Rhode Island Window Tint Law - Chapter 31-23.3

The following words and phrases for the purposes of this chapter only 
shall have the following meanings: 

(1) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle, except those vehicles defined in 
§ 31-1-8 as vehicles used in farm husbandry, which is
registered or required to be registered in the state. 

(2) "Multipurpose passenger vehicle" means a motor vehicle with motive 
power designed to carry 10 persons or fewer which is constructed either 
on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road 
operation.
 
(3) "Reflectance" means the ratio of the amount of total light, expressed 
in a percentage, which is reflected outward by the product or material 
to the amount of total light falling on the product or material. 

(4) "Sunscreening material" means a product or material, including film, 
glazing, and perforated sunscreening, which, when applied to the windshield 
or windows of a motor vehicle, reduces the effects of the sun with 
respect to light reflectance or transmittance. 

(5) "Transmittance" means the ratio of the amount of total light, expressed 
in a percentage, which is allowed to pass through the product or material, 
including glazing, to the amount of total light falling on the product 
or material and the glazing. 

(6) "Window" means any device designed for exterior viewing from a motor 
vehicle, except the windshield, any roof-mounted viewing device, and any 
viewing device having less than 150 square inches in area. 

(7) "Windshield" means the front exterior viewing device of a motor vehicle. 
    

No person shall own and operate any motor vehicle upon any public 
highway, road or street with nontransparent or sunscreen material, 
window application, reflective film or nonreflective film used in any 
way to cover or treat the front windshield, the side windows immediately 
adjacent to the right and left of the operator's seat, the side windows 
immediately to the rear of the operator's seat and the front passenger 
seat and the rear window unless said vehicle meets one of the criteria 
set forth in § 31-23.3-3. 

(a) The registrar for motor vehicles shall establish rules and regulations 
to provide standards and tests to measure the percentage of reflective 
and transmittance of light. 

(b) Any person, firm, corporation, or other entity installing such a 
sunscreen device on a motor vehicle shall provide and affix a label 
to the front window not to exceed one and one-half (11/2) square inches 
in size, which contains the installer's name and the percentage of light 
transmittance. Facing the motor vehicle from the outside, the label 
shall be placed in the lower left corner of the front window.

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to: 

(1) Motor vehicles manufactured with windshields and window glass 
areas equipped in accordance with specifications of Title 49 Code 
of Federal Regulations § 571.205 as authorized by 15 USC § 1407. 

(2) Motor vehicles owned or leased by federal, state and local law 
enforcement agencies. 

(3) The use of nontransparent or sunscreen material or window application 
on motor vehicles which has a total visible light transmittance of not 
less than seventy percent (70%) measured perpendicular to the surface 
of the glass on the windshield and side windows immediately adjacent to 
the right and left of the operator's seat, the side windows immediately 
to the rear of the operator's seat and the front passenger seat or on 
the rear window if the vehicle is equipped with two (2) outside mirrors, 
one on each side, adjusted so that the driver has a clear view of the 
highway behind the vehicle. 

(4) The use of any transparent material limited to the uppermost six 
inches (6") along the top of the windshield, provided such strip does 
not encroach upon the driver's direct forward viewing area as more 
particularly described and defined in applicable Federal Motor Vehicle 
Safety Standards. 

(5) Motor vehicles not required to be registered in this state. 

(6) The use of sunscreen material on windows behind the driver in 
trucks, buses, trailers, mobile homes, campers, multipurpose vehicles, 
charter buses, funeral service vehicles, or limousines provided that 
said vehicle is equipped with two (2) outside mirrors, one on each side, 
if said mirrors meet federal standards adjusted so the driver has a clear 
view of the highway behind the vehicle. 

(7) A motor vehicle registered in this state in the name of a person, or 
the person's legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician 
or an optometrist licensed to practice in this state that states that 
the person has a physical condition that makes it necessary to equip the 
motor vehicle with a sunscreening device which may exceed federal standards. 
The registry of motor vehicles, upon application of the individual, which 
shall include the affidavit, shall issue a sticker to be applied to the 
driver's side window to identify this exemption. 

(8) Any motor vehicle, registered and garaged within this state, whose 
sole purpose is to provide executive security to persons within this 
state. The owner(s) of the vehicle shall first seek and obtain written 
permission from the local police chief where the vehicle is garaged and 
registered before the waiver is granted. 

(a) Any person, firm, corporation, or other business entity that 
installs any sunscreening material which is not in compliance with 
the provisions of this chapter shall be fined not more than two hundred 
fifty dollars ($250) for each such offense. 

(b) Any person who owns a motor vehicle which has installed on it any 
sunscreening device or material in violation of this chapter shall be 
fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250). 

The owners of all motor vehicles who have sunscreening material in 
their motor vehicle in violation of the provisions of this chapter 
shall have until January 1, 1994 to remove said material before they 
may be found in violation of the provisions of this chapter; provided, 
however, an owner of a motor vehicle shall not be required to remove 
any sunscreening material if said material was initially installed by 
the motor vehicle manufacturer and was purchased prior to 
December 1, 1993.