Car Window Tinting in Washington

Four things, in roughly the order people notice them: it cuts the infrared energy you feel as heat, it takes the hard edge off glare, it makes the cabin less visible from outside, and it blocks ultraviolet light — over 99% of it on Kepler’s published figures — which is what slows the fading and cracking of a dashboard and seats. You can see how each shade behaves on a car in the Kepler film experience page.

Properly maintained, a Kepler Washington car window tinting job is designed to endure for the vehicle’s lifetime. Kepler’s durable construction and Warranty Information ensure that your vehicle’s tinted windows will stay in excellent shape with proper care. Kepler’s expert installation team ensures a perfect fit and finish, enhancing the aesthetic and functional benefits of your window tint.

It depends on the vehicle, how many windows you are doing and which range you choose — IR+ is the higher-performing of the two on heat. For a rough sense of scale before you speak to anyone, the cost guides set out what moves the number. Kepler does not set your price: the dealer who fits the film quotes the job, and they are the only ones who can, because they are the ones looking at your car.

On every window except the windshield, the film and glass together have to pass at least 24% of visible light and reflect no more than 35%, the car has to have outside mirrors on both sides, and only one sheet of film may be applied to a window. Darker than 24% behind the driver is allowed on hearses, collector vehicles, limousines, passenger buses run for compensation, ambulances and other licensed emergency medical vehicles — and on any vehicle the manufacturer identified as a truck, motor home or multipurpose passenger vehicle. That last category is federally defined as a vehicle carrying 10 people or fewer built on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road use, so whether an SUV qualifies depends on how its maker classified it rather than on how it looks. Compare the shades in our window tinting options and take the answer to your dealer before any film is ordered.

Yes, within the state’s limits — and driving on film that breaks them is a traffic infraction. Washington asks for at least 24% light transmission and no more than 35% reflectance on every window but the windshield, and it rules out mirror finishes, red, gold, yellow or black material, and liquid film brushed or sprayed on. A windshield takes film only along the top six inches, transparent and clear of the AS-1 portion, although clear ultraviolet film is permitted. There is a medical exemption too, on written verification from a licensed physician carried in the vehicle; the State Patrol says there is no state form to complete. The full picture is on our window tint laws page, and the statute itself is RCW 46.37.430. For the rules in other states, see the federal directory of State Laws. If you are unsure how these limits apply to your own car, ask the dealer before the film is fitted.

It can, and it is more delicate than it looks. Old adhesive gives up unevenly, and scraping at it can scratch the glass or lift the defroster lines printed on a rear window, which is the expensive part to get wrong. If you are replacing film rather than removing it for good, ask for removal and refit to be quoted together. Our Removal Instructions walk through the job step by step if you want to see what it involves first.

Infrared performance, mostly. Our page on ceramic window tinting covers both ranges: IR is published at 81% infrared rejection and IR+ at up to 98%, and IR+ adds a high-purity ceramic layer, an Ultra Bond adhesive, a Scratch Guard+ coat and the near-clear Photon shade. Both are published at over 99% ultraviolet rejection. If the windows at home are also on your mind, the Washington home window tinting page covers the architectural ranges, which are a different set of films for a different job.

Under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Federal Trade Commission says a company cannot void your warranty or deny coverage solely because you used a part made by another company, or had the work done by a business it is not affiliated with. What a manufacturer may still do is refuse coverage for damage actually caused by that part or that work. Keep your installation paperwork, and if you have any doubt about your own vehicle, raise it with the manufacturer before the work rather than after it.

Freshly fitted film needs time to cure before the windows are lowered, and how long depends on the film, the glass and the weather — a damp week west of the Cascades is slower than a dry one in the interior. Ask your dealer for the curing and cleaning instructions that go with the film you choose, and follow them: Kepler’s warranty covers defects in the film, not damage from handling. After that, a soft cloth and a gentle cleaner are all it needs.

Yes, and it is worth being specific about the model. Our Tesla tinting services in Washington page goes into this in more detail. Tesla glazing varies by model and year — a glass roof is a different proposition from a rear quarter window — so check the guidance for your exact car with your dealer before settling on a film and a shade. Washington’s rules apply to a Tesla like any other vehicle, and whether the darker rear-glass allowance is open to you depends on how the manufacturer classified the model.