• The amount of tint motorists can have varies by state.on reflection image by kenny123 from Fotolia.com
  
  Most states have their own automobile window tinting laws, regulating everything from the type of tint drivers can use to how much light this tint must let through. States enact these laws to protect police officers, who don't want to approach vehicles they've stopped without being able to see into their windows. States also don't want heavily tinted windows to distract other motorists.
  
  

Letting In the Light

• Alabama serves as a good example of how various states regulate the amount of window tinting that motorists can use. In Alabama, as in many other states, the law regulates exactly how much light window tint can let through. The tinted front side, passenger side, and rear windows of a car must let in at least 32 percent of outside light. Front windows can only be tinted with nonreflective tint on their top 6 inches. The rest of the front window must be free from tint.
  
  

Monitoring Reflection Levels

• Many states also regulate the amount of reflection that window tint can have. Drivers often prefer reflective tint because it reduces glare and the amount of heat inside a car. In some states, though, reflective tint is not allowed at all. Delaware, for instance, forbids all metallic or mirrored tint. But Georgia permits reflective tinting, with restrictions. Both the tint on front and back side windows can't be more than 20 percent reflective. Reflective tint is not allowed on the front windows of any vehicles in the state.
  
  

Colors

• Some states forbid certain colors of window tinting, while others allow any color. In Georgia, the colors of red or amber are not allowed. In Oregon the colors of red and amber are again not allowed, and neither is green.
  
  

Check Your State

• It's best for motorists to check with their state before tinting their auto windows. The laws from state to state vary widely. It's easy to violate your state's laws if you're not familiar with them.