New Jersey Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide)

Under N.J.S.A. 39:3-74, New Jersey bans all non-transparent materials on the windshield, making GPS mounts and phone holders technically illegal. Dashcams are permitted when placed directly behind the rearview mirror. Safer alternatives for GPS and phone holders include dashboard, console, or air vent mounts.

New Jersey has some of the most restrictive windshield mounting laws in the United States. The state broadly prohibits any non-transparent material on the front windshield and front side windows, making it one of a handful of states where mounting a GPS, phone holder, or other device on the windshield can result in a ticket.

The primary statute governing windshield obstructions is N.J.S.A. 39:3-74, which has remained largely unchanged for decades. Understanding how this law applies to modern devices like GPS units, dashcams, and smartphone holders requires examining both the statute and the related window tinting regulations.

The Core Statute: N.J.S.A. 39:3-74

N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 is titled "Windshields must be unobstructed and equipped with cleaners." The statute contains three key prohibitions:

Windshield cleaners required. Every motor vehicle with a windshield must have at least one working device for cleaning rain, snow, or other moisture from the windshield to provide clear vision for the driver.

Non-transparent materials banned. No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster, sticker, or other non-transparent material on the front windshield, wings, deflectors, side shields, corner lights adjoining the windshield, or front side windows. The only exception is for certificates or articles required to be displayed by statute or by regulations of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

Obstruction of view prohibited. No person shall drive any vehicle so constructed, equipped, or loaded as to unduly interfere with the driver's vision to the front and to the sides.

The broad language of this statute is what makes New Jersey so restrictive. A GPS unit, phone mount, or suction cup holder qualifies as a "non-transparent material" on the windshield, which the statute explicitly prohibits.

GPS and Phone Mounts

Under a strict reading of N.J.S.A. 39:3-74, mounting a GPS device or smartphone holder on the windshield is illegal in New Jersey. The statute does not make exceptions for navigation devices or hands-free phone holders.

This puts New Jersey at odds with practical reality. Millions of drivers use GPS navigation and need to mount their devices somewhere visible. There have been multiple legislative efforts to change this law, including bills that would explicitly permit GPS equipment, smartphone holders, and similar devices on the windshield, dashboard, or console as long as they do not interfere with the driver's vision.

However, as of 2026, the core statute remains unchanged. No amendment has been signed into law that creates an explicit exception for GPS or phone mounts on the windshield.

Enforcement Reality

While the law technically prohibits all windshield-mounted devices, enforcement varies. Police officers generally focus on situations where a mounted device clearly obstructs the driver's view. A small GPS unit mounted near the bottom corner of the windshield is less likely to attract a ticket than a large tablet blocking a significant portion of the windshield.

That said, any windshield-mounted device gives an officer a legal basis for a traffic stop. This is important to understand: even if the device does not meaningfully obstruct your view, the statute makes it a violation to have any non-transparent material on the windshield.

Safer Alternatives

To avoid potential tickets, New Jersey drivers should consider mounting GPS units and phone holders on the dashboard, the center console, or an air vent clip rather than on the windshield. These placements comply with N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 because they do not involve attaching anything to the windshield glass.

Dashcam Rules

New Jersey does not have a specific statute addressing dashcams or video event recorders. A dashcam is treated the same as any other windshield-mounted device under N.J.S.A. 39:3-74.

The safest placement for a dashcam in New Jersey is directly behind the rearview mirror. This location generally does not add to the existing obstruction created by the mirror itself and is widely considered the most compliant mounting position in restrictive states.

Mounting a dashcam elsewhere on the windshield, such as in the lower corner, technically violates the statute, although enforcement against discreet dashcam placements is uncommon.

Audio Recording Considerations

New Jersey is a one-party consent state for audio recording. This means you can legally record conversations in your vehicle with a dashcam that captures audio, as long as you are a party to the conversation. You do not need to inform passengers that audio is being recorded, although doing so is considered a best practice.

Toll Transponders and E-ZPass

N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 carves out "a certificate or other article required to be so displayed by statute or by regulations of the commissioner." That exception is narrow, and it names only two sources: a statute, or a regulation of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

No New Jersey statute or Motor Vehicle Commission regulation has been identified that requires a toll transponder to be displayed on the windshield. Placement instructions published by a toll agency such as the New Jersey Turnpike Authority come from the toll authority, not from the MVC, so they are not one of the two sources the statute names. On the current record, E-ZPass is not expressly covered by the 39:3-74 exception.

As a practical matter, a transponder mounted in the standard position behind the rearview mirror is not a common enforcement target. That is an observation about enforcement, not a statutory permission.

Windshield Tinting Laws

New Jersey regulates window tinting separately from windshield obstructions. The tinting rules fall under N.J.S.A. 39:3-75 and related statutes.

Windshield Tinting

Add-on tinting film may not be installed on a New Jersey windshield unless the driver holds a medical exemption certificate issued by the MVC. N.J.S.A. 56:8-117 requires tint retailers to post a sign reading "NJ STATE LAW PROHIBITS ADD-ON TINTING ON WINDSHIELDS AND FRONT SIDE WINDOWS," and it bars an installer from applying film to the windshield or the windows to the left and right of the driver unless the customer exhibits a certificate or card issued under the medical exemption program.

