A Quick Rundown the Window Tinting Laws in Alaska
In Alaska, the tinting of vehicle windows is regulated by state law, which is primarily governed by Alaska Statute 28.35.125. This section specifically explains the parameters within which window tinting in Alaska may be legally performed. These regulations serve two primary purposes: ensuring safety and providing a measure of privacy for drivers and passengers.
Essentially, there are two statewide tinting regulations in Alaska. The first involves the permissible visible light transmissions on the front windshield, which must be 70 percent, or 35 percent with an additional shade band on the top of the windshield. Additionally, on the front two driver and passenger windows, the visible light transmissions may be on the same percentage scale of 70 percent, or 35 percent if with shade bands. From the second row of windows to the rear of the vehicle, windows can have a tint as dark as the owner or manager of the vehicle desires, so long as the vehicle does not include any defective window any more than horizontally from the edge of the window than 10 inches.
Exemptions do exist in Alaska tint laws , specifically that the Department of Public Safety in Alaska may exempt a vehicle from the tinting requirements if its owner or passenger requires the use of tinted windows for a medical reason. This typically needs to certified by a licensed physician or optometrist in Alaska who can attest to the safety concerns experienced by a particular person in front of bright sun or high-contrast environments. Other exemptions exist under Alaska Administrative Code Title 13 Section 12.270 in the Alaska laws regarding tint, although these specific stipulations will not be discussed here. In general, any vehicle carrying a manufacturer tint with a federal certification label is allowed to be exempt from requirements. Any vehicles tinted prior to July 1, 1997 may also be exempt.
Since Alaska is such a cold state with extreme weather conditions, any temporary tinting is prohibited other than a sticker, which must also be removed after 30 days or less.
Permitted Window Tint Percentages
Windshield: The tinting on your windshield in Alaska must fall within the 5% VLT (Visible Light Transmission) threshold. In other words, you will need a permit if your car’s VLT is lower than 95%. All windshields must have at least 70% VLT as well.
Front-side windows: The legal tint percentage for these windows is 70% VLT for passenger vehicles and 50% VLT for commercial vehicles. The front-side windows on commercial vehicles must also allow 70% VLT.
Back-side windows: The legal tint percentage for back-side windows is 20% VLT for passenger vehicles, and 14% VLT for commercial vehicles, allowing 20% VLT for the rear-side windows on commercial vehicles.
Rear-side windows: The legal tint percentage for these windows is 5% VLT for passenger vehicles, and 5% VLT for commercial vehicles. The rear-side windows on commercial vehicles must also allow 5% VLT.
The percentages above refer to the percentage of light transmittance allowed through the tint. Essentially, the darker the tint, the lower the VLT percentage. For example, if the tint on your vehicle had a 15 percent VLT, then 15 percent of the visible light was able to make its way through the tint, whereas 85 percent of visible light was not allowed in.
Tints that are Exempt or Have Special Requirements
Every state has exceptions to its tint laws, and Alaska is no different. The first exception is that all vehicles registered outside of the state are exempt from the state regulations. The second is with regard to medical waivers from the state’s window tint laws. Both the Department of Motor Vehicles and Anchorage Police Services provide medical exemption forms in their offices. Once the proper form has been completed by the physician, it must be signed by the applicant and current photographs of both the outer and inner windows must be submitted with the request for exemption. The doctor will indicate the window treatment that is covered, up to a maximum of 50 percent of the window being tinted. Clinic exemption stickers are available for $5 each and must be affixed to the inside lower left corner of the windshield on the driver’s side. Those who have tinted two or more windows must carry their tinted exemption sticker with them at all times. Any person who enters into a lease or rental agreement for a vehicle with tinted windows that exceed the regulation amount of tint is exempt from the tint restriction. The driver must, however, have the original dated rental or lease agreement with them at all times while driving the rented or leased vehicle in order to be spared from a ticket.
