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A New Mexico medical tint exemption comes from a signed affidavit, not from a state agency. Without one, side and rear windows on most cars must let in at least 20% of light, and darker tint can result in a citation. The exception applies to a vehicle registered in New Mexico in the name of the person with the condition, or that person’s legal guardian. The process involves two parts:
Some drivers ask whether a New Mexico medical affidavit lets them tint their windows as dark as they want. The statute does not set a separate darkness limit for a vehicle covered by a qualifying affidavit, but the affidavit must state that the person’s physical condition makes the darker sun screening material necessary, so the tint should match the medical need the physician documents. An affidavit does not guarantee you will not be stopped or cited; officers retain discretion.
ForeverTint connects you with an independent licensed physician who reviews your medical history by chart review or, occasionally, a brief phone call. If you qualify, the signed affidavit is emailed to you so you can print it and keep it in the vehicle.
It’s important for all New Mexico drivers to understand the state’s window tint laws—even if you don’t currently qualify for a Medical Window Tint Exemption. New Mexico has specific regulations controlling how dark vehicle windows may be tinted. These laws are intended to maintain driver visibility and roadway safety while still allowing protection from heat and sunlight.
These limits mean that tint darker than the standard limits requires a qualifying medical affidavit. ForeverTint helps you find out whether you qualify by connecting you with an independent licensed physician who reviews your medical history. Eligibility is determined by a licensed physician based on your medical history, and the affidavit does not prevent an officer from stopping you or issuing a citation.
Traditionally, getting a physician affidavit for a New Mexico tint exemption meant making an in-person doctor’s appointment. ForeverTint moves the physician review 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.
The exception covers a vehicle registered in New Mexico in the name of the person with the physical condition, or that person’s legal guardian. There is no state application, decal or permit; the affidavit itself is the documentation.
The affidavit is the document that shows the darker sun screening material is medically necessary under New Mexico law. Without it, even if you have a qualifying condition, you can receive a citation for violating New Mexico’s window tint rules.
Under NMSA 1978 Section 66-3-846.1(E), the affidavit must:
The affidavit must be in the possession of the person with the physical condition, or the person’s legal guardian, at all times while being transported in the vehicle. If an officer questions your window tint, you can present the affidavit.
A verbal explanation or an informal note is not what the statute describes. Without a signed affidavit from a physician or optometrist licensed to practice in New Mexico, tint that exceeds the state’s limits can result in a citation, even if your medical condition is legitimate. A violation is a penalty assessment misdemeanor. An affidavit does not guarantee you will not be stopped or cited; officers retain discretion.
NMSA 1978 Section 66-3-846.1(E): “The provisions of this section do not apply to a motor vehicle registered in this state in the name of a person, or the person’s legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician or an optometrist licensed to practice in this state that states that the person has a physical condition that makes it necessary to equip the motor vehicle with sun screening material that is in violation of this section. The affidavit shall be in the possession of the person with such a physical condition, or the person’s legal guardian, at all times while being transported in the motor vehicle.”
Section 66-3-846.1(B): Without an affidavit, windshield sun screening material must be nonreflective, may not be red, yellow or amber, and may be used only along the top of the windshield, not below the AS-1 line or more than five inches from the top, whichever is closer to the top. Side and rear window material must be nonreflective, let in at least 20% of light, and be used only on vehicles with outside rearview mirrors on both sides.
Section 66-3-846.1(F): “The light transmission requirement of this section does not apply to windows behind the driver on truck tractors, buses, recreational vehicles, multipurpose passenger vehicles or motor homes.”
Source: NMSA 1978 Section 66-3-846.1 (sun screening material; medical affidavit exception in Subsection E)
New Mexico law (NMSA 1978 Section 66-3-846.1) requires side and rear windows on most vehicles to be nonreflective and let in at least 20% of light, and limits windshield tint to a strip along the top. The tint rules do not apply to a vehicle registered in New Mexico to a person, or their legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician or optometrist licensed in New Mexico stating that a physical condition makes darker sun screening material necessary. Without that affidavit, darker tint can lead to a citation.
New Mexico law requires the affidavit to be signed by a physician or optometrist licensed to practice in New Mexico; it does not require an in-person visit. ForeverTint connects you with an independent physician licensed in New Mexico who reviews your medical history by chart review or, occasionally, a brief phone call. If the physician determines you qualify, the signed affidavit is emailed to you; if not, you receive a full refund.
New Mexico law requires the affidavit to be in the possession of the person with the physical condition, or their legal guardian, at all times while being transported in the vehicle. If you cannot show it during a traffic stop, the officer may treat the tint as a violation and issue a citation, even if you have a qualifying condition. Keep a printed copy in the vehicle.
New Mexico’s statute does not set a separate darkness limit for a vehicle covered by a qualifying affidavit; the standard tint rules do not apply to that vehicle. The affidavit must state that your physical condition makes the darker sun screening material necessary, so the tint should match the medical need the physician documents. An affidavit does not guarantee you will not be stopped or cited.
No. New Mexico law does not require an application to the Motor Vehicle Division or a state-issued permit for a medical tint exemption. Instead, the person with the condition, or their legal guardian, must have an affidavit signed by a physician or optometrist licensed to practice in New Mexico, and the vehicle must be registered in New Mexico in that person’s or guardian’s name.
A physician or optometrist licensed to practice in New Mexico reviews your medical history and decides whether you have a physical condition that makes darker sun screening material necessary. If so, they sign an affidavit stating that. You keep the affidavit with you whenever you are transported in the vehicle; no state filing is required.
New Mexico’s statute does not list specific conditions; it requires a physician or optometrist to state that the person has a physical condition that makes darker sun screening material necessary. Conditions a physician may consider include lupus, porphyria, xeroderma pigmentosum, albinism, photosensitivity dermatitis, melanoma and other skin cancers, and light-sensitive eye conditions. An independent licensed physician decides whether your condition qualifies.
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.