Window Tint
HRS 291-21.5 — 35 per cent light through the front side windows, and windows down at a stop
Sun screening on the front side windows and wing windows next to the driver, combined with the glass, lets through no less than 35 per cent of light, plus or minus six per cent. Rear windows, the rear windshield, and side windows behind the driver are exempt where the vehicle has rearview mirrors on both sides.
Who handles this in Hawaii: Hawaii State Bar Association, Lawyer Referral and Information Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
- Film along the top of the windshield may not reach below the AS-1 line, or four inches below the top where there is no line.
- No film may have a mirrored or highly reflective finish that looks red, yellow, amber or blue from outside.
- Stickers are allowed in a seven inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest from the driver, or a five inch square in the corner nearest.
Windows down at a traffic stop. Every driver and passenger in a vehicle with applied tint fully rolls down their windows when stopped by a law enforcement officer at a traffic stop, unless a physical disability or mechanical failure prevents it and they communicate or cooperate by other reasonable means. Not doing so may be cited as a noncriminal traffic infraction.
| Who violates the section | Fine for each offense |
|---|---|
| Who violates the sectionThe owner of the vehicle | Fine for each offense$300 to $550 |
| Who violates the sectionThe installer of noncompliant film | Fine for each offense$700 to $1,200, and the installer reinstalls compliant film free or pays another installer's cost |
The installer gives the owner a certificate that the film complies, and it stays in the vehicle at all times. Its absence at a citation is prima facie evidence the installer did not comply, and the installer's receipt in the vehicle is prima facie evidence of who installed it.
Sources for this section (1)
- HRS 291-21.5 — Regulation of motor vehicle sun screening devices; penalty
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.