Window Tint Guide: Understand
South Carolina Tint Medical Exemption: How It Works
Some people need more protection from sunlight than South Carolina's 27 percent rule allows. The tint law makes room for them with a short exemption in subsection (H)(1) of S.C. Code § 56-5-5015. It does not involve a permit sticker or a state card. It turns on a signed affidavit from a South Carolina licensed physician or optometrist that rides in the car.
The exemption is simple on paper and easy to get wrong in practice: the wrong vehicle, an out-of-state doctor, an expired affidavit or a copy left at home can each undo it. This guide explains what the statute requires, what it leaves unsaid and how to set things up so the paperwork does its job. It is not legal or medical advice.
The short answer
South Carolina's tint law does not apply to a vehicle registered in the state in the name of a person, or that person's legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician or optometrist licensed in South Carolina saying a physical condition makes darker or more reflective film necessary. The affidavit must be in the vehicle whenever it is driven, shown to an officer on request, and updated every two years.
Key points
- The exemption is in subsection (H)(1) of S.C. Code § 56-5-5015 and rests on a signed affidavit, not a state-issued permit.
- Only a physician or an optometrist licensed to practice in South Carolina can sign it.
- It covers a vehicle registered in South Carolina in the name of the person with the condition or that person's legal guardian.
- The affidavit must stay in the vehicle whenever it is driven, be produced at an officer's request, and be updated every two years.
- A 2015 Attorney General opinion reads the exemption to cover where film goes, not just how dark or reflective it is.
The text
What Subsection (H)(1) Requires
The exemption says the provisions of the tint law do not apply to a motor vehicle registered in this State in the name of a person, or the person's legal guardian, who has an affidavit signed by a physician or an optometrist licensed to practice in this State that states that the person has a physical condition that makes it necessary to equip the motor vehicle with sunscreening material which would be of a light transmittance or luminous reflectance in violation of this section.
Three more sentences follow, and each is a condition. The affidavit must be in the vehicle at all times during its operation. It must be produced at the request of a law enforcement officer. And it must be updated every two years.
That is the whole exemption. There is no separate application step written into the statute, no list of qualifying conditions and no minimum or maximum darkness for exempt vehicles.
Requirements
The Pieces That Have to Line Up
- The right signerphysician or optometrist
- Only a physician or an optometrist can sign, and they must be licensed to practice in South Carolina. An affidavit from a doctor licensed only in Georgia or North Carolina does not meet the statute's words.
- The right statementphysical condition
- The affidavit has to state that the person has a physical condition that makes it necessary to equip the vehicle with film darker or more reflective than the law otherwise allows. The statute leaves the medical judgment to the signer and does not list conditions.
- The right vehicleregistered in SC
- The vehicle must be registered in South Carolina in the name of the person with the condition, or that person's legal guardian. If the car is titled to a spouse or a business, the text does not plainly cover it; ask a lawyer before relying on it.
- In the car, every tripproduce on request
- The affidavit must be in the vehicle at all times during its operation and must be shown to an officer who asks. A copy at home or on a doctor's portal does not satisfy that sentence.
- Current, not expiredevery two years
- The affidavit must be updated every two years. Put the date on your calendar; an affidavit older than two years leaves the vehicle subject to the normal rules.
Scope
How Far the Exemption Reaches
The affidavit language talks about film of a light transmittance or luminous reflectance that would otherwise be illegal, which could suggest the exemption covers only darkness and reflectance. In a May 13, 2015 opinion to a state senator, the South Carolina Attorney General's office looked at that question and concluded the Legislature intended the exemption to apply to the light transmittance, luminous reflectance and placement of film on a vehicle.
The office pointed to the opening words of subsection (H), the provisions of this section do not apply, and traced the same language back to the 1992 act that created the exemption. In practical terms, that reading would cover film placed lower on the windshield than the AS1 line, not just darker side windows.
An Attorney General opinion is not a court decision, and the office itself said it was only its view of how a court would read the law. Still, it is the clearest official guidance on the question, and it is worth having a copy if your affidavit is meant to cover windshield film.
Step by step
Setting It Up Before Film Goes On
Talk to your doctor first
Ask your physician or optometrist whether your condition calls for darker film and whether they are willing to sign an affidavit. They decide what is medically necessary, not the tint installer.
Get a proper affidavit
An affidavit is a sworn written statement, typically signed before a notary. The statute does not name a state form, so ask the doctor's office or a lawyer how they prepare it, and have it track the statute's wording.
