How deep can a sun strip be in BC?
75 mm, a little under 3 inches, counted down from the windshield’s top edge. Section 7.05(8)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations confines light-reducing material on a windshield to that top band and sets no darkness limit within it.
A strip gets checked under item 12e of BC’s 2025 Vehicle Inspection Manual. It fails a windshield with aftermarket tint lower than 75 mm, tint that is “reflective type”, tint not allowed under the ANSI/SAE Z26.1 glazing standard, or anything that materially impairs the driver’s normal vision. Nearby rules differ:
| Where | Windshield strip allowed |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | Top 75 mm, any shade, not reflective |
| Washington | Top 6 inches, transparent film only, never into the AS-1 portion (Washington’s RCW 46.37.430) |
| Alberta | None (AR 122/2009, s. 70) |
A strip cut to Washington’s 6 inches is about twice as deep as BC permits, so a car tinted south of the border may need its strip trimmed or replaced here. The full comparison with Alberta is on BC vs Alberta tint laws.
Is a sun strip the same as a factory shade band?
No. A shade band is tinted into the windshield by its maker, and its lower edge is set by the US glazing standard, FMVSS 205, S5.3, through SAE J100 or a plane rising 7 degrees through a set reference point. The boundary is marked with the AS-1 line. A sun strip is film added afterwards, and BC judges it by the 75 mm rule rather than by that line.
What to check before adding a sun strip
Check for a camera or sensor at the top of the windshield, since many cars mount driver-assist cameras there; tinting around an ADAS camera covers what makers allow. Then decide how much glare you want gone. LLumar’s performance data sheet puts ATC 05’s glare reduction at 94%, and whether tint reduces glare explains what that does for a low sun.
A strip is not the same job as a full windshield. Brookswood Tint fits full-windshield film from $200 when asked, but explains first that full-windshield film is illegal on BC roads at every shade: it fails item 12e, Mission RCMP lists $109 as the usual fine, and a Notice & Order from police would mean removing the film, then passing a full inspection.
Booking a sun strip at Brookswood Tint
Strips aren’t on the price list; each is quoted for the car. Pass along the car’s year, make and model, mention any camera behind the mirror, and choose dark ATC for glare or clear AIR for heat. The strip is plotter-cut, fitted from inside, and usually done the same day. The windshield service is on windshield tint, and the legal detail in is windshield tint legal in BC.
