision on the windshield.
Shine and color
Reflectance and color rules
South Carolina requires film to be nonreflective, defined as primarily designed to absorb light rather than reflect it, and bans red, yellow and amber. It sets no reflectance percentage. Georgia and North Carolina both cap light reflectance at 20%. North Carolina also requires film to be nonreflective and not red, yellow or amber, while Georgia's color language appears in its windshield exception (not red or amber).
In practice, an absorbing film such as carbon or ceramic with low published reflection satisfies all three states on this point. Mirror and chrome films are where the states diverge, and South Carolina's definition is the hardest to meet.
Crossing lines
Which state's law applies when you cross the line
South Carolina's statute opens by saying no person may operate a motor vehicle required to be registered in this State with film that does not comply. As written, it is aimed at South Carolina vehicles. A car registered and properly kept in Georgia or North Carolina is not, on the face of the statute, required to meet the South Carolina section.
North Carolina says so outright: its darkness and reflectance limits do not apply to a window of a vehicle registered in another state that meets the requirements of the state where it is registered. A South Carolina car that meets South Carolina's rules is covered by that exemption while in North Carolina.
Georgia's statute makes it unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle in this state with noncompliant film, and its list of exemptions does not include out-of-state vehicles. Read literally, a South Carolina car driven on Georgia roads is subject to Georgia's limits. For a South Carolina sedan at 27% on the front sides, that sits inside Georgia's 28% plus or minus 3% tolerance. Lake Hartwell boat days on the Georgia side and trips through Hart or Franklin County are where this matters.
This is a plain-language comparison of statutes, not legal advice. Enforcement practice can differ from the text; check with the relevant state's Department of Public Safety or a lawyer for your situation.
Exemptions and penalties
Medical exemptions and penalties side by side
- South Carolina medical exemption: an affidavit from a physician or optometrist licensed in South Carolina, kept in the vehicle, updated every two years, for a vehicle registered to the person or guardian.
- Georgia medical exemption: issued by the Department of Public Safety on application, supported by written attestation from a licensed physician or optometrist, with conditions DPS sets.
- North Carolina medical exception: a permit through the Drivers Medical Evaluation Program, valid up to five years, carried in the vehicle, with a sticker on the lower left of the rear window.
- South Carolina penalty for owner or operator: a misdemeanor, fine up to two hundred dollars or up to thirty days. Installers face separate penalties for certificate violations.
- Georgia penalty: violating the operating or installation limits is a misdemeanor.
- North Carolina penalty: a Class 3 misdemeanor, with a defense if the tint is removed within 15 days and a DMV or Highway Patrol certificate shows compliance.
| Window | South Carolina | Georgia (from July 1, 2026) | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front side windows | At least 27% combined | 28% plus or minus 3% | 35%; over 32% on approved meter presumed compliant |
| Rear side windows, cars | At least 27% combined | 15% plus or minus 3% | 35%; over 32% presumed compliant |
| Rear window, cars | At least 27% combined; two outside mirrors | Listed under both 28% and 15% limits | 35%; over 32% presumed compliant |
| Behind driver, SUVs and minivans (MPVs) | Exempt from darkness limit | Exempt | Exempt |
| Behind driver, pickups | At least 27% combined | Depends on classification | Exempt (pickup is an MPV) |
| Windshield | Above AS1 line only | Transparent item, top six inches, not red or amber | Top five inches or AS1; clear UV film allowed |
| Reflectance | Nonreflective (no number) | 20% maximum | 20% maximum and nonreflective |
| Vehicles from other states | Statute covers SC-registered vehicles | No out-of-state exemption in statute | Exempt if compliant with home state |
Summaries of S.C. Code § 56-5-5015, O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1 as amended by HB 1161 (2026), and N.C.G.S. § 20-127. Georgia's statute does not say how pickups are classified.
Tint that works on both sides of the lake
We check the legal shade for your vehicle before installing and put the South Carolina certificate on each tinted window. Ask us how your choice reads against Georgia's limits too.
Common questions
Did Georgia change its window tint law in 2026?
Yes. House Bill 1161, effective July 1, 2026, amended O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1. Front side windows now have a 28% limit, plus or minus 3%, and rear side windows on vehicles that are not multipurpose passenger vehicles have a 15% limit, plus or minus 3%. The 20% reflectance cap stayed. Charts showing a single 32% figure for Georgia describe the old law.
Can I get a ticket in Georgia for South Carolina legal tint?
Georgia's statute applies to any person operating a motor vehicle in Georgia and lists no exemption for out-of-state vehicles. A South Carolina car at 27% or lighter on the front sides falls within Georgia's 28% plus or minus 3% tolerance. A South Carolina pickup or car with rear windows at 27% is lighter than Georgia's 15% rear limit, so ordinary South Carolina legal tint lines up with Georgia's numbers.
Why are pickups treated differently in North Carolina?
North Carolina's statute defines a multipurpose vehicle and then says a minivan and a pickup truck are multipurpose vehicles, so windows behind the driver on a pickup are exempt from its darkness limits. South Carolina's subsection (I) does the opposite, stating that the light transmittance requirement applies to windows behind the driver on pickup trucks. A pickup tinted dark in Charlotte may not be legal once it is registered in Anderson.
Is North Carolina's tint law stricter than South Carolina's?
On cars, yes: North Carolina requires 35% total light transmission, presumed met above 32% on an approved meter, while South Carolina allows 27% combined. North Carolina is looser on pickups and allows clear UV film on the windshield, which South Carolina's statute does not carve out. Both ban red, yellow and amber film and require nonreflective film.
Keep reading
Sources
- S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5015, South Carolina Legislature (https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php), accessed October 2026
- House Bill 1161 (2026), as passed, amending O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1, Office of the Governor of Georgia (https://gov.georgia.gov/document/2026-signed-legislation/hb-1161/download), accessed October 2026
- Senate substitute to HB 1022 (LC 63 0166S) reproducing O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1 subsections (c) to (h), Georgia General Assembly (https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/247251), accessed October 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-127, Windows and windshield wipers, North Carolina General Assembly (https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-127.html), accessed October 2026
Prices on this page are The Auto Show’s published starting prices. Film ratings and warranty terms come from the manufacturer. This guide explains South Carolina law in plain words; it is not legal advice.