If you are wondering whether a North Dakota Window Tint Recommendation can help with North Dakota’s tint laws or with a tint ticket, the direct answer is no. North Dakota law does not provide a medical exemption from its window tint limits. A physician recommendation documents a medical need but does not change the legal limits or prevent a citation.
Many North Dakota drivers live with medical conditions that make bright sunlight, glare, or UV exposure difficult to tolerate, and some choose to obtain a physician’s written recommendation. This article explains what North Dakota law actually says, what a recommendation can and cannot do, and how to stay within the state’s limits.
What North Dakota Law Says About Medical Window Tint
North Dakota’s window tint law is N.D.C.C. § 39-21-39, as amended by House Bill 1340 (2025), effective August 1, 2025. It contains no medical exemption. The state once allowed front side sunscreening “as authorized by competent medical authority,” but that exemption was removed in 2003, and a 2009 bill to restore it failed. There is no state application, permit, decal, or carry requirement for medical window tint.
Under the current law:
- Windshield: must allow at least 70% light transmittance. Nonreflective tint is allowed above the AS-1 line or within the top five inches of the windshield.
- Other windows: must allow at least 35% light transmittance (effective August 1, 2025).
- Windows behind the driver: may be any darkness if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides. Without those mirrors, the 35% limit applies.
- Factory tint counts: the North Dakota Highway Patrol includes factory tint when it measures total light transmittance, so film added over factory-tinted glass can exceed the limit.
These limits are the same whether or not you have a medical condition or a physician’s recommendation. You can read more on our North Dakota window tint law and recommendation resource.
What a Window Tint Recommendation Can and Cannot Do
A Window Tint Recommendation is a signed document from an independent licensed physician stating that your medical condition makes reducing sun exposure medically advisable. Because North Dakota has no medical exemption, it has no legal effect:
- It does not allow tint darker than North Dakota’s limits.
- It does not prevent a citation if your tint is darker than the law allows.
- An officer is not required to take it into account. Officers retain discretion.
What it can do is document your condition in writing. Some drivers keep a copy in the vehicle to explain their medical need if asked.
Conditions a Physician May Consider
People seek a Window Tint Recommendation for conditions involving sensitivity to sunlight or UV light, such as:
- Lupus
- Porphyria
- Xeroderma pigmentosum
- Albinism
- Photosensitivity dermatitis
- Melanoma and other skin cancers
- Light-sensitive eye conditions
- Other diagnosed conditions that make sun exposure harmful
An independent licensed physician decides whether a recommendation is appropriate for your condition.
What If You Receive a Tint Ticket?
If you are stopped because your tint appears darker than North Dakota allows, stay calm, be respectful, and follow the officer’s instructions. If you have a Window Tint Recommendation, you may mention your medical condition, but the recommendation is not a legal exemption and you can be cited whether or not you carry one.
The way to avoid a tint citation in North Dakota is to keep your tint within the legal limits: at least 70% on the windshield below the AS-1 line or top five inches, at least 35% on the front side windows, and outside mirrors on both sides if the windows behind you are darker than 35%.
How ForeverTint’s Recommendation Process Works
When you purchase through ForeverTint’s North Dakota Window Tint Recommendation service, an independent licensed physician reviews your medical history by chart review or, occasionally, a brief phone call, so there is no in-person appointment. If you qualify, your signed Window Tint Recommendation is emailed to you so you can print it and keep it in your vehicle. If the physician determines you do not qualify, you receive a full refund.
The recommendation documents your medical need only; it does not change North Dakota’s tint limits. You can see what other customers have experienced in our ForeverTint reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does North Dakota law say about medical window tint?
North Dakota law (N.D.C.C. 39-21-39) requires at least 70% light transmittance on the windshield and, since August 1, 2025, at least 35% on other windows; windows behind the driver may be any darkness if the vehicle has outside mirrors on both sides. North Dakota law does not provide a medical exemption from its window tint limits. A physician recommendation documents a medical need but does not change the legal limits or prevent a citation.
Does a Window Tint Recommendation prevent a tint ticket in North Dakota?
No. A Window Tint Recommendation has no legal effect in North Dakota. If your tint is darker than the law allows, you can be cited whether or not you have one, and officers retain discretion.
How do I get a North Dakota Window Tint Recommendation?
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, your signed recommendation is emailed to you so you can print it and keep it in your vehicle.
What medical conditions may qualify for a Window Tint Recommendation?
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.
Should I keep my recommendation inside my vehicle?
North Dakota law does not require it. Some drivers keep a copy in the vehicle to explain their medical need if asked, but it does not exempt the vehicle from the tint limits.
