Tennessee • Driver guide

Tennessee Window Tint Law and the Medical Exemption Permit

Tennessee allows more than 35 percent visible light transmittance on side and rear windows and more than 70 percent on the windshield, with a statutory tolerance of plus or minus 3 percent. Drivers with a qualifying medical condition can apply to the Department of Safety for an exemption permit. Here is exactly how both work, and what they mean when your glass gets replaced.

Ask Us About Your Glass Areas We Cover →

The limits

What Tennessee Window Tint Law Actually Requires

Tennessee law makes it unlawful to operate a vehicle on a public highway with any window altered to transmit less than 35 percent of visible light, or with a windshield transmitting less than 70 percent. That is the whole rule in one sentence, and it comes from Tenn. Code Ann. section 55-9-107. The figure is measured on the glass and the film together, not the film alone, which is why a 35 percent film on factory-tinted glass usually meters below the limit.

Unlike several neighbouring states, Tennessee does not give SUVs, vans or trucks a pass on the rear windows. The 35 percent floor applies all the way around. The one place darkness is unrestricted is the strip of windshield above the AS-1 line, the short marking etched near the top edge of the glass, where any non-reflective film is permitted.

Window	Tennessee limit	Detail
Windshield	More than 70% VLT	Any non-reflective darkness permitted above the AS-1 line only.
Front side windows	More than 35% VLT	Measured on the installed film plus the glass together.
Rear side windows	More than 35% VLT	Tennessee does not exempt SUVs or vans from the rear limit.
Rear window	More than 35% VLT	Dual side mirrors required if the rear glass is tinted.
Measurement tolerance	Plus or minus 3%	Written into the statute, so 33% metered is still compliant.

Source: Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-107, Tinted motor vehicle windows. Federal baseline glazing requirements are set by FMVSS 205.

Who is liable

The Shop That Installs Illegal Tint Is Breaking the Law Too

Tennessee makes it unlawful for a professional installer to apply film that puts a vehicle in violation, and it defines a professional installer as anyone tinting for profit, barter, wages or commission. That matters in Memphis because plenty of drivers are sold 20 percent film on the front doors by a shop that treats the limit as a suggestion. The citation still lands on the driver, and the removal cost lands there too.

Ask any installer for the VLT of the finished window, measured on your glass with a meter, rather than the number printed on the film box. Factory glass already blocks some light before any film goes on, so a 35 percent film on 80 percent factory glass produces roughly 28 percent at the window, which is outside the limit even after the 3 percent tolerance.

We do not install tint. We replace and repair glass, and we mention this because the most common way a Memphis driver ends up with illegal windows is having film applied to new glass immediately after a windshield replacement without anyone metering the result.

The permit

How to Get a Tennessee Window Tint Medical Exemption Permit

A Tennessee window tint medical exemption is granted by the Commissioner of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security on the recommendation of the department's medical review board, after your physician certifies that a medical condition requires light transmission below the standard limits. It is a state-level approval, not something a tint shop can issue, and the approved degree of tint is decided by the board rather than by you.

The conditions certified most often are lupus, photosensitivity disorders, albinism and certain skin cancers, but the statute turns on the physician's certification rather than a published list. Budget several weeks for the review, and keep driving within the legal limits until the certificate is in your hand.

Get a physician's statement

Your treating physician signs a statement certifying that you have a medical condition requiring light transmission below the standard limits. A request from the patient alone does not qualify.

Submit it to the Commissioner

The statement goes to the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, who forwards it to the department's medical review board.

Medical review board evaluates

The board decides whether the exemption is warranted and, if so, recommends the specific degree of tinting that is appropriate for your condition.

Certificate or decal issued

The commissioner supplies a certificate or decal showing the approved degree of exemption. It must be displayed in the vehicle, not filed at home.

Applications and current forms are handled by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Confirm the current submission address with the department before mailing anything, as forms change.

Glass work

What Tint Rules Mean When You Replace Auto Glass in Memphis

Replacing a windshield does not affect your tint compliance unless the old glass carried aftermarket film. Factory windshields get their shading from the glass itself, either a coloured band along the top or a solar interlayer through the whole panel, and the replacement part we fit carries the same specification as the one that came off. Nothing changes at the meter.

If you did have film above the AS-1 line, it is destroyed during removal and has to be reapplied after the new glass cures. Wait at least 48 hours before any film goes back on, because the urethane bond is still gaining strength and tint work involves pressure and moisture against the edge of the glass. Our guide to how long a replacement takes covers the aftercare window in detail.

Side and rear glass is the more common case. Tint on a door window or rear glass is always aftermarket film, so a side, door or back glass replacement means that window comes back clear and needs re-tinting to match the rest of the vehicle. Factor that into what you budget, and use the opportunity to meter the other windows while you are at it.

One thing tint film does not fix: a chip. Film is applied over the damage and the break keeps spreading underneath. Get the chip repaired first, then tint.

Tennessee Window Tint: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the legal window tint limit in Tennessee?

Tennessee requires more than 35 percent visible light transmittance on the windshield side windows and on every window to the rear, and more than 70 percent on the windshield itself. Tenn. Code Ann. section 55-9-107 sets those figures, and every measurement carries a tolerance of plus or minus 3 percent, so a film metering at 33 percent is still inside the law.

Can I put tint on my windshield in Tennessee?

Only above the AS-1 line, which is the small marking etched near the top edge of most windshields. Above that line you may run any darkness of non-reflective film. Below it the glass must still transmit more than 70 percent of light, which rules out most aftermarket films across the main viewing area.

How do I get a medical exemption for window tint in Tennessee?

Your physician submits a signed statement to the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security certifying that you have a medical condition requiring reduced light transmission. The department's medical review board evaluates the statement, and if it finds the exemption warranted it recommends the commissioner authorize it along with the degree of tint allowed. The department then issues a certificate or decal that must be displayed in the vehicle.

Which medical conditions qualify for a tint exemption in Tennessee?

Conditions adversely affected by ultraviolet light qualify, and the ones most commonly certified are lupus, photosensitivity disorders, albinism and certain skin cancers. The statute does not publish a fixed list. It turns on your physician certifying that your condition requires light transmission below the standard limits, and on the medical review board agreeing.

Does a tint exemption cover the front door windows?

No, the exemption is granted at a degree the review board specifies, and front door windows are generally not covered. Assume the exemption applies to the windows the board names on your certificate and nothing else. Carry the certificate or display the decal in the vehicle so a traffic stop resolves in seconds rather than a citation.

Who is responsible if a shop installs illegal tint in Tennessee?

Both the shop and the driver carry exposure. Tennessee defines anyone installing tint for profit, wages or commission as a professional installer, and it is unlawful for a professional installer to apply film that puts the vehicle in violation. That does not remove the driver's own liability for operating the vehicle, so confirm the VLT of any film before it goes on your glass.

Do I have to re-tint after a windshield replacement?

Only if your original windshield carried aftermarket film, which most do not. Factory windshields achieve their tint in the glass itself through a shade band or a solar interlayer, and the replacement glass we fit carries the same specification as the part that came off. If you had aftermarket film applied above the AS-1 line, that film is destroyed during removal and has to be reapplied afterwards.

This page is general information about Tennessee law, not legal advice. For anything specific to your vehicle or condition, confirm with the Department of Safety. For glass questions, get in touch.

Need glass replaced before you re-tint?

Windshield, door and rear glass across Memphis, Shelby County and DeSoto County MS.

Get a Free Quote →