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H 3151

Sunscreen devices

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Todd Rutherford

The bill lets darker sunscreening on side windows and rear window by lowering the minimum tint to 20% (not less) and keeps nonreflective requirement with mirrors.

Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
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Bill Summary · H 3151

Summary — H 3151: Sunscreen devices

Overview / Purpose

H 3151 proposes to amend South Carolina’s vehicle window tinting rules (S.C. Code §56-5-5015), lowering the minimum allowable light transmission for certain aftermarket “sunscreening” (window tint) devices. The bill’s stated effect is to permit darker (lower-transmittance) nonreflective tint on specified vehicle windows while retaining safety requirements such as mirror coverage and a grandfathering clause for existing installations.

Note: the legislative packet provided also contains unrelated text from a Massachusetts bill on 529 plan deductions. This summary focuses only on the South Carolina sunscreening (window tint) provisions that match the bill title and committee assignment.

Key provisions

  • Amends S.C. Code §56-5-5015, subsections (C) and (D).
  • Side windows and side wings (immediately right and left of the driver, and side windows behind the driver):
    • Continue to allow a single sunscreening device on the described windows.
    • Require the sunscreening device to be nonreflective.
    • Lowers the required combined light transmission (tint plus any factory-installed tint) from “twenty-seven percent” (27%) to “twenty percent” (20%). In other words, the bill permits darker combined tint on these windows.
  • Rear-most window (rear window):
    • Requires a sunscreening device to be nonreflective and to have light transmission of not less than 20% (explicitly stated).
    • If a sunscreening device is used on the rear-most window, the vehicle must have both a right and a left outside rearview mirror.
    • Inserts a time-based provision (text reflects “Beginning January 1, 2026”) specifying that the combined light transmission for a single sunscreening device applied to the rear-most window must not be less than 20% (replacing a prior 27% threshold).
  • Grandfathering:
    • Vehicles with sunscreening devices that complied with the law at time of installation will not be considered in violation as of the specified date (text references the implementation date) provided the original device remains in place.
  • Effective date:
    • The bill states it takes effect upon approval by the Governor; specific implementation language also refers to January 1, 2026 for certain standards.

Who is affected

  • Motor vehicle owners and operators in South Carolina (particularly those who install or already have aftermarket tint).
  • Automotive accessory and window-tint installers—standards and compliance obligations will change.
  • Law enforcement and inspection personnel—standards for enforcement and permitted tint levels will be updated.
  • Safety stakeholders (e.g., traffic safety advocates, insurers) due to potential changes in rear and side visibility at night or in adverse conditions.

Procedural status & timeline

  • Prefiled: 2024-12-05 (per packet).
  • Introduced / First read: 2025-01-14.
  • Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works (multiple entries in record).
  • Committee hearings scheduled / rescheduled for November 18, 2025 (record shows multiple scheduling updates).
  • Bill states it becomes effective upon the Governor’s approval; implementation references a January 1, 2026 date for certain provisions.

Notes / Technical issues

  • The provided bill text contains clerical anomalies (e.g., “19932026” appears where a single year belongs) and duplicate/overlapping passages; the package also includes unrelated Massachusetts legislation on 529 deductions. These indicate formatting or filing errors in the circulated packet. Interested parties should consult the official committee docket or the Office of the Clerk for the final, corrected engrossed text before relying on precise compliance or enforcement dates.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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