What Can Legally Go on Your Windshield and Front Windows?
What the law says: Vehicle Code 26708
Subdivision (a) sets three prohibitions: no object or material "placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows"; nothing in or on the vehicle that obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view through the windshield or side windows; and no driving with that view obstructed by snow or ice. Then subdivision (b) lists what is allowed.
| Allowed by subdivision (b) | Where or how |
|---|---|
| Signs or stickers | A 7-inch square in the lower windshield corner farthest from the driver or the lower rear-window corner farthest from the driver; or a 5-inch square in the lower windshield corner nearest the driver |
| Toll or CHP communication device | A 5-inch square at the center uppermost part of the inside windshield |
| Portable GPS | The same 7-inch or 5-inch lower corners, outside an airbag deployment zone, used only for navigation |
| Anything on rear side windows | Side windows behind the driver are exempt |
| Rear window coverings | Allowed if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides showing at least 200 feet behind |
Film and tint on the front side windows
Subdivision (d) allows material on the windows immediately left and right of the front seat only if it is clear, colorless and transparent, has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent, leaves the window meeting the federal standard's 70 percent minimum light transmittance, is designed to block ultraviolet A rays, and is backed by a certificate from the installer, or from the manufacturer for owner-installed film, kept in the vehicle. If the film tears or bubbles so it blocks clear vision, it must be removed or replaced.
Put simply, darkening film on the driver and front passenger windows does not fit subdivision (d). The separate medical exception in (b)(10) allows sun-screening devices meeting section 26708.2 on the front side windows when the driver or front passenger carries a letter from a licensed physician and surgeon or optometrist certifying a medical or visual need, and those devices may not be used during darkness. A tinted strip along the top of the windshield is allowed under (c) only if its bottom edge is at least 29 inches above the seat, measured as the statute describes, and it is not red or amber.
Dashcams that monitor the driver
A "video event recorder" that monitors driver performance may go in the 7-inch or 5-inch lower corners or a 5-inch square at the top center. The vehicle must display a notice that passengers' conversations may be recorded, the device may store no more than 30 seconds before and after a triggering event, and the data belongs to the registered owner or lessee.
What it means in practice
Most window problems are small and correctable: a parking permit hung from the mirror, a phone suction-cupped mid-glass, a dark film on the front doors. They are commonly written as fix-it citations. After a crash, though, an obstructed view becomes a fault question, so a sticker or film that blocked the driver's sightline is a fact the other side will raise.
What to do
- Move stickers and passes into the allowed squares, and take items off the mirror while driving.
- Mount phones and GPS in a lower corner or on the dash, outside airbag zones.
- If you buy a car with front-window film, ask for the installer's certificate; without it, plan to remove the film.
- If you rely on the medical exception, keep the signed letter in the car and leave the shade down at night.
- Clear frost and snow from every window before driving, not just a peephole.
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Is front window tint legal in California?
Only clear, colorless, UV-blocking film with at least 88 percent light transmittance and an installer's certificate, under section 26708(d). Darkening film on the front side windows needs the medical letter exception.
Where can I put a toll tag on my windshield?
In a 5-inch square at the center uppermost portion of the inside of the windshield, under section 26708(b)(11).
Can I hang things from my rearview mirror in California?
Section 26708 bars objects that obstruct or reduce the driver's clear view through the windshield, which is why mirror hangers are commonly cited.
Is my dashcam legal?
A driver-monitoring video event recorder is allowed in the listed corners or top-center square, with a posted notice that conversations may be recorded.