Penalties for Noncompliance
The penalties for failing to follow the Alaska tint laws can be severe, just as with any law designed to ensure the safety and security of all road users. The repercussions for violating the window tint law can be both financial as well as affect your insurance status. On the whole, window tint fines in Alaska are not too expensive, starting at around $20 for a first violation. However, the fines for subsequent infractions increase to $100 for a second violation and $300 for a third violation. In light of this, it would be preferable to pay the small fee and remove the problematic film rather than risk getting pulled over again and having to pay a significantly heftier fine. The fines for violating Alaska’s tint laws are applied on a per-window basis, which means that you can be fined for each window of your car that is non-compliant. While you may think that only one window is an issue, Alaska’s Department of Motor Vehicles will consider the entire vehicle to be in question until all of the tint has been removed and the tint levels re-tested to ensure compliance. These fines only apply to violations of the tint laws, and do not apply to any of the other driver’s offences that resulted in the stop. However, because police officers will usually ask to see your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance at the time of the stop, additional issues with your insurance could lead to further penalties. If you have your insurance papers with you in your vehicle and they haven’t expired, then this should not be an issue. However, if the tint causes impairment to your vision and you are subsequently stopped because of this, then the likelihood is that you will receive additional fines, points on your license, and may even have your insurance revoked. It is also possible that, due to repeat offenses, a driver could lose their license if they are caught and found guilty of repeated window tint violations. The police will not usually arrest a driver for violating window tint laws, but if they are found guilty of violating Alaska’s tint laws repeatedly, then they could face jail time or have their vehicle impounded until they rectify the issue. Penalties for violating the tint laws can have both short-term and long-term consequences for drivers, and as such, it is preferable to follow the regulations and enjoy the benefits that are available to all Alaska road users.
How to Test your Tint and Stay Legal
For vehicle owners, measuring their window tint is key to ensuring their vehicle complies with Alaska tint laws. The process of measuring the tint involves using a simple tool called a tint meter. A tint meter is designed to measure the visible light transmission (VLT) of a window, which is the amount of light that passes through the glass. By comparing the tint meter reading to the legal VLT limit for each window, vehicle owners can quickly determine if their tint is compliant.
To use a tint meter , the vehicle owner simply places the meter over the window, turns it on, and presses the button. The meter will then display the VLT reading in percentage form. It is important to note that most tint meters need to be calibrated before use and should be recalibrated periodically to ensure accuracy. Those who do not own a tint meter can often have their tint measured at local tint shops, law enforcement agencies, or automotive inspection stations.
Recent Amendments and Changes
Although there have not been any significant changes to Alaska’s tint laws, it is always important for vehicle owners to remain informed about current tint regulations. To that end, an important update came in early 2019. That was when the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced that they would be making the sun visor exemption available to all windshield tint film users. The exemption allowed no less than thirty-four inches of tinted windshields before the film needed to be removed or replaced. This change made the rules much more convenient for those hoping to get 40% VLT front windshields. Previous iterations of Alaska’s tint regulations only allowed a sun visor exemption once the property owner provided medical evidence of a medical condition which required window tint. The change meant that the health evidence requirement did not apply to everyone. All medical exemptions were revoked, and everyone was able to utilize the sun visor. Medical exemptions are excellent for those who have medical conditions which require window tint, but the rules were quite vague regarding how much tint one could have on their windows. Under the old rules, no more than 3 inches of tinted film could be used on the front windshield, but a person could legally have 4 inches on their front window. While the new law may have made tint laws more accessible, the implementation of the new law did not go as smoothly as many had hoped. Just a few short weeks after implementation in May of 2019, the Anchorage assembly began receiving complaints about law enforcement allowing too much tint on the windshields of commercial vehicles. This hue shifted as new options for transporting goods became less available to companies. The problems came to a head when an Anchorage judge heard a case stating that tint regulations put commercial truck drivers at risk because they were unable to safely navigate treacherous driving conditions. This was coupled with complaints about the tint obscuring the windshield of police cruisers. Following these complaints, the State of Alaska banned the exempted windshield tint and reverted back to the previous tint laws, requiring no more than 3 inches of tinted film. This restoration of prior tint laws effectively eliminated the sun visor tint exemption altogether.
Organizations and Publications that Provide More Information
For those seeking additional information on Alaska’s tint laws, there are several official resources available. The first point of reference is the State of Alaska Motor Vehicle Regulations, which include detailed information on tinting regulations and penalties. These regulations can be accessed directly from the Department of Administration’s website: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublications/DocumentViewer/HTMLViewer/?docid=1&title=Motor%20Vehicle%20Regulations%20-%20Revised%20September%2012%2C%202018&client=Division%20of%20Motor%20Vehicles%2C%20Department%20of%20Administration . The regulations are comprehensive and cover all aspects of vehicle operation regulations, including tinting laws. In addition, the Alaska Uniform Vehicle Manual provides a searchable database of information related to vehicle use and operation in Alaska. Information covered includes vehicle registration, traffic laws, and vehicle maintenance. It is accessible at: http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/AutomaticWebSearch/index.htm. You may also contact the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services for information concerning medical exemptions for reflective window tinting. For further inquiries, readers can visit the department’s website at: http://dhss.alaska.gov/Pages/default.aspx.