The state Legislature has passed a major reform bill for vehicle window tinting laws, which marks the most significant update since originally enacted in 1983, the House of Representatives announced Friday.
“The legislature finds that darker tints on car windows have a measurable impact on reducing heat trapped in a car’s interior,” House Bill 226 says. It also finds “the current light transmittance limit of 35% for glazing on car windows is inadequate to address the increased temperatures caused by climate change.”
The bill awaits Gov. Josh Green’s signature and, if signed into law, will bring equity to sedan owners who will be allowed to tint their car windows with the same degree of light transmission levels as other vehicles.
But the bill also ensures a measure of safety for law enforcement officers since it will require all drivers and passengers of vehicles with applied tinted windows to roll down their windows during traffic stops, with certain exceptions.
The bill also raises fines for violators of the law for both vehicle owners and installers of any tinting, which violates the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 205.
It also adds new language to include any sun screening device “with mirrored or high reflective finishes that produce red, yellow, amber, or blue appearance as viewed from the exterior of the motor vehicle.”
“For too long, sedans have been unfairly left out while trucks, vans, and SUVs benefit from factory tint exemptions, Rep. Darius Kila (D-Honokai Hale, Nanakuli, Maili), who authored House Bill 226 CD1, said in a news release. “This is about bringing our laws into the 21st century.”
Kila thanked the state Department of Transportation, county law enforcement agencies and local tinting professionals for “their honest input and collaboration over the last three years. Together we crafted a comprehensive overhaul that’s fairer, safer and more enforcable.”
T&T Tinting founder Tommy Silva, who has long advocated for fair tint laws, said: “By removing outdated distinctions, this law ensures equal treatment for all drivers and better sun protection — something that’s critical in our climate.”
Silva helped draft the 1983 law, said T&T Tinting CEO Kyle Horimoto, who was consulted in drafting HB 226.
Horimoto said the bill does not change the portion of the current law that keeps the front windshield of all vehicles at 70% light transmission, virtually clear, and driver and front passenger windows at no less than 35%, plus or minus 6% (the lower the percentage, the darker).
Under existing Hawaii law, darker tints are allowed as low as 5% light transmission on rear windshields and rear passenger windows of trucks, SUVs and vans, and they can come from the manufacturer at 20% light transmission, he said.
The new bill aligns with the laws in most sunbelt states, Horimoto said, adding many military member customers have had to remove the tinting on their cars when they move to Hawaii.
The tinting can reduce heat inside a vehicle by 15% to 20%, offers glare reduction, privacy and more security for items on rear seats, Horimoto said.
Although the darker tint may make it more difficult to see through the windows when reversing, most newer vehicles come equipped with safety features such as backup cameras, Horimoto said.
However, the new law will require that if rear windows are tinted darker, drivers and passengers will have to roll their windows down to allow officers to see inside the vehicles.
“It’s a good compromise,” Horimoto said of the bill.
Maj. James Slayter, Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division commander, said: “We support the passage of HB 226, which strikes a balance between public safety and officer safety.
“This measure helps ensure that officers can better assess potential threats during traffic stops, while still preserving adequate visibility for drivers,” he said.
The legislation will update penalties: 1) Drivers with illegal tint may face fines from $300 to $550, (up from $250 to $500); 2) Installers applying noncompliant tint may be fined from $700 to $1,200, (up from $500 to $1,000), and must replace the tint or reimburse the vehicle owner.
The bill requires tint installers to issue a compliance certificate at the time of installation, and drivers to keep the certificate in their vehicle as proof of legal tint.
Failure to produce this certificate may result in enforcement actions.
Kila said that for vehicles that have had tinting done previously, a safety check would serve as a compliance certificate, according to the DOT.
State DOT Director Ed Sniffen said the bill “will ensure that vehicle window tint standards are applied and enforced fairly and consistently while increasing safety for our law enforcement officers during traffic stops.”
