Hawaii’s 2025 tint law expanded rear-window exemptions and added traffic-stop duties

Hawaii approved Act 129 on May 29, 2025, changing several parts of its vehicle-tint law. The act took effect upon approval. It extended the rear-window exemption to include sedans, with rearview mirrors required on both sides.

The final law retained separate front-side and wing-window language specifying no less than 35% light transmission, plus or minus six percentage points, for the glass and screening device together. A film’s advertised rating alone therefore does not describe the installed window’s transmission.

Act 129 also required drivers and passengers in vehicles with applied tint to lower their windows fully during a traffic stop. Physical disability and mechanical failure are exceptions, with the driver required to communicate or cooperate by other reasonably available means.

The current published statute contains those provisions. For shops, the important distinction is between rear-window eligibility, front-glass measurements and the separate traffic-stop duty. The rear-window exception does not erase that duty; the law expressly applies it despite the exemptions.