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HB314 • 2026

Motor vehicles; county and municipal prosecutors, dark tint on personal vehicles authorized

Motor vehicles; county and municipal prosecutors, dark tint on personal vehicles authorized

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Butler (M)
Last action
2026-01-22
Official status
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about the extent of the exemption for prosecutors regarding front windshield tinting.

Dark Tint for Prosecutors' Vehicles

This bill allows county and municipal prosecutors to have dark tint on the rear or side windows of their personal vehicles.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes a law about vehicle window tinting to allow county and municipal prosecutors to use darker tint on the back and side windows of their cars.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County and municipal prosecutors who can now have darker tint on their car windows.
  • Active and retired state, local, or federal law enforcement officers who must still carry proper ID while driving their tinted cars.

Terms To Know

Light transmission
The amount of light that can pass through a window. The bill sets limits on how much light needs to go through rear and side windows.
Measurement tolerance
A small range around the exact measurement allowed by law, accounting for possible errors in measuring equipment.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how dark tint can be on front windshields.
  • It is unclear if there are penalties for not following this new rule.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-22 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  2. 2026-01-22 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Official Summary Text

Motor vehicles; county and municipal prosecutors, dark tint on personal vehicles authorized

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB314 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB314
W1NA495-1
By Representative Butler
RFD: Public Safety and Homeland Security
First Read: 22-Jan-26
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W1NA495-1 01/21/2026 GED (L)ma 2026-238
Page 1
First Read: 22-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, a motor vehicle may not be
operated in this state if it has material or glazing
applied to the front window that reduces light
transmission or to the rear or side windows that
reduces light transmission by more than a specified
percentage.
Under existing law, active and retired law
enforcement officers are exempt from this prohibition.
This bill would further exempt county and
municipal prosecutors from this prohibition.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to the operation of motor vehicles; to amend
Section 32-5C-2, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for
an exception to the prohibition on the operation of vehicles
with tinted windows for personal vehicles of certain state,
federal, or local employees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 32-5C-2, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
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HB314 INTRODUCED
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amended to read as follows:
"§32-5C-2
(a) Except as provided in this chapter, a person shall
not operate a motor vehicle registered in this state under
either of the following conditions:
(1) With material or glazing applied or affixed to the
front windshield which reduces light transmission through the
front windshield.
(2) With material or glazing applied or affixed to the
rear windshield or the side or door windows which reduce
reduces light transmission through the rear windshield or side
windows to less than 32 percent or increase increases light
reflectance to more than 20 percent, with a measurement
tolerance of at least 3 three percent. The light transmission
shall be measured with a device or instrument capable of
measuring light transmission before a person may be charged
with a violation of this section, and the officer shall be
equipped with such a meter before stopping the driver.
(b) This section does not apply to any personal use
vehicles belonging to, and occupied by, any of the following:
(1)active Active or retired state, local, or federal
law enforcement officer s.
(2) County or municipal prosecutors.
(c) All of the following individuals active or retired
state, local, or federal law enforcement officers shall carry
law enforcement proper employment identification while driving
their personal use vehicles referenced in subsection (b) :
(1) Active state, local, or federal law enforcement
officers.
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HB314 INTRODUCED
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officers.
(2) Retired state, local, or federal law enforcement
officers.
(3) County or municipal prosecutors ."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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