You know that feeling when you’re trying to get your car inspected and you’re already mentally budgeting for the usual “surprise” checklist. Lights, wipers, tires, that one mystery sound you hope no one hears.
Starting Dec. 1, 2025, drivers in North Carolina will have one less inspection hurdle to deal with: window tint is no longer checked during the state inspection process.
That does not mean it’s a free-for-all for blackout tint, though, because the legal limits still apply.
It also means traffic stops may feel a little different, since drivers with tinted windows now have to roll down the window when an officer approaches. If you live anywhere from New Bern to the mountains, the takeaway is the same: easier inspection day, but you still need to stay within the tint rules.
What changed in North Carolina’s window tint inspection rules on Dec. 1, 2025?
Starting Monday, Dec. 1, North Carolina drivers no longer have their window tint checked during state inspections under Senate Bill 43, according to the report from New Bern.
The owner of Craven Tire & Automotive Repair told WITN he supports the shift, saying tint checks were not really a roadworthiness issue for inspections.
The bill text itself describes the change as removing the safety inspection of tinted windows and adding a rule about lowering a tinted window when law enforcement approaches, with an effective date of Dec. 1, 2025.
Does this new law let you choose any window tint you want?
No. A vehicle’s tint percentage must be no darker than 32%. NCDMV’s guidance uses the same cutoff, stating tinted windows cannot measure darker than 32% light transmission using a North Carolina-approved window tint meter (basically, the device used to measure how much light gets through the glass).
The same NCDMV page also spells out a common gotcha on the front windshield: tint cannot extend more than 5 inches below the top of the windshield or below the AS1 line, whichever is longer (the AS1 line is the marking many windshields have near the top showing where factory tinting ends).
And while the page lists multiple exceptions for certain vehicle types and for windows behind the driver on some multipurpose vehicles like SUVs and pickups, the safest assumption for most drivers is still to keep your tint within the stated meter limit unless you know your vehicle qualifies for an exception.
What do drivers have to do during traffic stops if their windows are tinted?
The bill text says the driver of a vehicle with tinted windows must roll down the driver-side window when a law enforcement officer approaches, and if the officer approaches from the passenger side, the driver must roll down the passenger window. The report from New Bern also highlights the same rule as part of the new law.
The practical reason is simple: visibility. WITN reports that the New Bern Police Department’s traffic enforcement unit described the change as a safety measure for both the officer and the people inside the vehicle. And even though inspections won’t include tint checks anymore, law enforcement can still stop and test window tint, and if the tint is too dark, officers can still enforce its removal.
How can North Carolina drivers stay compliant?
Passing an inspection will no longer be sufficient to prove your tint is legal. So if your tint is borderline, you do not want your first measurement to happen on the shoulder of the road.
Here are practical steps drivers can take right now, based on what state guidance and the Dec. 1 changes require:
- If you have after-factory tint, make sure it is not darker than 32% on a state-approved tint meter.
- Keep your windshield tint within the allowed strip (no more than 5 inches below the top or below the AS1 line, whichever is longer).
- If you have a medical exception, keep the permit with the vehicle and make sure the medical exception sticker is correctly displayed in the lower left corner of the rear window.
- During any traffic stop, roll down the window on the side the officer approaches.
- If you are unsure whether your vehicle type has different rules for windows behind the driver, check NCDMV’s exception categories before assuming you are covered.
If you do have a medical exception for photosensitivity, NCDMV says permits can be valid for up to five years, and failing to properly display the required sticker can bring a $200 fine. The key takeaway from this change is that the inspection line might move a little faster now, but the tint rules remain the same as before.
