State laws and forms checked October 4, 2026 against each state’s own code and DMV or state police pages. Rows marked * have a detail we couldn’t confirm; see the notes under the table.
If bright sun wrecks you behind the wheel because of a TBI, migraines, lupus, or a medication, darker window tint might help. It isn’t a VA benefit. There’s no federal tint program. Every state writes its own tint law, and most of them carve out a medical exemption that a doctor signs.
Two things decide whether you can get one: what your state allows, and who’s allowed to sign. The second one is where VA patients get tripped up.
Can your VA doctor sign it?
Yes, they’re supposed to help. VA’s policy on forms, VHA Directive 1134(3), says:
“Except when specifically prohibited, it is VHA policy that providers, when requested, must assist patients in completion of VA and non-VA medical forms and provide medical statements with respect to the patient’s medical condition and functionality.”
Its examples of non-VA forms include “Permits (e.g. state driver’s license, handicap parking forms, etc.)” and “Medical necessity or accommodation forms.” Tint forms aren’t named, but they fit that pattern. Your provider fills in the clinical parts within their expertise and routes the rest to the right specialist. Each facility also has a Medical Statements & Forms point of contact who can help if there’s a problem.
The catch is the state license. A VA doctor only needs a license from some state to work at the VA (38 U.S.C. 7402). VA policy doesn’t override your state’s tint law. If your state says the signer must be licensed in that state, a VA doctor licensed somewhere else may not count. Ask your provider which state licenses them before you file.
New Hampshire is the standout: its law accepts “a licensed medical provider affiliated with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), regardless of the state of licensure.” New Jersey accepts physicians from a bordering state. Florida’s form accepts a “Physician who practices medicine in a military medical facility,” but doesn’t define the term, so a VA medical center may not count.
Which conditions count
Most states don’t list conditions. They use general wording about a medical need to be shielded from the sun. A few name specifics:
- Illinois names light sensitivity from a traumatic brain injury, plus lupus and albinism.
- New York names “photophobia associated with an ophthalmic or neurological disorder” and severe drug photosensitivity during long-term treatment.
- Virginia and Wyoming cover sensitivity to bright artificial light, not just sunlight. DC’s DMV page also mentions “bright lights.”
- Lupus is also named in Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York.
No state we checked names PTSD or migraines. That doesn’t rule them out where the wording is general. Your doctor certifies the medical need, and the state decides.
State by state
“Licensed in-state?” means the state’s text requires the signer to hold that state’s license. “Not stated” means the text doesn’t say either way. That isn’t a promise a VA or out-of-state signature will be accepted.
| State | Darker tint for medical reasons? | Who can sign | Licensed in-state? | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Physician | Yes | Apply to ALEA Medical Records Unit; windshield decal |
| Alaska | Yes | Physician | Yes | Annual certification carried in the vehicle |
| Arizona | Yes | MD, DO, NMD; ophthalmologist per form | Yes | ADOT form 40-1511; not the windshield |
| Arkansas* | Yes | Physician | Not stated | Certification in the vehicle, valid 3 years |
| California | No darker film | Physician or optometrist (removable screens); dermatologist (clear UV film) | Not stated | Removable screens at 35% or lighter, front sides, daytime only |
| Colorado* | No | — | — | — |
| Connecticut* | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Yes | Written application to the DMV Commissioner |
| Delaware | Yes | MD, DO, optometrist | Not stated | Carry a signed statement that tint is medically necessary |
| District of Columbia | Yes | Physician, PA, ophthalmologist, optometrist | Not stated | Letter on letterhead kept in the vehicle |
| Florida | Yes | FL-licensed MD, DO, chiropractor, dermatologist, ARNP, PA; or a military-facility physician | Mostly | Form HSMV 83390 |
| Georgia* | Yes | Physician or optometrist (no PAs or NPs) | Yes | Form DPS-431, $10, good 4 years |
| Hawaii | No | — | — | — |
| Idaho | Yes | Physician | Not stated | Written verification in the vehicle |
| Illinois | Yes | Physician | Yes | Letter carried, renewed every 4 years; copy to the Secretary of State for special plates or a plate sticker before tinting |
| Indiana | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Yes | Certificate in the vehicle, renewed yearly |
| Iowa | No (new) | — | — | Only exemptions issued before July 4, 2012 |
| Kansas | Clear UV film only | Physician or optometrist | Not stated | Signed statement |
| Kentucky* | No | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Yes | State Police affidavit DPSSP 1060, notarized, with background check |
| Maine | Yes | Physician, PA, optometrist | Yes (per form) | State Police application |
| Maryland | Yes | Physician (form adds optometrist) | Yes | State Police form ASED 23-04B |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Physician | Yes | RMV form MAB121, Medical Advisory Board review |
