Short answer: Tint percentage is VLT, the share of visible light a window lets through, so a lower number means a darker tint. In Nevada, front side windows must read at least 35% on the car, and rear side windows and the back window can be any darkness if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides (NRS 484D.440).
Shade numbers confuse almost everyone, and the confusion is expensive when a ticket or a re-tint is involved. This guide explains what the percentages mean and how they play out on a Nevada car, from the bay at Polar Tint Henderson, 799 Middlegate Rd.
What does window tint percentage actually mean?
The percentage is Visible Light Transmission, or VLT: how much visible light passes through the glass. 5% VLT lets in very little light and looks very dark. 70% VLT lets in most light and looks subtle. A higher number is a lighter tint, and a lower number is darker.
VLT measures visibility, not heat. Two films with the same VLT can reject very different amounts of infrared heat, which is why Polar Tint sells film by grade as well as shade. See our window tint percentage chart for every common level side by side.
What do Nevada window tint percentages allow?
In short, per NRS 484D.440:
- Front side windows: at least 35% VLT, nonreflective.
- Rear side windows and back window: any darkness, with outside mirrors on both sides.
- Windshield: a top strip only.
- Medical exemption: available by written application to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Our Nevada window tint law (2026) guide owns the full rules, including the mirror condition, the windshield strip and the exemption steps, and the Nevada tint law page summarizes them statewide. Laws change, so confirm current limits with the Nevada DMV before installing.
Which shades does Polar Tint Henderson install?
Polar Tint Henderson installs non-metallic Nano Ceramic film in three grades, each available in these shades:
| Grade | IR heat rejection | UV blocked | Shade (VLT) options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Ceramic | Up to 70% | 99% | 5%, 15%, 35%, 50% |
| Ceramic Plus | Up to 90% | 99% | 5%, 15%, 35%, 50%, 70% |
| Ceramic Ultimate Plus | Up to 98% | 99% | 5%, 15%, 35%, 50%, 70% |
Shade percentages in this table are film-only VLT. The reading on the car is lower, because factory glass adds its own darkness.
Front windows must read at least 35% on the car (film plus factory glass); the installer picks the shade by measurement. Darker shades are for the rear side and back windows, subject to the mirror condition.
Why can a 35% film read darker on the car?
Your factory glass already blocks some light, so the reading on the car is film and glass together. A film sold as 35% can measure darker once it sits on tinted factory glass.
That is why shade names are a starting point, not a guarantee. Polar Tint Henderson installs the darkest shade that keeps your front side windows within Nevada law once it is measured with your factory glass. If you are comparing shops, ask each one how they measure and what they do when a reading comes in dark.
What about out-of-state cars?
A vehicle tinted under another state's law can be darker than Nevada's 35% front-window limit. Polar Tint Henderson can remove failed or too-dark film before new film goes on; see our tint removal process.
How do percentages relate to ceramic and EVs?
Ceramic film lets you stay at a legal VLT and still pick your heat rejection, because infrared rejection is mostly set by grade, not by darkness. Tesla and other EV owners choose the same grades; see our Tesla window tint page. Ceramic is non-metallic and designed not to interfere with phone, GPS, or keyless entry.
Compare shops across the valley on our window tint Las Vegas hub, or see Henderson's auto window tint page and ceramic window tint page.
More from Polar Tint Henderson: all posts · automotive window tint · ceramic window tint · Tesla window tint