What can you legally put on your windshield in Indiana?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
Indiana Code 9-19-19 bars any sign, poster, sunscreening, or other nontransparent material placed on the windshield that obstructs the driver’s clear view of the highway. The statute is written around obstruction rather than a list of banned items, so anything that blocks your sightline is the problem. Other details vary, so check the current code.
What section 3(b) of the Indiana code covers
Indiana’s rule for windshield attachments is short: section 3(b) of Indiana Code 9-19-19 bars any sign, poster, sunscreening, or other nontransparent material that obstructs the driver’s clear view of the highway. The statute is organized around obstruction, so the question for anything you stick on the glass is what it does to your sightline.
That framing covers more than advertising banners. A toll transponder, a dash cam, a parking permit, or an aftermarket shade strip all raise the same question — not whether the item is approved, but whether it blocks what you need to see. Placement is what usually decides it.
This answer covers that one section. Indiana law on window tinting, sticker placement, and device mounting has further detail beyond it, and statutes get amended, so check the current code before relying on any specific placement.
Keeping the glass legally clear
- Keep stickers and permits small and toward the edges, away from your direct view.
- Mount dash cams and toll tags where they intrude least on your sightline.
- Take hanging signs, banners, and decorations off the glass entirely before driving.
- Remove snow, ice, and heavy frost completely rather than clearing a viewing hole.
- Re-check anything mounted on the glass after a replacement, since positions shift.
Other details vary
Indiana’s rules on tint darkness and device mounts sit in other parts of the code and change over time — check the current Indiana Code or the BMV before adding film or a mount. This is a plain-language summary of one section of Indiana law, not legal advice.
More questions about windshield attachments in Indiana
Can you have signs on your windshield in Indiana?
A sign that obstructs your clear view of the highway is barred by section 3(b). Signs small enough to leave the sightline open sit differently, but the safest course is keeping the driver’s side of the glass empty.
Is a windshield sunshade strip legal in Indiana?
The statute does not approve or ban strips by name; it bars nontransparent material that obstructs the driver’s clear view. A strip that stays out of your sightline is the standard the section sets.
What is the Indiana windshield sticker law?
The same obstruction provision. Stickers are treated as nontransparent material, so the test is whether the placement blocks your view of the highway.
Windshield attachment myths
Any sticker on a windshield is illegal in Indiana.
The statute targets obstruction, not stickers as a category. A small permit near the edge of the glass is a different case from a placard across the driver’s side.
Indiana publishes an approved sticker location.
The section at issue speaks in terms of obstructed view rather than approved spots. Placement guidance comes from keeping the sightline clear, and other parts of the code cover specifics.
A sunshade strip is always fine because the top of the glass is not the driver’s view.
A strip low enough to intrude on your sightline can obstruct it. Height and coverage are what the section turns on.
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