New York’s tint conversation always begins with the same number: seventy. For 2025 the DMV hasn’t budged an inch—windshield and front-side glass on every passenger car, SUV, and pickup must transmit at least 70 percent of visible light once the factory pane and any aftermarket film are stacked. Shops now meter before they quote, because a sedan that shipped with 78 percent glass can accept only whisper-thin film or it will flunk the test the second the inspector clips on the sensor.
One Inspection That Can Ruin Your Weekend
Confusing the optional insurance photo check with the mandatory annual safety
inspection is a fast way to lose your registration. Fail the calibrated meter
test and you leave the station without renewal rights—and with summer
roadblocks aimed at tint, odds of dodging a $150–$500 ticket are slim.
What Drivers Keep Missing
Metal-flake film? Banned. Legality sticker? Mandatory. That 50 percent gray film you liked out of state? It stacks into the low-60 % range on New York glass—squarely illegal. Add Assembly Bill A4026’s steeper fines and tint-only sweeps, and 2025 is the year to meter first, pick a compliant film, and keep proof of installation in the glove box.
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