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H 8312Personal

Motor and Other Vehicles - Nontransparent Windshields and Windows

Bans front windshield tinting (except the top 6 inches) starting July 2026, removing previous medical exemptions, and establishes fines.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Mar 18, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates Rhode Island's laws regarding vehicle window tinting. The primary change is a prohibition on tinting the front windshield of any motor vehicle, except for the top six inches, effective July 1, 2026. This ban applies even to individuals who previously obtained medical exemptions for conditions like light sensitivity. The bill defines "front windshield window tinting" as a film applied to the interior glass. It also establishes penalties, including a $250 fine for installers and owners, and potential registration suspension for repeated violations.

For younger readers

This new law changes the rules for car windows. Sometimes people put dark stickers called "tint" on their windows to block the sun. Before, some people were allowed to put this on their front windshield if a doctor said they needed it for their eyes. This bill says that starting in the summer of 2026, nobody is allowed to cover the front windshield anymore, except for a small strip at the very top. If someone breaks this rule, they will have to pay a fine, and they might not be allowed to drive that car for a while.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Drivers with light sensitivity conditionsAuto window tinting businessesVehicle ownersLaw enforcement officersPedestrians and cyclists
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Moderate risk

Moderate. The removal of the medical exemption (Section 31-23.3-4(b)) could be challenged under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Equal Protection Clause. By stripping the ability of individuals with documented medical conditions (e.g., severe photophobia) to use necessary adaptive equipment, the state may be failing to provide reasonable accommodation. However, courts often grant states significant deference regarding vehicle equipment regulations in the interest of public safety.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
$250/fine

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Increases safety for pedestrians and cyclists by ensuring eye contact can be made with drivers, which is crucial for shared use of public roadways.
  • May reduce the potential for police escalation during traffic stops by providing officers with clear visibility into the vehicle, potentially protecting occupants from high-tension "fear-based" reactions.
  • Prevents individuals from utilizing heavy tinting to obscure their identity while committing traffic violations or engaging in distracted driving behaviors that endanger the community.
  • Eliminates medical exemptions for individuals with photosensitivity or other vision disabilities, potentially restricting their mobility and independence in violation of disability justice principles.
  • Creates a new pretext for police stops, which historically and disproportionately target minority drivers and marginalized communities.
  • Imposes a flat $250 fine that functions as a regressive penalty, disproportionately impacting low-income vehicle owners compared to wealthier drivers.
For Conservatives
  • Enhances support for law enforcement by ensuring officers can clearly see into vehicles during stops, protecting their lives and safety.
  • Closes loopholes in the medical exemption system, ensuring that the rule of law is applied uniformly to all drivers on the road.
  • Promotes public safety by maximizing driver visibility, reducing the likelihood of accidents caused by reduced visual acuity at night or in poor weather.
  • Infringes on personal property rights by dictating how an individual may modify their own private vehicle, even for legitimate health reasons.
  • Represents government overreach into personal health decisions by overruling physician recommendations for medical devices (tint) needed by patients.
  • Places regulatory burdens and potential fines on small business owners (tint installers) for providing services requested by customers.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 15 additions · 2 deletions

SECTION 1. Sections 31-23.3-4 and 31-23.3-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-23.3 entitled "Nontransparent Windshields and Windows" are hereby amended to read as follows: 31-23.3-4. Exemptions.

(a) 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 49 CFR 571.205 as authorized by 15 U.S.C. § 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 the 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 the vehicle is equipped with two (2) outside mirrors, one on each side, if those mirrors meet federal standards adjusted so the driver has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle.

(7) A Except for the windshield area, as prohibited pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, 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 division 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.

(b) Except as specifically exempt pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, effective July 1, 2026, no motor vehicle to include, but not be limited to, motor vehicles subject to the provisions of subsection (a)(7) of this section, shall be operated on a public street, roadway, or highway in Rhode Island, which motor vehicle has front windshield window tinting except for the top six (6) inches of the front windshield. As used herein, the term "front windshield window tinting" means a thin film applied to the interior surface of the vehicle's front windows which darkens the windows to block UV light and reduce glare from the sun and headlights. 31-23.3-5. Penalties.

(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 offense.

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

(c) For a third and subsequent offenses a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) and suspension of the motor vehicle's registration for a period of up to one year.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.