Check the registration
Confirm the vehicle is registered in South Carolina in the name of the person with the condition or their legal guardian. Fix that first if it is not.
Decide what the film should do
Agree with your doctor on the goal, such as less visible light or more infrared and UV rejection, then choose film to match. Darker is not automatically better for every condition.
Bring the paperwork to the installer
Show the signed affidavit before booking so the installer can see what it covers. Keep the original in the vehicle and a copy somewhere safe.
Diary the renewal
Note the date two years out. An updated affidavit keeps the exemption in place; an expired one does not.
Know the limits
What the Exemption Does Not Do
It is tied to a vehicle and a person. A second car, a rental or a friend's vehicle you drive is not covered by your affidavit unless it meets the registration condition and has its own copy in it.
It is a South Carolina rule. Georgia, just across Lake Hartwell, handles tint medical exemptions through its own application to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, with its own eligibility rules. If you regularly drive in another state, look at that state's process too.
It does not change night visibility. Very dark film on the front side windows and windshield cuts the light you see by after dark, medical need or not. Talk with your doctor about the tradeoff, and remember that light-blocking film is not a substitute for medical sun protection such as eyewear or sunscreen.
If stopped
What to Do at a Traffic Stop
Keep the affidavit where you can reach it with the registration. If an officer stops you for tint, say you have a medical affidavit under the tint law and hand it over when asked. The statute says it must be produced at an officer's request, so having it ready is part of meeting the exemption.
If you are cited anyway, keep the paperwork and get advice before the court date. Whether the affidavit, the registration and the dates all lined up on the day of the stop is the question a court would look at.
| Requirement | What satisfies it | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Signer | Physician or optometrist licensed in South Carolina | Doctor licensed only in another state |
| Statement | Physical condition makes darker or more reflective film necessary | A general note that tint is recommended |
| Vehicle | Registered in SC to the person or their legal guardian | Car registered to a spouse or employer |
| Location | In the vehicle whenever it is driven | Left at home or only in a phone photo |
| Currency | Updated every two years | Renewal date missed |
Based on S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5015(H)(1). Not legal or medical advice; ask a lawyer about unusual registration situations.
Have a medical affidavit for darker tint?
Bring the paperwork and ask us before you book, so we can see what it covers and plan the film around it. We label every tinted window with the South Carolina certificate of compliance.
Common questions
Do I need to register my tint medical exemption with SCDMV?
The statute does not describe a registration or permit step. It requires a signed affidavit from a South Carolina licensed physician or optometrist, kept in the vehicle, shown on request and updated every two years. If you want to confirm whether any agency process exists, ask the South Carolina Department of Public Safety directly before relying on that.
Can my eye doctor sign the affidavit, or does it have to be an MD?
An optometrist can sign. Subsection (H)(1) allows an affidavit signed by a physician or an optometrist, as long as they are licensed to practice in South Carolina. The affidavit has to state that the person has a physical condition that makes darker or more reflective film necessary.
How dark can I go with a medical exemption?
The statute sets no number for exempt vehicles. It says the tint law's provisions do not apply to a qualifying vehicle. That does not make the darkest film the right choice: discuss the goal with your doctor, consider night driving, and choose film that solves the medical problem rather than simply the darkest shade available.
Does the exemption cover my child's condition on the family car?
The text covers a vehicle registered in the name of the person with the condition or that person's legal guardian. A parent who is the child's guardian and the registered owner fits those words. If the car is registered to someone else, such as a grandparent, ask a lawyer before relying on the exemption.
What happens when my two-year affidavit expires?
Once the affidavit is more than two years old, it no longer meets the statute's update requirement, so the vehicle is back under the normal rules, including the 27 percent combined limit. Get a new affidavit from your physician or optometrist before the date passes and replace the copy kept in the car.
Sources
- S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5015, South Carolina Legislature (https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php), accessed October 2026
- Opinion to Senator Luke A. Rankin on S.C. Code § 56-5-5015(H)(1), May 13, 2015, Office of the South Carolina Attorney General (https://www.scag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Rankin-L.-OS-9832-FINAL-Opinion-5-13-2015-00643993xD2C78.pdf), accessed October 2026
- Medical Exemption to Window Tint Law, Georgia Department of Public Safety (https://dps.georgia.gov/documents/forms-and-permits/medical-exemption-window-tint-law), accessed October 2026
Prices on this page are The Auto Show’s published starting prices. Film ratings and warranty terms come from the manufacturer. This guide explains South Carolina law in plain words; it is not legal advice.