Connecticut Form E-220 is the medical tint exemption application you submit to the state DMV to legally install window tint darker than the standard 32 percent light transmittance limit. A licensed Connecticut physician or optometrist must certify on the form that you have an ongoing medical condition requiring protection from sunlight. There is no fee, but the form is not available as a download. You request it from the DMV, your doctor completes the medical section, and you mail it to the DMV headquarters in Wethersfield for approval before any darker tint goes on the car.
Who Qualifies
The law allows an exemption for anyone who needs to be shielded from direct sunlight for medical reasons, and it covers you whether you are the vehicle’s owner and primary driver or a usual passenger.1Justia. Connecticut Code 14-99g – Definitions. Tinted or Reflectorized Windows. Obstruction of View Prohibited. Exceptions The statute does not list specific diagnoses. Conditions commonly associated with these exemptions include systemic lupus erythematosus, porphyria, severe photophobia, and other chronic disorders that cause dangerous reactions to sunlight or ultraviolet radiation.
The condition has to be ongoing. A temporary sensitivity from a recent procedure or a medication side effect would not qualify. Your doctor needs to be able to confirm that standard window glass does not provide enough protection and that darker tint is medically necessary.
How to Request the Form
The E-220 is not posted as a PDF. You request a physical copy, and the DMV mails it to you with completion instructions. Two ways to request it:2Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Exemption from Tinted Window Requirements
- Online, at dmvct.state.ct.us/E220.aspx, where you fill in your name, mailing address, and the number of forms you need (up to five).
- By phone, at (860) 263-5700 from the Hartford area or outside Connecticut, or (800) 842-8222 toll-free within Connecticut.
Allow a few days of mail transit in each direction. If a doctor’s appointment is already on the calendar, request the form well in advance so you can bring it to that visit and have the medical section signed in one trip.
Completing the Form
The E-220 has two main parts: your section and your doctor’s certification.
For your section, you need the vehicle identification number, license plate number, and the year, make, and model of the car that will carry the tinted windows. The exemption attaches to one specific vehicle, so this information must match your DMV registration exactly. You also provide your personal identification details and sign under penalty of false statement.3Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 14-99g-7 – Medical Exemptions
The medical certification section must be completed by a physician or optometrist licensed to practice in Connecticut who has examined you.3Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 14-99g-7 – Medical Exemptions Physician assistants and nurse practitioners are not listed as eligible certifiers under the regulation. Your provider describes the condition, explains why standard window glass is insufficient, and provides a license number and contact information so the DMV can verify the recommendation if it needs to.
Review every field before mailing. Missing signatures or blank spaces will get the application returned.
Where to Send It and What It Costs
Mail the completed form to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles at 60 State Street, Wethersfield, CT 06161.4Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Contact the DMV There is no application fee; the DMV fee schedule lists the tinted window permit at no charge.5Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Connecticut DMV Fees
Processing time depends on current DMV volume. Once approved, the commissioner issues a validated form that is your proof of exemption. Do not install any tint darker than the standard limit until that validated form is in your hands. Driving with non-compliant tint before the exemption is approved leaves you exposed to a traffic citation.
How Dark the Exemption Lets You Go
Connecticut’s standard rule requires all side windows, front and rear, to measure at least 32 percent light transmittance with aftermarket tint applied.6Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies – Sec. 14-99g-2 – Allowable Levels of Light Transmittance The statute writes this as 35 percent with a plus-or-minus 3 percent measurement tolerance, which produces the same 32 percent floor.7Justia. Connecticut Code 14-99g – Definitions. Tinted or Reflectorized Windows
An approved exemption lets you go below that, but there is still a floor. The regulation sets a general lower limit of 20 percent light transmittance, on the basis that anything darker is a driving safety hazard. That floor can be waived “for good cause shown,” so very low transmittance is not automatically ruled out if your medical need is severe enough to justify it.3Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 14-99g-7 – Medical Exemptions
Carrying the Form and What Happens at a Traffic Stop
Once approved, the validated form must stay in the vehicle whenever it is on public roads. The medical exemption also excuses you from the standard compliance sticker that tint installers normally affix to each tinted window.3Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 14-99g-7 – Medical Exemptions
During a stop, an officer can use a handheld tint meter to measure your windows. If the reading comes in below the legal limit, the validated exemption form is your defense. Keep it somewhere you can reach quickly, such as the glove compartment or center console. Without the form on hand, the officer has no way to verify the exemption and can write a citation you would then have to contest.
Drivers caught with non-compliant tint and no valid exemption face a fine of about $136. The officer can also check a box on the citation requiring a mandatory DMV inspection within 20 days, and failing to complete that inspection can lead to a registration suspension.
When You Need to Reapply
The exemption is tied to both your medical condition and the specific vehicle listed on the form. If you sell the car, the exemption does not transfer to the next owner. If your condition resolves, the exemption is no longer valid, and you would need to remove the tint or bring the windows back to the standard 32 percent minimum.
If you buy a different vehicle, submit a new E-220 with the updated vehicle information. The same physician or optometrist can provide a new recommendation, which should be straightforward if your condition has not changed.