Within that program, N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.2(a) provides that sun-screening material may not be applied to the windshield if, in conjunction with the factory-installed glazing, it reduces the transmittance of normally incident visible light below 70 percent. Subsection (b) then allows sun-screening material on the portion of the windshield above the AS-1 line without that 70 percent floor. The regulation states no inch measurement for the windshield. The AS-1 line is defined in N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.1 as the mark delineating the area of the windshield requisite for driving visibility, indicating glazing with a luminous transmittance of not less than 70 percent.

Front Side Windows

There is no aftermarket tint darkness a New Jersey driver may lawfully use on the front side windows without a medical exemption. The MVC states that a vehicle's windshield and front side windows may be tinted in New Jersey with a medical exemption only, and N.J.S.A. 56:8-117 bars an installer from applying film to those windows unless the customer produces a medical exemption certificate or card.

For vehicles that do hold a certificate, N.J.A.C. 13:20-1.2(c) sets the floor: sun-screening material may not reduce front side window light transmittance below 60 percent. Subsection (d) adds one narrow further allowance, available to certificate holders only. They may affix readily removable sun-screening material to the uppermost six-inch portion of the front side windows between sunrise and sunset, provided that material does not reduce light transmittance below 35 percent. That six-inch measurement belongs to the front side windows, not to the windshield.

Rear Side Windows and Rear Window

New Jersey places no restrictions on tinting for rear side windows or the rear window. Drivers may apply any darkness level, including limo-style tint, to these windows without violating the law.

VLT Summary Table

Window Tinting Penalties

N.J.S.A. 39:3-75.3 sets the fines under the medical sun-screening scheme. Both of its subsections are narrower than they are commonly described.

Two points matter here. First, the $100 fine is not a general illegal-tint penalty. It attaches to the failure to exhibit the medical certificate or card, and the statute allows the municipal court judge to dismiss the charge if the driver produces a certificate that was valid on the day he was charged, though the judge may still impose court costs. N.J.S.A. 39:3-75 is the safety glazing statute and carries no tint fine of its own.

Second, the $1,000 and $5,000 figures are installer-facing. Subsection (b) reaches violations of the regulations adopted under 39:3-75.2(c) and (d), which govern how approved material is installed, applied and labeled and which require persons in the business of installing or applying that material to register. A driver is not the target of that subsection.

Medical Exemptions for Window Tinting

New Jersey provides a medical exemption process for drivers with qualifying conditions that require protection from sunlight. The exemption is authorized under N.J.S.A. 39:3-75.1 and administered by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

Qualifying Conditions

Medical conditions that may qualify for a sun-screening exemption include:

• Polymorphous light eruption
• Persistent light reactivity
• Actinic reticuloid
• Porphyria
• Solar urticaria
• Lupus erythematosus
• Other conditions involving ophthalmic or dermatological photosensitivity

Application Process

1. Request the application form (MVC Sunscreening 1) by emailing SUNSCREENING@mvc.nj.gov or calling 609-984-2973
2. Have a certified ophthalmologist or licensed physician complete the medical certification section
3. The physician must specify the condition, recommended treatment, and the specific wavelength of light to which the patient is photosensitive
4. Submit the completed form with a valid prescription to the NJ MVC Customer Advocacy Office
5. If approved, you will receive a temporary 60-day approval and a Sunscreening Installation Confirmation form
6. Only licensed sun-screening installers may apply the approved material
7. The medical certification must be renewed every 48 months

The exemption certificate must be carried in the vehicle at all times.

Windshield Obstruction Penalties

Violations of N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 (windshield obstruction) carry a fine starting at $54. This is a non-moving violation, meaning no motor vehicle penalty points are assessed on your driving record. Court costs and other fees may increase the total amount owed.

While the fine is relatively modest, the practical consequences can extend beyond the ticket itself. A windshield obstruction citation gives law enforcement a reason to initiate a traffic stop, which can lead to the discovery of other violations.

Hands-Free Device Law

New Jersey's hands-free law (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97.3) requires that wireless telephones and electronic communication devices be used in hands-free mode while driving. This law intersects with windshield mounting rules in an important way.

Even though New Jersey requires hands-free phone use, the state does not provide an exemption from the windshield obstruction law for hands-free phone mounts. A phone mounted on the windshield for hands-free use technically violates N.J.S.A. 39:3-74. The hands-free law specifies that device placement must not interfere with federally required safety equipment and that the driver must exercise a high degree of caution.

Hands-Free Violation Penalties

A 10-year lookback period applies. Third and subsequent offenses also carry a potential 90-day license suspension at the judge's discretion.

Inspection Considerations

New Jersey requires periodic vehicle inspections. During inspection, vehicles with unlawful window tinting on the windshield or front side windows may fail. Aftermarket film on either of those windows generally has to come off unless the driver holds an MVC medical exemption certificate, which N.J.S.A. 39:3-75.2(b) requires be exhibited to a designated motor vehicle examiner whenever the vehicle is inspected.

Comparison With Neighboring States

New Jersey's windshield mounting restrictions are stricter than most of its neighbors:

New Jersey is the only state in the Northeast with a near-total ban on windshield-mounted devices. Most neighboring states allow mounts in designated areas of the windshield as long as they do not obstruct the driver's view.

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