A medical window tint exemption in Maryland allows you to legally use window tint that would normally exceed the state’s standard 35% VLT limitations. This exemption is important for individuals with medical conditions that make them highly sensitive to sunlight or UV exposure. Without proper exemption documentation, darker tint could result in citations or a Safety Equipment Repair Order. With approved medical documentation, however, darker tint becomes a recognized medical accommodation under Maryland law.
The exemption qualification process involves two parts:
Some people wonder whether a Maryland medical window tint exemption allows them to tint their windows as dark as they want. The answer is no—Maryland’s exemption does not eliminate all restrictions, but it may allow darker tint than normally permitted when medically necessary and supported by proper physician documentation.
ForeverTint helps simplify the process by connecting you with a licensed physician for a consultation, assisting with the required medical documentation, and delivering your paperwork electronically so you can print it and keep it in your vehicle as required by Maryland law.
It’s important for all Maryland drivers to understand the state’s window tint laws—even if you do not currently qualify for a Medical Window Tint Exemption. Maryland has specific regulations that control how dark vehicle window tint can be. These laws are intended to maintain safe visibility for drivers and law enforcement while still allowing reasonable levels of privacy and protection from sunlight.
These restrictions mean that if you need darker-than-standard tint for medical reasons, especially on your front side windows, you may need a Maryland medical window tint exemption. ForeverTint helps simplify the process by connecting you with a licensed physician familiar with Maryland’s medical exemption requirements. Once approved, your physician-signed documentation can help support your legal use of darker window tint under Maryland law.
Traditionally, getting a tint exemption in Maryland meant making an in-person doctor’s appointment, explaining your condition, and handling paperwork yourself. ForeverTint streamlines this entire process online:
*If the physician determines you do not qualify, you receive a full refund.
An independent licensed physician decides whether your condition qualifies. Conditions a physician may consider include:
Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which ultraviolet light can trigger skin rashes, joint pain, and fatigue. Physicians commonly advise people with lupus to limit UV exposure, including the UVA light that passes through car side windows.
Porphyrias are a group of disorders in which certain compounds build up in the body and react to light, causing blistering, burning pain, and skin damage after sun exposure. Avoiding sunlight is a central part of managing the cutaneous forms.
Xeroderma pigmentosum is a rare genetic disorder that prevents the body from repairing DNA damage caused by ultraviolet light. People with XP burn after minimal sun exposure and face a greatly increased risk of skin cancers and eye damage.
People with albinism produce little or no melanin, the pigment that helps protect skin and eyes from ultraviolet light. They are highly prone to sunburn and skin damage and often experience significant light sensitivity and glare.
Photosensitivity dermatitis is an abnormal skin reaction to sunlight that can cause redness, itching, swelling, and rash on exposed skin. It can be linked to an underlying condition or to medications, and limiting UV exposure helps prevent flare-ups.
A personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers means ongoing UV exposure is a serious concern. Dermatologists routinely advise these patients to reduce sun exposure wherever possible, including time spent driving.
Some eye conditions, such as uveitis, certain retinal disorders, and sensitivity following eye surgery, cause pain or impaired vision in bright light. A licensed physician or optometrist can assess whether reducing light exposure while driving is medically necessary.
Cockayne syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes extreme sensitivity to sunlight, along with other developmental and health effects. Strict sun protection is part of everyday care.
Bloom syndrome is a rare inherited disorder that causes sun-sensitive skin, often with a facial rash after sun exposure, and an increased lifetime risk of cancer. Limiting UV exposure is a standard precaution.
Vitiligo causes patches of skin to lose their pigment, leaving those areas without natural protection from ultraviolet light. Depigmented skin burns easily, so physicians often recommend extra sun protection.
Some autoimmune conditions, such as dermatomyositis, cause skin and muscle symptoms that worsen with sun exposure. Certain medications used to treat autoimmune disease can also increase sensitivity to light.
Healing burns, skin grafts, and scar tissue are more vulnerable to sun damage, and UV exposure can cause scars to darken. Physicians typically advise protecting these areas from direct sunlight.
Other diagnosed conditions, including sun sensitivity caused by medications, can make sun exposure a health concern. Describe your condition during intake, and an independent licensed physician will review your medical history and decide whether darker tint is medically necessary for you.
Under Maryland Transportation Code § 22-406(i)(4), the written certification must come from a physician licensed in Maryland and detail the owner’s medical need for tinted windows with less than 35% light transmittance, in the format required by the State Police (form 23-04B). It is valid for the time the physician determines, up to 2 years, or indefinitely if the physician determines the condition is permanent.
Keep the certification in your vehicle at all times. Presenting it shows your tint is covered by Maryland’s medical exemption, but it does not guarantee you will not be stopped or cited; officers retain discretion.
Maryland law does not rely on verbal explanations alone when it comes to darker-than-legal medical window tint. Drivers should have properly completed physician-signed documentation available as proof of medical necessity. Without valid documentation, darker tint, especially on front side windows, may still lead to citations or a Safety Equipment Repair Order under Maryland law.
Maryland Transportation Code § 22-406(i)(4)(i): “A person who must be protected from the sun for medical reasons is exempt from the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection if the owner has, in the vehicle at the time the vehicle is stopped by a police officer, a written certification in the manner and format required by the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the Department of State Police that details the owner’s medical need for tinted windows with a light transmittance of less than the allowed 35%, from a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State.”
Since October 1, 2025, a certification for a permanent condition is valid indefinitely; otherwise it is valid for up to 2 years. The windshield still may not be tinted below the AS-1 line or 5 inches from the top.
Maryland exempts a person who must be protected from the sun for medical reasons when the owner keeps in the vehicle a written certification from a physician licensed in Maryland, in the State Police format, detailing the medical need for tint darker than 35%. It is valid up to 2 years, or indefinitely for a permanent condition.
ForeverTint helps connect Maryland residents with licensed physicians who can review qualifying medical conditions for a tint exemption. If you qualify, you receive physician-signed documentation that may be used to support your medical window tint exemption under Maryland law. The process is completed remotely for added convenience.
If your window tint appears darker than Maryland law normally allows and you cannot provide supporting medical documentation, you may still receive a citation or Safety Equipment Repair Order. Maryland drivers using a medical tint exemption should keep their physician-signed paperwork in the vehicle at all times.
A Maryland medical window tint exemption may allow darker tint than the normal legal limit when medically necessary. However, certain restrictions still apply, including limitations involving windshield tint and safe vehicle operation. Medical documentation does not automatically remove every tint regulation.
Maryland medical tint exemptions are handled through physician certification and Maryland State Police documentation requirements rather than a standard DMV-issued permit. Drivers should ensure they have properly completed physician-signed paperwork available in their vehicle if using darker medical tint.
To obtain a Maryland medical window tint exemption, you must have a qualifying medical condition reviewed by a licensed physician. If you qualify, the physician completes the required documentation supporting the medical need for darker window tint. ForeverTint connects you with an independent licensed physician who reviews your medical history by chart review or, occasionally, a brief phone call, and delivers your documentation electronically.
Conditions involving sensitivity to sunlight or UV exposure may qualify for a Maryland medical tint exemption. Common examples include lupus, albinism, skin cancer, photosensitivity disorders, and certain eye conditions. Eligibility is determined individually by a licensed physician based on your medical needs.
Having a medical recommendation from a doctor for darker window tint does not guarantee you will not get a ticket. An officer can still give you a ticket at their own discretion.