Short answer: Partly. Kentucky has always allowed a tinted strip across the top of the windshield, above the AS-1 line. Since July 15, 2024, it also allows film on the whole windshield if the windshield with the film still transmits at least 70% of visible light and the film isn’t red or yellow (KRS 189.110(2)). The 70% is measured with the windshield glass, not the film alone.
What changed in 2024
Before 2024, Kentucky allowed only a strip at the top of the windshield. Senate Bill 46 changed that. It was signed in March 2024 and took effect on July 15, 2024. It added a second option: sunscreening material applied to the windshield, when used together with the windshield’s safety glass, is legal if it has light transmission of at least 70% and isn’t red or yellow.
That one phrase, “in conjunction with the safety glazing materials of the windshield,” is the part people miss. For the side windows, Kentucky rates the film by itself on clear glass. For the windshield, the film and the glass are judged together.
Glass and film together
A windshield on its own doesn’t let all the light through. Many new windshields transmit somewhere around 75–88%, and acoustic or solar windshields can be lower. Add a film and the two multiply, so the windshield reads lower than the film’s own rating.
The sun strip
A strip across the top of the windshield is allowed on any car, as long as it stays above the AS-1 line. You can find that line yourself: look along the side edges of the windshield for a small “AS-1” marking, usually near the top. The strip has to end at or above it.
A strip is cheap, quick, and it takes care of the worst glare, the sun sitting just above the road on a morning or evening drive.
Windshield film at 502 Tinted
We install sun strips ($49) and clear ceramic heat film for the whole windshield (from $199). The strip cuts glare; the full film cuts heat and UV through the biggest piece of glass in the car. Both are trimmed around the mirror mount, cameras and rain sensor.
Windshield tint at 502 Tinted · The full Kentucky tint lawSources
This is a plain-language explanation, not legal advice.
Questions we get a lot
Can I tint my whole windshield in Kentucky?
Yes, since July 15, 2024, if the windshield with the film still lets through at least 70% of light and the film isn’t red or yellow.
Is the 70% measured with the windshield glass?
Yes. For the windshield, Kentucky judges the film together with the windshield’s glass, unlike the side windows, where the film is rated on its own.
Where is the AS-1 line?
Look for a small AS-1 marking on the side edges of the windshield near the top. A tint strip must stay above it.
Pull up and get shaded.
Most tint jobs are done the same day, and detailing is by appointment. Call, text or send a quote request, and Shane will get back to you during shop hours.