| Michigan* | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Effectively yes | Signed letter kept in the vehicle |
| Minnesota | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Not stated | Prescription carried; up to 2 years unless permanent |
| Mississippi* | Yes | Physician (optometrist from July 1, 2026) | Yes | Affidavit to the county tax collector |
| Missouri | Yes | Physician | Not stated | Highway Patrol form SHP-524, in person; front side windows |
| Montana* | Yes | Physician, PA, APRN | Not stated | Written waiver from Highway Patrol or local police |
| Nebraska* | Yes | Physician | Not stated | Written waiver from State Patrol or local police |
| Nevada | Yes | Treating physician | Yes (per form) | Highway Patrol exemption application; 20% minimum |
| New Hampshire | Yes | NH-licensed provider, a VA provider licensed in any state, or (per form) a physician licensed in any state | No | DMV form DSMV 603; 35% minimum |
| New Jersey* | Yes | Ophthalmologist, or physician licensed in NJ or a bordering state | NJ or bordering | MVC Sunscreening 1 plus prescription; approved installer |
| New Mexico* | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Yes | Affidavit carried |
| New York | Yes | Physician, PA, or NP | Yes (per form) | DMV form MV-80W |
| North Carolina | Yes | ”His or her doctor” | Not stated | DMV Tinted Window Waiver Application; up to 5 years |
| North Dakota | No | — | — | — |
| Ohio | Yes | MD, DO, optometrist | Yes | Affidavit carried |
| Oklahoma* | Yes | Physician | Yes (statute) | DPS Tinted Window Exemption Application |
| Oregon | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Not stated | Document kept in the car |
| Pennsylvania | Clear UV film only | Physician or optometrist | Not stated | PennDOT Medical Unit |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Yes | DMV application, notarized; sticker; not the windshield |
| South Carolina | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Yes | Affidavit carried, renewed every 2 years |
| South Dakota* | No | — | — | — |
| Tennessee* | Yes | Doctor’s note (state FAQ) | Unconfirmed | Email Driver Improvement; decal |
| Texas | Defense only | Physician or optometrist | Not stated | Carry a signed statement; DPS stopped issuing certificates in 2019 |
| Utah* | No | — | — | — |
| Vermont | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Not stated | DMV form VN-022; front side windows |
| Virginia | Yes | Physician or optometrist (form adds PA, NP) | Not stated | DMV form MED 20; 35% minimum |
| Washington | Yes | Physician | Not stated | Written verification carried |
| West Virginia | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Yes | Affidavit carried |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Physician | Not stated | Carry the statement; 35% minimum, front side windows |
| Wyoming* | Yes | Physician or optometrist | Not stated | Certificate from the state; 25% minimum; form not found |
* What we couldn’t confirm:
- Arkansas: current code text read on a secondary copy only.
- Colorado: 2025–26 changes not checked.
- Georgia: the rule and form were read; the statute itself wasn’t.
- Connecticut: application form and minimum tint level not found.
- Michigan: whether a VA provider counts is a legal question we couldn’t settle.
- Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming: no published form found.
- Kentucky, Utah: statute read; agency rules not fully searched.
- Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico: read from enacted-law text, not the current compiled code. New Jersey’s MVC also limits “bordering state” doctors to the NJ-NY-PA tri-state area.
- Oklahoma: the statute requires an Oklahoma-licensed MD, but the state’s form only says “licensed healthcare provider.”
- South Dakota: agency rules weren’t fully searched.
- Tennessee: the statute text sits behind a terms-of-use wall, so who can sign and the minimum tint are unconfirmed.
How to get one
- Look up your state’s row above, then open the state’s own form or page. Rules change, and forms get revised.
- Ask your provider first who can sign and where they’re licensed. If your state requires an in-state license and your VA doctor doesn’t have one, ask whether another provider who holds that state’s license can sign.
- Bring the form to your appointment. VA providers can fill out non-VA forms during a visit. You can also submit it through your facility’s Release of Information office with VA Form 10-5345a or 10-5345.
- File it the way your state says. Some states issue a sticker or decal. Others just want the signed letter in your glove box.
- Keep it current. Renewal runs from every year (Alaska, Indiana) to every 5 years (North Carolina). Florida’s never expires.
- Don’t over-tint. Many exemptions still set a minimum light level, and some only cover certain windows.
Sources
- VHA Directive 1134(3), Provision of Medical Statements & Completion of Forms by VA Health Care Providers (amended July 8, 2025)
- 38 U.S.C. 7402, VA licensure requirement
- Each state’s statute, administrative code, and DMV, state police or public safety forms, saved October 4, 2026 (state-by-state citations are in our research notes)
Not legal advice. Your state decides whether your exemption is valid, and a ticket is settled by your state’s courts.