How to Set Default Tinted Windows for Vehicles

Updated on April 26, 2026

Welcome to this guide on how to set default tinted windows for vehicles in GTA V and FiveM.

This article explains where vehicle window tint is usually configured, how to apply it as a default setting, and what to check if the tint does not appear in-game.

📘 Overview #

If you want a vehicle to spawn with tinted windows by default, this is usually configured in the vehicle’s meta files.

In most cases, this is done through:

carvariations.meta

Depending on the vehicle and setup, the exact result may also be affected by:

the model itself
existing vehicle mods
spawn methods
scripts that override vehicle properties

🛠️ Before You Start #

Before making any changes, make sure you:

create a backup of the original files
edit the correct resource
restart the resource or server after saving changes

It is also recommended to test the vehicle on a clean spawn after making adjustments.

📂 Which File Should You Edit? #

In most cases, the default window tint is configured inside:

carvariations.meta

This file is usually located in the vehicle resource folder.

Example structure:

yourvehicle/
├─ stream/
├─ data/
│  ├─ vehicles.meta
│  ├─ handling.meta
│  └─ carvariations.meta

🔍 Find the Correct Vehicle Entry #

Open carvariations.meta and locate the entry of the vehicle you want to edit.

It will usually look similar to this:

<Item>
  <modelName>yourvehicle</modelName>
  <colors>
    ...
  </colors>
  <kits>
    ...
  </kits>
  <windowsWithExposedEdges />
  <plateProbabilities>
    ...
  </plateProbabilities>
  <lightSettings value="0" />
  <sirenSettings value="0" />
  <livery value="0" />
  <windowTintLevel value="0" />
</Item>

🪟 Set the Default Window Tint #

The line below controls the default window tint:

<windowTintLevel value="0" />

To apply tinted windows by default, change the value to the tint level you want.

Example:

<windowTintLevel value="3" />

📋 Common Tint Values #

The available tint levels are commonly used as follows:

Value	Tint Type
`0`	No tint
`1`	Pure black
`2`	Dark smoke
`3`	Light smoke
`4`	Stock
`5`	Limo
`6`	Green

Example with darker tint:

<windowTintLevel value="5" />

✅ Example Setup #

A full example vehicle entry may look like this:

<Item>
  <modelName>yourvehicle</modelName>
  <colors>
    <Item>
      <indices content="char_array">
        0 0 0 0 0 0
      </indices>
      <liveries>
        <Item value="-1" />
      </liveries>
    </Item>
  </colors>
  <kits>
    <Item>CVPI_LIVERY</Item>
    <Item>0_default_modkit</Item>
  </kits>
  <windowsWithExposedEdges />
  <plateProbabilities>
    <Item>
      <Name>VMT_FRONT_AND_REAR_WINDOW</Name>
      <Value value="100" />
    </Item>
  </plateProbabilities>
  <lightSettings value="0" />
  <sirenSettings value="0" />
  <livery value="0" />
  <windowTintLevel value="5" />
</Item>

In this example, the vehicle will spawn with Limo tint by default.

🔁 Restart and Test #

After editing the file:

save carvariations.meta
upload or replace the edited file in your resource
restart the resource or restart the full server
spawn the vehicle again and test the result

Example restart:

ensure yourvehicle

If needed, do a full server restart to make sure the changes are applied correctly.

⚠️ Important Notes #

make sure you edit the correct carvariations.meta
make sure the vehicle entry matches the correct modelName
some vehicles or scripts may override default tint settings
if a vehicle already spawns through a special script, that script may replace the default tint
always test with a fresh spawn after making changes

🧯 Troubleshooting #

The tint does not appear in-game #

Make sure that:

you edited the correct vehicle entry
the modelName matches the actual spawn name
the edited carvariations.meta is the one being loaded by the server
the resource was restarted after the change
no script is overriding the window tint after spawn

The vehicle still spawns without tint #

Make sure that:

the line <windowTintLevel value="x" /> is present
the value is not still set to 0
the vehicle is respawned after the edit
no duplicate version of the vehicle exists on the server

The wrong tint is shown #

Try another tint value and test again.

Some vehicles may visually react slightly differently depending on the model and glass materials used.

🎧 Support Information #

Unfortunately, support for this is very limited.

❓ FAQ #

Which file usually controls default tinted windows? #

In most cases, this is configured in:

carvariations.meta

What line should I edit? #

Edit:

<windowTintLevel value="0" />

What value removes tint? #

Use:

<windowTintLevel value="0" />

What value gives a dark tint? #

A commonly used darker option is:

<windowTintLevel value="5" />

Why does the vehicle still spawn without tint? #

Usually because of one of these reasons:

wrong file edited
wrong vehicle entry edited
resource not restarted
another script is overriding the tint

General | Vehicles

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