What a Medical Tint Exemption Does Not Cover: Windshields, Reflective Film, and Night Driving

What does a medical tint exemption not cover?

A medical exemption is an exception to your state's tint limits, written into that state's law or rules. It covers what the law says it covers and nothing more. The most common limits are:

• The windshield below the AS-1 line or a top strip
• Reflective, mirrored or colored film
• Night-time use, in some states
• Tint darker than a set floor
• Other vehicles, and sometimes other states
• Being stopped by an officer

Each one is explained below with examples from our verified state pages. For your exact rules, see your state's page.

Windshields

The windshield is the glass most states protect most closely, because the driver looks through it. Many medical exemptions do not change the windshield rule at all:

• Texas: the 2019 DPS notice allowed darker tint on the front side windows and in the top 5 inches or AS-1 area of the windshield, but no tint on the windshield below that line.
• Maryland: the exemption never allows tint on the windshield below the AS-1 line or 5 inches from the top.
• Tennessee: the Department of Safety says it cannot exempt the windshield.
• Missouri: the windshield is not covered by the permit.
• Oregon: the exemption does not reach the windshield below the top 6 inches.
• Louisiana: the exemption never covers the windshield below the top 6 inches unless the provider authorizes it for light-sensitive porphyria.

A few states do let an exemption reach more of the windshield, usually with limits. Read windshield tint rules and the AS-1 line before you put film on the windshield.

Reflective and colored film

Tint laws usually have two separate tests: how much light the window lets through, and how much it reflects. An exemption for darkness may leave the reflectivity rule in place.

• Ohio: the medical rule mentions darker or more reflective sunscreening, but Ohio law separately bans reflectorized material on any window, so the exemption does not cover mirrored film.
• Washington: the bans on mirror finishes and on red, gold, yellow or black film still apply.
• Oregon: the bans on mirror finishes and red, gold, yellow, amber or black film still apply.
• Oklahoma: no exemption is allowed for reflectance.
• New Jersey: reflectance must be 8% or less.

If you want darker tint for a medical reason, choose a non-reflective film in a neutral shade. Our guide to ceramic, dyed and carbon tint explains the film types.

Night driving

Dark tint cuts visible light at night too, when there is much less of it. Some states build that into the rule:

• California: the medical route is removable sun screens on the front side windows, and they may not be used during darkness.
• New Jersey: removable screens on the top 6 inches of the front side windows are allowed only between sunrise and sunset.
• Oklahoma: an exemption below 20% may add a daylight driving only restriction to the driver license.
• Louisiana: for photophobia, the provider must explain why sunglasses are not enough and why the tint will not affect night driving.

Even where the law sets no night rule, think about how well you can see after dark. A shade or film that is right for midday sun can make night driving harder. Talk with your physician about the darkness that fits your condition.

How dark you can go

An exemption is not always unlimited. Some states set a floor for exempt vehicles, and some ask the clinician to state a percentage. New Jersey keeps front side windows at 60% or lighter, and Oklahoma rules say tint may not go below 15%. Our guide how dark can you tint with a medical exemption compares more states.

Other vehicles and other states

Depending on the state, an exemption may belong to a person, a vehicle, or both. In Oklahoma, the exemption letter is valid only for the vehicle listed and cannot be transferred. Florida's exemption ends when the vehicle is sold. If you buy a new car, check whether you need new paperwork. See exemptions for leased and rental cars.

Other states may treat your exemption differently. Each state enforces its own law, and an officer elsewhere may not know your home state's rules. Read traffic stops, inspections and travel before a long trip.

Traffic stops and tickets

An officer cannot see your paperwork through the glass, so dark windows can still lead to a stop. In Texas, the medical need is a defense, so an officer can still write a ticket and you show the signed statement in court. In Hawaii, which has no medical exemption, people in a car with applied tint must roll their windows down at a traffic stop unless a physical disability prevents it.

Keep your certificate and any state document in the car, and show them calmly with your license and registration. If you are cited, our guide to tint tickets explains your options.

How ShadedMD can help

In states with a medical route, ShadedMD offers an online evaluation by a physician licensed in your state, with the best pricing of any online tint exemption service: one flat $129 and a 30-day money-back guarantee if the physician cannot approve you. Approved patients receive a signed certificate by email, and your state page explains any form or limit that still applies. See if you qualify. This article is general information, not legal advice.

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