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A Tennessee medical tint exemption is granted by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, not by a doctor. Without an exemption, Tennessee law makes it unlawful to drive with any window tinted to less than 35% visible light transmittance, or with windshield tint below 70% outside the manufacturer’s shade band. Tint darker than these limits can result in a citation. The process involves two parts:
Some drivers ask whether a Tennessee medical tint exemption lets them tint their windows as dark as they want. It does not. The medical review board recommends, and the commissioner authorizes, a specific degree of tinting exemption, and the certificate or decal states that degree. The Department of Safety also states that windshield tint cannot be exempted.
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 physician statement is emailed to you so you can submit it to the Department of Safety yourself.
It’s important for all Tennessee drivers to understand the state’s window tint laws—even if you do not qualify for a medical window tint exemption. Tennessee has clear guidelines that regulate how dark your vehicle windows may be tinted. These laws are designed to maintain visibility and roadway safety while still allowing reasonable sun protection and privacy.
These limits mean that tint darker than 35% on any window requires a medical exemption from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. ForeverTint helps you find out whether you qualify for the physician statement that supports your exemption request. Eligibility is determined by a licensed physician based on your medical history, and the department decides whether to grant the exemption and at what degree.
Traditionally, getting a physician statement for a Tennessee 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.
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, you send to Driver Improvement ([email protected]):
The department’s medical review board evaluates the statement. If the exemption is authorized, the department issues a decal and a certificate signed by the commissioner, indicating the degree of exemption, which you display in the vehicle. The department lists processing time as about 3 to 4 weeks.
A physician’s statement by itself is not a Tennessee tint exemption. Without a certificate and decal from the Department of Safety, tint darker than the legal limits can result in a citation, even if your medical condition is legitimate; a violation of section 55-9-107 is a Class C misdemeanor. An exemption does not guarantee you will not be stopped or cited; officers retain discretion.
Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55-9-107(a)(1): “It is unlawful for any person to operate, upon a public highway, street or road, any motor vehicle in which any window […] has been altered, treated or replaced by the affixing, application or installation of any material that: (A) Has a visible light transmittance of less than thirty-five percent (35%); or (B) With the exception of the manufacturer’s standard installed shade band, reduces the visible light transmittance in the windshield below seventy percent (70%).”
Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55-9-107(b)(1): “Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1) to the contrary, any person with a medical condition that is adversely affected by ultraviolet light may submit a statement to the commissioner from that person’s physician certifying that the person has a medical condition that requires reduction of light transmission in the windows of the person’s vehicle in excess of the standards established in subsection (a). The commissioner shall submit the certified statement to the department’s medical review board for evaluation. If the review board finds the exemption warranted, it shall recommend that the commissioner authorize the exemption, and the degree of tinting exemption that is appropriate. The commissioner shall then supply a certificate or decal, indicating the degree of exemption, to the applicant who shall display it in the motor vehicle.”
Under section 55-9-107(b)(2), an applicant may appeal a decision of the board or the commissioner under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act.
Source: TN Department of Safety & Homeland Security (Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55-9-107)
Tennessee law (section 55-9-107) makes it unlawful to drive with any window tinted below 35% visible light transmittance, or with windshield tint below 70% outside the manufacturer’s shade band. A person with a medical condition adversely affected by ultraviolet light can submit a physician’s statement to the Department of Safety, whose medical review board evaluates it. If authorized, the department issues a certificate or decal showing the degree of exemption; without one, darker tint can lead to a citation.
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 physician statement is emailed to you. You then submit it, with a copy of your vehicle registration and your driver’s license number, to the Department of Safety’s Driver Improvement section yourself, and the department decides whether to grant the exemption.
If your tint is darker than the legal limits and you have no state-issued certificate or decal, you can be cited; a violation of section 55-9-107 is a Class C misdemeanor. The law requires an approved applicant to display the certificate or decal in the vehicle. Even with an exemption, officers retain discretion.
No. The Department of Safety’s medical review board recommends, and the commissioner authorizes, a specific degree of tinting exemption, and the certificate or decal states that degree. The department also states that windshield tint cannot be exempted.
Yes. A physician’s statement alone is not an exemption. You send the statement, a copy of your vehicle registration, and your driver’s license number to the Department of Safety’s Driver Improvement section, and the exemption applies only if the department issues a certificate and decal. The department lists processing time as about 3 to 4 weeks.
First, a physician reviews your medical history and, if you qualify, signs a statement certifying that you have a medical condition adversely affected by ultraviolet light that requires darker tint. Then you send that statement, a copy of your vehicle registration, and your driver’s license number to Driver Improvement at the Tennessee Department of Safety. If the medical review board finds the exemption warranted, the department issues a certificate and decal stating the degree of exemption.
Tennessee law does not list specific conditions; it requires a medical condition that is adversely affected by ultraviolet light, as certified by your physician. 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 Department of Safety decides whether to grant the exemption.
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.