If you’re among the many Pennsylvania residents who rely on a medical window tint exemption—often called an online window tint prescription—to manage health conditions aggravated by sunlight or glare, you likely appreciate the significant comfort and safety benefits your tinted windows provide. However, what happens if you decide to sell your vehicle? Is your exemption transferable to the new owner? Do you need to remove the tint, or can you transfer the exemption to your next vehicle? This guide answers these important questions, helping you understand exactly how Pennsylvania’s window tint exemption laws affect vehicle transfers and sales.
Understanding Medical Window Tint Exemptions in Pennsylvania
Before diving into what happens when you sell your car, it’s important to briefly revisit what a Pennsylvania medical window tint exemption entails. In Pennsylvania, an online window tint exemption is a legally recognized physician-issued document allowing residents with qualifying medical conditions to install darker window tint on their vehicles than normally permitted under state law.
Conditions commonly qualifying for these exemptions include migraines, lupus, severe skin sensitivities, eye conditions, neuropathy, and other medical issues significantly worsened by sunlight or glare. The exemption itself is straightforward, requiring only a valid prescription issued by a licensed physician clearly stating your condition, the medical necessity for darker tint, and the exemption’s duration (temporary or permanent).
But what happens when the vehicle for which this exemption was granted is sold?
Is Your Pennsylvania Window Tint Exemption Tied to You or the Vehicle?
This is one of the most common questions regarding tint exemptions: is your exemption tied specifically to your vehicle, or does it follow you personally?
In Pennsylvania, your medical window tint exemption is directly tied to you as an individual, not the vehicle itself. Your exemption certificate or prescription is essentially personal medical documentation confirming that you—as the individual—require darker window tint due to your health condition. This means the exemption remains with you, regardless of which vehicle you own or drive.
Consequently, the exemption does not transfer automatically to any new owner of your vehicle. If you sell your car, the new owner cannot legally maintain the darker tint installed under your exemption unless they also hold a valid medical window tint exemption.
What Must You Do When Selling Your Tinted Vehicle?
When you sell your vehicle in Pennsylvania, particularly if it has darker window tint legally applied through your exemption, you have a few clear options:
Option 1: Remove the Tint Before Sale
The simplest way to ensure full compliance is to remove the darker-than-allowed tint before selling the vehicle. This ensures the buyer receives a car that fully complies with Pennsylvania’s standard window tint regulations, protecting both you and the buyer from potential legal complications.
Removing the tint ensures:
- A smooth transaction without legal questions or concerns.
- The new buyer can retint the vehicle according to their own needs or state standards.
Option 2: Ensure the Buyer Understands Tint Regulations
If you prefer selling your vehicle with the existing tint intact, transparency with the buyer is essential. Clearly inform the buyer that the current window tint is legal only because of your personal medical exemption. Without their own valid exemption, the new owner would be violating state regulations and could face fines or citations.
Be sure to:
- Clearly explain the tint exemption situation.
- Advise the buyer they may need to remove or adjust the tint to comply with state laws.
- Strongly recommend they confirm or secure their own exemption if they qualify.
Option 3: The Buyer Obtains Their Own Exemption
In certain cases, the new buyer might already qualify for their own medical window tint exemption. If so, they can easily obtain their online window tint prescription through a service like ForeverTint. With their own valid exemption, the darker tint on the vehicle immediately becomes legal for the new owner as well.
However, it’s essential to emphasize that the exemption must be personally issued to the new buyer. Simply purchasing the vehicle with the tinted windows does not grant automatic compliance under Pennsylvania law.
Can You Transfer Your Exemption to Your Next Vehicle?
Because your exemption is tied directly to you, it remains fully valid when you purchase your next vehicle. You do not have to obtain a new prescription or exemption document each time you change vehicles. Your existing exemption document clearly states your eligibility for darker window tint due to medical necessity and remains applicable to any vehicle you drive.
When you purchase your new vehicle, simply:
- Present your existing window tint exemption documentation when having your new vehicle professionally tinted.
- Ensure you always keep a copy of your exemption certificate easily accessible in your new vehicle, as Pennsylvania law enforcement requires immediate presentation of this document during traffic stops or tint checks.
Important Considerations When Selling a Vehicle with a Tint Exemption
To ensure a smooth and legally compliant transaction, consider the following tips before selling your tinted vehicle:
Clearly Communicate to the Buyer
Transparency avoids potential misunderstandings or disputes. Clearly inform potential buyers upfront about your tint exemption, emphasizing that the tint currently installed is only legally compliant due to your medical condition and personal exemption.
Provide Documentation to the Buyer
While your personal exemption document itself cannot legally be transferred, it may be helpful to show buyers your documentation as proof that the existing tint was legally installed under Pennsylvania state regulations. This transparency increases trust and helps buyers clearly understand the legal circumstances.
Encourage Potential Buyers to Check State Requirements
Advise any potential buyers to independently verify Pennsylvania’s tint laws and exemption processes to understand the legal implications. Directing them to services like ForeverTint can also help if they believe they may qualify for their own exemption.
Staying Compliant with Pennsylvania Tint Laws
Selling your vehicle doesn’t have to complicate your compliance with Pennsylvania’s window tint laws. By understanding that your medical exemption is personal to you and doesn’t transfer with vehicle ownership, you can confidently handle vehicle sales without risk of legal complications. Always ensure clear communication with the new buyer about existing tint, and know your exemption remains valid for your future vehicles, ensuring continued comfort, protection, and compliance.
If you’re a Pennsylvania resident considering selling a tinted vehicle or obtaining a medical window tint exemption, ForeverTint provides a straightforward, physician-approved online solution to ensure you remain comfortably compliant at all times.
