7 min read
Texas caps front side window tint at more than 25% visible light transmission. For people with photosensitive medical conditions, that limit is not a preference issue — it is a health issue. State law recognizes that and allows a medical exemption.
Who Qualifies
The statute allows an exemption where a licensed physician or optometrist certifies that the person requires sun screening for a medical condition. Conditions commonly certified include lupus, photosensitivity and photodermatoses, melanoma and other skin cancers, albinism, certain autoimmune disorders, and light-sensitive ophthalmic conditions.
The exemption follows the person, and it applies to any vehicle that person regularly drives or rides in — which matters for families transporting a photosensitive child.
The Documentation You Must Carry
You need a signed statement from a licensed physician or optometrist stating that the person requires window film for a medical condition. Keep the original or a clear copy in the glovebox of every vehicle it applies to. There is no state-issued tint card to wait for, but there is also no substitute for the signed statement at a traffic stop or at inspection.
- Signed by a licensed physician or optometrist
- Names the person requiring the sun screening
- States the medical need for window film
- Kept in the vehicle at all times, not at home
What the Exemption Does Not Cover
The exemption relaxes the darkness limit. It does not permit red, amber or blue film, and it does not remove the requirement for side mirrors. Windshield rules still apply below the AS-1 line except where the physician statement specifically addresses it.
How We Handle Exempt Installs
Bring the signed statement when you come in. We will recommend a ceramic film in the darkness your condition calls for — ceramic matters here because UV rejection, not just darkness, is what protects photosensitive skin. Premium 3M ceramic blocks 99% of UV at every shade, including the lighter ones.
We document the film and VLT installed on your invoice and place a sticker in the driver's door jamb, so you can hand an officer or an inspector a paper trail rather than an argument.