How to Fill Out and Submit the Tennessee Window Tint Exemption Form

To get a Tennessee window tint exemption, email three things to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s Driver Improvement unit: a doctor’s note certifying that you have a medical condition adversely affected by ultraviolet light, a copy of your current vehicle registration, and your Tennessee driver’s license number. There is no downloadable form and no fee. A decision usually takes about three to four weeks, and approval comes as a certificate and decal signed by the commissioner that you keep in the vehicle.¹

What to Send and Where

Send all three items in a single email to Driver.Improvement@tn.gov.¹ There is no paper application, no mailing address for the request, and no filing fee.

A written statement from your physician certifying that you have a medical condition adversely affected by ultraviolet light and that darker window tint is medically necessary. The more specific the diagnosis and reasoning, the easier the review.
A copy of your Tennessee vehicle registration. This ties the exemption to a specific vehicle.
Your valid Tennessee driver’s license number.

Attach clean scans or clear photos. Confirm the name on the doctor’s note matches your license and that the registration is current before sending. The department does not ask for a separate VIN, address, or your physician’s license number.

Who Qualifies

The statute covers “any person with a medical condition that is adversely affected by ultraviolet light.”² The law does not list qualifying diagnoses. Conditions that commonly prompt these requests include lupus, melanoma and other skin cancers, and photosensitive disorders such as porphyria, but eligibility is not limited to those. What matters is your physician’s judgment, in writing, that UV exposure through standard vehicle glass would meaningfully harm your health and that darker tint than the state’s default is needed.

The statute also does not distinguish between chronic and temporary conditions. Because the review is individualized, the strength and specificity of the doctor’s note carries real weight.

After You Submit

Once your email is received, the commissioner forwards your physician’s statement to the department’s medical review board. The board decides two things: whether the exemption is warranted, and how dark your tint may be. It recommends a specific degree of tinting rather than a blanket pass.² Processing runs about three to four weeks.¹

If the board denies your request, you can appeal under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act by filing in the chancery court of the county where you live.² That is a formal administrative appeal, so talk with an attorney before filing.

Your Certificate and Decal

Approval comes as a certificate and decal indicating the degree of exemption granted, signed by the commissioner.²¹ Display the decal and keep the certificate accessible inside the vehicle.

A POST-certified officer with a reasonable belief that your windows violate the tint law has probable cause to detain the vehicle and run a field comparison test.² The certificate and decal are the fastest way to end that stop.

The exemption is tied to the vehicle registration you submitted. If you change vehicles, email Driver.Improvement@tn.gov with the updated registration before tinting the new one; the statute does not describe an automatic transfer.

The Limits the Exemption Moves

Tennessee’s default rule under Code 55-9-107 makes it illegal to drive on a public road with any window treated below 35 percent visible light transmittance.² The windshield is stricter: aftermarket tint cannot drop it below 70 percent VLT, aside from the factory shade band at the top. The windshield cannot be exempted under any circumstance, because federal safety standards prohibit windshield tinting in all 50 states.¹ A medical exemption changes the number the review board sets for your other windows; it does not open up the windshield.

Do Not Tint Before You Are Approved

Driving with windows darker than 35 percent VLT without an approved exemption is a Class C misdemeanor, as is refusing a field comparison test.² The exemption is not retroactive. A pending application does not protect you from a citation during the three-to-four-week review, so wait for the certificate and decal before having the tint installed.

1
State of Tennessee. How Do I Obtain a Window Tint Exemption
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-9-107 – Tinted Motor Vehicle Windows