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A North Carolina medical exception permit is issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), not by a doctor. Without a permit, windows other than the windshield must let in at least 35% of light, and driving with a window that does not meet G.S. 20-127 is a Class 3 misdemeanor. The process involves two parts:
Some drivers ask whether a North Carolina medical exception permit lets them tint their windows as dark as they want. The answer is no. North Carolina law does not set one darkness level for every permit; each permit specifies the windows that may be tinted and the permitted levels of tinting, and you must stay within it. G.S. 20-127(c) also states that the windshield restrictions apply without exception.
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 physician completes the medical evaluation section of the DMV form and returns the completed form to the NCDMV Medical Review Program, as the DMV’s instructions direct. A copy is emailed to you, and the DMV decides whether to issue the permit.
It’s important for all North Carolina drivers to understand the state’s window tint laws—even if you do not currently qualify for a medical exception permit. North Carolina has clear guidelines under G.S. 20-127 that regulate how dark and reflective your vehicle windows may be. These laws are intended to maintain visibility and safety for drivers and law enforcement, while still allowing reasonable protection from heat and glare.
These limits mean that tint darker than North Carolina’s standard limits requires a medical exception permit from the DMV. ForeverTint helps you find out whether you qualify for the physician-completed medical evaluation form that the DMV requires. Eligibility is determined by a licensed physician based on your medical history, and the DMV decides whether to issue the permit.
Traditionally, getting the physician section of a North Carolina medical exception form completed 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.
Under G.S. 20-127(f), a medical exception permit:
A person may hold no more than four medical exception permits that are valid at any one time (the limit was two before S.L. 2025-47 took effect on July 1, 2025). The DMV also gives you a sticker to place on the lower left-hand corner of the rear window, between the window and the tint when the tint is installed. Failure to display the sticker is an infraction punishable by a $200 fine.
A physician’s medical evaluation form by itself is not a North Carolina exemption. Without a medical exception permit issued by the DMV, driving with a window that does not meet G.S. 20-127 is a Class 3 misdemeanor, even if your medical condition is legitimate. A permit does not guarantee you will not be stopped or cited; officers retain discretion. Since December 1, 2025, the driver of any vehicle with tinted windows must also roll down the window on the side a law enforcement officer approaches.
North Carolina General Statute 20-127(b)(1): “The total light transmission of the tinted window shall be at least thirty-five percent (35%). A vehicle window that, by use of a light meter approved by the Commissioner, measures a total light transmission of more than thirty-two percent (32%) is conclusively presumed to meet this restriction.”
G.S. 20-127(f): “A person who suffers from a medical condition that causes the person to be photosensitive to visible light may obtain a medical exception permit. To obtain a permit, an applicant shall apply in writing to the Drivers Medical Evaluation Program and have his or her doctor complete the required medical evaluation form provided by the Division. The permit shall be valid for five years from the date of issue, unless a shorter time is directed by the Drivers Medical Evaluation Program. The renewal shall require a medical recertification that the person continues to suffer from a medical condition requiring tinting.”
“A person may receive no more than four medical exception permits that are valid at any one time. A permit issued under this subsection shall specify the vehicle to which it applies, the windows that may be tinted, and the permitted levels of tinting. The permit shall be carried in the vehicle to which it applies when the vehicle is driven on a highway.”
S.L. 2025-47 (Senate Bill 391): Raised the limit on medical exception permits from two to four, effective July 1, 2025. Effective December 1, 2025, window tint is no longer checked during North Carolina safety inspections, the separate tint inspection fee was eliminated, and new G.S. 20-127(g) requires the driver of a vehicle with tinted windows to roll down the window on the side a law enforcement officer approaches. Vehicles with after-factory tint must still meet G.S. 20-127.
Source: North Carolina General Statute 20-127 (as amended by S.L. 2025-47)
North Carolina law (G.S. 20-127) requires windows other than the windshield to have at least 35% total light transmission and no more than 20% reflectance, with exceptions such as windows behind the driver of a multipurpose vehicle. A person with a medical condition that causes photosensitivity to visible light may obtain a medical exception permit from the Division of Motor Vehicles through its Drivers Medical Evaluation Program. Without a permit, driving with a window that does not meet the law is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
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 physician completes the medical evaluation section of the DMV’s Tinted Window Waiver Application Form and returns the completed form to the NCDMV Medical Review Program, as the DMV’s instructions direct. A copy is emailed to you, and the DMV decides whether to issue the permit.
G.S. 20-127(f) requires the permit to be carried in the vehicle to which it applies when the vehicle is driven on a highway. If you are stopped for tint darker than North Carolina’s limits and cannot show the permit, you can be cited. Failure to display the DMV’s rear-window sticker is a separate infraction punishable by a $200 fine.
No. North Carolina law does not set one darkness level for every permit; each permit specifies the vehicle, the windows that may be tinted, and the permitted levels of tinting, and you must stay within it. G.S. 20-127(c) also states that the windshield restrictions apply without exception.
Yes. You apply in writing to the Drivers Medical Evaluation Program of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (the NCDMV Medical Review Program in Raleigh), and your doctor completes the required medical evaluation form. A physician’s form by itself is not a permit; the DMV decides whether to issue one.
First, a licensed physician reviews your medical history and, if you qualify, completes and signs the physician section of the DMV’s Tinted Window Waiver Application Form. The completed form, with your applicant and vehicle information, is returned to the NCDMV Medical Review Program, as the DMV’s instructions direct. A permit the DMV issues is valid for up to five years and is renewed with a medical recertification.
North Carolina law requires a medical condition that causes you to be photosensitive to visible light; it does not list specific conditions. 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, and the DMV decides whether to issue the permit.
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.