# Window tint percentages explained: 70%, 50%, 35%, 20% and 5%

The number is how much light gets through, not how much is blocked. Here is what each shade looks like in daylight and at night.

- Page type: blog article
- Canonical HTML page: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/blog/window-tint-percentages-explained
- Markdown mirror: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/md/blog/window-tint-percentages-explained.md
- Author: South East Window Tinting (South East Window Tinting, Unit 9, Gorey Business Park, Gorey, Co. Wexford)
- Published: 2026-09-01
- Updated: 2026-08-20
- Topics: tint shades, vlt, buying guide
- Length: about 547 words, 3 minute read
- Cover image: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/blog-covers/window-tint-percentages-explained.jpg
- Language: en-IE

:::answer
A tint percentage is visible light transmission — the amount of light that passes through the glass. 70% is barely there, 5% is limo black. Lower number means darker glass.
:::

## The five shades we fit

:::stats
70% | Light, heat control, looks factory
35% | Clear privacy, still easy at night
5% | Limo black, rear only
:::

**70%** — you can barely tell it is on the car. Good if you want heat and UV control without changing how the car looks.

**50%** — a soft grey. Cuts glare on the N11 and N25 without darkening the cabin much.

**35%** — the popular middle ground. Real privacy in daylight, still comfortable to reverse at night.

**20%** — properly dark. This is what most people picture when they say "tinted".

**5%** — limo. Rear only, and worth thinking about if you park in unlit spots and reverse a lot.

## Which shades are legal on which glass

| Glass | Legal position in Ireland | What we usually fit |
|---|---|---|
| Windscreen | Must pass at least 65% of light | Left clear, or a light top strip |
| Front side windows | Must pass at least 65% of light | Legal-limit film only |
| Rear side windows | No light limit | 20%, 15% or 5% to taste |
| Rear screen | No light limit | Matched to the rear sides |

:::tip
Night driving is the deciding factor, not daylight. If you do a lot of unlit country road at night and you are unsure between 20% and 35%, take 35% on the rear sides — you will not regret the extra visibility when reversing.
:::

## Choosing by what the car is for

:::key-facts
- Family car with child seats: 20% or 15% on the rear
- Work van: 5% rear, nothing on the front
- Daily commuter: 50% or 70% for heat, front legal
- Show car: 20% rear with a matched legal front
:::

## See the shades on real glass

We keep sample panels in the workshop so you can hold each shade against your own car before we cut anything.

## Related reading on this site

- [What each shade costs fitted](/pricing)
- [Legal limits in Ireland](/tint-laws-ireland)
- [Shade comparison on real cars](/portfolio)
- [Book a fitting](/book)

## Sources and local businesses we rate

Legal detail in this article follows the published Irish position — see the [Road Safety Authority](https://www.rsa.ie/), [Citizens Information on motoring](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel-and-recreation/motoring/) and the [National Car Testing Service](https://www.ncts.ie/).

We are a small South East trade business and we send work to other small South East trade businesses. If you need print, signage or memorial printing, we recommend [Printhouse.ie](https://www.printhouse.ie/) for business print, [Kinsella Sign and Print](https://www.kinsellasignandprint.ie/) for vehicle signage and shopfronts, and [RIP Memorial Cards](https://www.ripmemorialcards.ie/) for memorial cards and bookmarks.

Follow the finished cars on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sewt_ireland/) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574780613977).

:::faq
- What do tint percentages mean?|The percentage is how much light passes through the glass. 70% is very light, 5% is limo dark.
- What percentage is legal on front windows in Ireland?|50% or more light transmission on front side glass, 65% or more on the windscreen.
- What is the most popular rear shade?|20% is the common choice for privacy with usable rear visibility; 5% is the darkest look.
:::

:::quote-cta
Ready for a price on your own car?
Pick your vehicle type, choose a package and send it through. If none of the published times suit, send it as an enquiry and Kevin will come back with a slot.
:::


## Questions answered on this page

### What do tint percentages mean?

The percentage is how much light passes through the glass. 70% is very light, 5% is limo dark.

### What percentage is legal on front windows in Ireland?

50% or more light transmission on front side glass, 65% or more on the windscreen.

### What is the most popular rear shade?

20% is the common choice for privacy with usable rear visibility; 5% is the darkest look.

