Canadian laws can be strict when it comes to tinted windows. Rules and guidelines for window film vary from province to province and some provinces outlaw it all together. If you happen to live in a major location, window film may be an option but be prepared to meet visibility standards. It is best to contact your local police for up-to-date regulations in your province.
In British Columbia, no tinting film is permitted on the left or right front windows of a car, according to the website GlassEssential.com. Tinting may be applied on both side windows of the driver's compartment and film may be installed to the back window if the car is equipped with two exterior rearview mirrors. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island all operate under the same laws as British Columbia.
Manitoba law permits window film with greater flexibility than British Columbia, but percentages must be followed. According to GlassEssential, for left and right side windows on the driver's compartment, the net amount of minimum visible light transmittance (VLT) allowed is fifty percent. The net amount of maximum VLT is thirty-five percent. The net minimum of VLT for side windows along the back end of the car is also thirty-five percent. Like British Columbia, two outside rearview mirrors are also required on driver's compartment doors when any window film is installed on a back window.
In Ontario, according to GlassEssentials, left and right front windows can not have tinted film applied that would considerably shroud exterior visibility, but tinting film can be installed in both windows behind the driver's compartment. Laws in Quebec state the overall net minimum VLT on the left and right side of a car must not exceed seventy percent. Two exterior rearview mirrors must be affixed to the car to allow back window film. Both New Brunswick and Newfoundland abide by the same laws as Quebec.
