Window Tint Percentages Explained: 5% to 70%

A tint percentage is how much light the film lets through. The lower the number, the darker the tint. 5% lets almost nothing through, 70% is barely noticeable, and everything else falls in between. So if you are comparing two shades, the smaller number is always the darker one.

Is 35% or 20% tint darker?

20% is darker. It lets 20% of the light through, while 35% lets 35% through. From the outside, 35% looks like a classy smoked shade where you can still make out people inside. At 20%, you mostly see silhouettes in daylight and very little at night.

What does each percentage look like?

• 5%: often called limo tint. From outside you can't see in. From inside, it is noticeably dark at night.
• 15%: very dark. Popular on back windows of cars, where Florida allows it.
• 20%: dark and private. On many SUVs this is close to how dark the factory back glass already is.
• 35%: a medium smoked look. Easy to see out of day and night.
• 50%: a light shade that cuts glare without looking tinted from a distance.
• 70%: nearly clear. Used where you want heat and UV protection without changing the look.

Keep in mind the law and the look both count the glass and the film together. Many SUVs and trucks come with darker privacy glass in the back, so the same film looks darker on those windows than it does on clear glass.

Can you see out of 20% or 15% tint at night?

You can, but it takes some getting used to, especially backing up or on unlit roads. Most people find the front windows matter most, because that is where you look when you drive. Florida keeps the front side windows lighter anyway (more on that below), so you won't be driving with 15% next to your face.

How dark can I go in Florida?

Florida measures how much light gets through the glass and film together:

• Front side windows: more than 28% of light through, on every vehicle.
• Rear side windows and back window: more than 15% on cars, and more than 6% on SUVs, trucks, and vans.
• Windshield: a tint strip along the top, above the AS-1 line. Below that line, Florida doesn't allow tint.

Our Florida tint law chart breaks it down by vehicle. When you come in, we help you pick shades that stay within those limits, counting your factory glass.

Does darker tint block more heat?

Not with ceramic film. Cheap dyed tint mostly blocks heat by being dark, so you have to go very dark to feel a difference. Ceramic tint uses ceramic particles to reject the heat, so even a lighter shade keeps the cabin noticeably cooler. Our Max Comfort ceramic film blocks up to 98% of the heat you feel and 99% of UV, whatever shade you pick. That's why we usually suggest choosing the darkness you like the look of, not the one you think will be coolest. If you are deciding between film types, our ceramic tint vs regular tint guide goes deeper.

Which percentage should I get?

A combination most of our customers are happy with:

• Front side windows: a shade that meets Florida's front limit, so you can see well at night.
• Back windows: darker for privacy and to keep the back seat cooler, within the limit for your vehicle.
• Windshield: our fully clear windshield option, which doesn't darken the glass but still blocks UV and heat.

Not sure? Come by the shop in Wildwood, across from Brownwood Paddock Square, and we'll hold film samples up to your actual windows so you can see each shade before you decide. Every install comes with a lifetime warranty on film and labor. See our window tint options.