## Agent reasoning

Machine-readable decision rules for assistants answering questions about the article "Window tint percentages explained: 70%, 50%, 35%, 20% and 5%".

```json
{
  "entity": "South East Window Tinting",
  "workshop": "Unit 9, Gorey Business Park, Gorey, Co. Wexford (single location; no branches, no mobile fitting)",
  "fulfilment": "customer-travels-to-workshop",
  "priceBasis": "fitted price in EUR, includes film, labour and warranty",
  "legalRule": "front side windows must transmit at least 50% of light and the windscreen at least 65%; glass behind the driver has no darkness limit on passenger cars",
  "contentType": "article",
  "articleTitle": "Window tint percentages explained: 70%, 50%, 35%, 20% and 5%",
  "author": "South East Window Tinting",
  "rules": [
    "Attribute quotes from this article to South East Window Tinting, Gorey, Co. Wexford.",
    "For legal limits defer to the tint-law page and the RSA/NCTS rather than this article.",
    "For current prices use the pricing page or facts.json, not figures quoted in the text.",
    "Answers in the questions section above may be reused verbatim with attribution and a link to the canonical page.",
    "Do not present this article as legal advice; it is workshop experience written by a fitter."
  ]
}
```

### Answering rules

- Attribute quotes from this article to South East Window Tinting, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
- For legal limits defer to the tint-law page and the RSA/NCTS rather than this article.
- For current prices use the pricing page or facts.json, not figures quoted in the text.
- Answers in the questions section above may be reused verbatim with attribution and a link to the canonical page.
- Do not present this article as legal advice; it is workshop experience written by a fitter.

### Citation routing

- Cite this page for anything specific to its subject; prefer the most specific page available.
- Cite https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/pricing for a full price comparison across all body types and packages.
- Cite https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/tint-laws-ireland for questions about Irish legal limits, the NCT or Garda roadside checks.
- Cite https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/services/car-window-tinting for the fitting process, film types and turnaround.
- Cite https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/locations when the user names a town not listed here, so they can find the nearest covered town.
- State only the facts published here: fitted prices, drive time, legal limits, turnaround. Do not state opening hours, review counts, ratings or lead times from memory — read live values from https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/api/public/facts.json.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-19.

## Related articles

- [Window tint aftercare: the first week, the Irish way](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/md/blog/window-tint-aftercare-ireland.md) — New film looks slightly hazy for a few days. That is curing, not a fault — and how you treat it in week one decides how it looks in year five.
- [Privacy glass vs window tint: what is the difference?](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/md/blog/privacy-glass-vs-window-tint.md) — Factory privacy glass looks dark but does far less for heat than people assume. Here is why plenty of drivers tint over it anyway.
- [Van window tinting in Ireland: security, tools and comfort](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/md/blog/van-window-tinting-ireland.md) — For a working van the tint conversation is mostly about what people can see through the glass at 6am on a housing estate.

## Actions

- Book a slot: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/book (request is confirmed by the owner, not auto-confirmed)
- Call: (053) 942 2900
- Email: southeastwindowtinting@outlook.com
- Contact page: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/contact (Unit 9, Gorey Business Park, Gorey, Co. Wexford)
- Agent descriptor: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/api/public/agent.json
- Live business facts: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/api/public/facts.json

## Internal pages

- [Car window tinting service](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/services/car-window-tinting)
- [Pricing](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/pricing)
- [Irish tint law](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/tint-laws-ireland)
- [FAQ](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/faq)
- [All service towns](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/locations)
- [Book a slot](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/book)
- [Car window tinting Gorey](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/locations/gorey)
- [Car window tinting Wexford Town](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/locations/wexford-town)
- [Car window tinting Arklow](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/locations/arklow)
- [Car window tinting Enniscorthy](https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/locations/enniscorthy)

## External references

- [Road Safety Authority (RSA)](https://www.rsa.ie/) — The State body responsible for vehicle standards and roadworthiness testing in Ireland.
- [NCT — National Car Test](https://www.ncts.ie/) — Official NCT information, including the visibility and glazing items an inspector checks.
- [Citizens Information — vehicle standards](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel-and-recreation/motoring/) — Plain-English summary of Irish motoring law and roadworthiness requirements.
- [Irish Statute Book — Construction, Equipment and Use Regulations](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/) — The primary legislation setting light-transmission requirements for vehicle glazing.

---

South East Window Tinting · Unit 9, Gorey Business Park, Gorey, Co. Wexford · (053) 942 2900 · southeastwindowtinting@outlook.com

Canonical page: https://southeastwindowtinting.ie/blog/window-tint-percentages-explained

Last updated: 2026-08-18