To keep window tint darker than New York allows, you need an NYS tint exemption sticker issued by the DMV. You get one by submitting form MV-80W with a signed statement from a licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner documenting a medical condition that requires you to be shielded from direct sunlight. Once approved, the DMV mails a sticker you affix to the tinted window so inspection stations and law enforcement can see the tint is authorized.
Why You Need the Sticker
New York requires at least 70 percent of outside light to pass through the windshield and front side windows. Since January 2017, every annual safety inspection includes a tint check, and any vehicle below that threshold fails.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Tinted Windows Under Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 375(12-a), the medical exemption is the only path to keep darker glass on the windshield and front side windows and still pass inspection.2New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 375 – Equipment
Driving without the sticker on non-compliant tint currently carries a fine between $90 and $150 per violation, and your vehicle fails inspection until the film comes off or the tint is brought into compliance.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Tinted Windows
Who Qualifies
The exemption is available to anyone who must be shielded from direct sunlight for medical reasons, whether they are the driver or a regular passenger in the vehicle.2New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 375 – Equipment The qualifying conditions listed on the application are:
- Albinism
- Chronic actinic dermatitis or actinic reticuloid
- Dermatomyositis
- Lupus erythematosus
- Porphyria
- Xeroderma pigmentosum
- Severe drug photosensitivity, when the medication is part of a long-term treatment plan
- Photophobia from an ophthalmic or neurological disorder
- Any other condition causing severe photosensitivity
That last entry matters. If your diagnosis is not on the named list, you can still qualify when a physician certifies that sunlight exposure creates a genuine medical risk and that you must be shielded from direct sunlight.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Tinted Windows
One boundary worth knowing: the exemption covers the windshield and front side windows only. Rear glass is handled by the general rules in Section 375(12-a), not by this sticker.2New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 375 – Equipment
How to Apply With Form MV-80W
The application is form MV-80W, “Application for Tinted Window Exemption,” available as a PDF on the DMV website.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Tinted Window Exemption You complete the first page and your medical provider completes the second.
Your Section
Provide your name, address, phone number, and driver license ID number. Attach a photocopy of your current New York vehicle registration. If the person who needs the tint is not the registered owner — a spouse or child who rides in the car regularly, for example — list that person’s information, their relationship to you, and how often they ride in the vehicle.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Tinted Window Exemption
Your Provider’s Section
A licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner completes the medical portion. They must identify the specific condition, explain why the patient must be shielded from direct sunlight, and state the minimum level of light transmittance needed. The statute requires the statement to include the individual’s name, the specific diagnosis, and the reason for the exemption.2New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 375 – Equipment Include a legible copy of the provider’s New York State professional license with the application.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Tinted Window Exemption
Check that every signature line is complete before you send it. Incomplete packets are the most common reason for delays.
After You Submit
Submit the completed MV-80W to the DMV’s Medical Review Unit in Albany. Processing takes several weeks while the DMV verifies your medical documentation and vehicle records. Once approved, the DMV issues a sticker that the statute describes as “sufficiently noticeable,” which you attach to the tinted window as directed so inspectors and law enforcement can see the exemption at a glance.2New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 375 – Equipment With the sticker in place, your vehicle passes its annual inspection despite front window tint below 70 percent. Without it, any inspection station will fail the vehicle regardless of your medical situation.
Keeping the Exemption Valid
The exemption is tied to a specific vehicle. If you sell that car or buy a new one, submit a fresh MV-80W for the replacement vehicle; the old sticker does not transfer. For permanent conditions, the exemption itself does not expire, but a new vehicle always means a new application.
If the underlying condition is temporary, such as severe drug photosensitivity from a medication you eventually stop taking, the exemption is only valid for the duration of the medical need. Keep your physician informed so they can provide updated documentation if the DMV requests it.
What the Sticker Does Not Cover
A New York tint exemption sticker does not carry over into other states. When you cross state lines, you are subject to that state’s window tint laws, and most states run their own separate exemption processes. Some give out-of-state drivers informal leeway during a traffic stop; others will issue a citation regardless of your home-state paperwork. If you travel frequently, keep your MV-80W approval and medical documentation in the vehicle so you can explain the situation. There is no formal interstate reciprocity for medical tint exemptions.