Alabama Medical Window Tint Exemption

Updated: September 4, 2026

Solar Solutions installs window tint in Clanton and throughout Chilton County. We cannot issue medical exemptions, but we can install film that complies with an ALEA-approved exemption. This guide explains how the exemption works, who it can cover, and how to apply, in plain English.

Alabama Tint Rules Without a Medical Exemption

To understand what an exemption changes, it helps to know the baseline. Without an exemption, Alabama standard rules are:

A medical exemption can modify these otherwise-applicable requirements, but only within the conditions ALEA actually approves. For the complete rundown of the standard limits by vehicle type, see our Alabama window tint laws guide.

What the Medical Exemption Actually Is

Under Section 32-5C-4, ALEA may issue an exemption from the standard tint rules to a person who is "required for medical reasons to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun." The key requirement is documentation: the application has to be supported by a written statement from a physician licensed to practice medicine in Alabama. ALEA reviews the request and can grant the exemption with conditions and limitations it sets. You can read the statute directly at Alabama Code Section 32-5C-4.

In other words, the law does not hand out a blanket right to darker tint. It gives ALEA the authority to approve one, case by case, when a doctor documents a real medical need. The physician makes the medical case; ALEA makes the decision.

Is a Window Tint "Prescription" or "Doctor's Note" the Same Thing?

People often search for a "window tint prescription" or a "doctor's note for tinted windows," and it is worth clearing up the language, because it trips a lot of drivers up. Alabama does not issue a literal prescription for tint the way a doctor prescribes medication. What the law actually requires is a written statement from an Alabama-licensed physician confirming you medically need to be shielded from direct sunlight. Call it a prescription, a doctor's note, or a physician's letter, it is the same document, and it is one piece of the process, not the whole thing.

Here is the part the quick-answer sites often skip: a doctor's note by itself does not make darker tint legal. The physician's statement supports an application to ALEA, and ALEA is what actually grants the exemption and issues the decal. So the real sequence is: get the physician's written statement, submit it to ALEA, and wait for approval before running tint darker than the standard limit. Skipping the ALEA step and relying on a note alone can still leave you with an illegal-tint citation.

Is There a List of Qualifying Conditions?

Not a fixed one. The statute does not publish a checklist of conditions that automatically qualify. Instead, it relies on your physician judgment that you need to be shielded from the sun. You may see other websites list conditions like lupus, vitiligo, or various photosensitivity disorders as "qualifying," but the law itself does not enumerate those. What the law does spell out is a specific, broader provision for one condition.

The Porphyria Provision

Alabama law singles out light-sensitive porphyria for special treatment. For a person with light-sensitive porphyria, the exemption applies to all areas of the windshield and windows that the physician prescribes in the written statement, not just the standard window areas. That is broader coverage than a typical exemption, reflecting how severe sun sensitivity can be with that condition. For everyone else, coverage falls under the general provision at ALEA discretion.

Can a Medical Exemption Cover the Full Windshield?

Do not assume that a medical exemption automatically allows full-windshield tint in Alabama. Under the standard rules, only the upper six inches of the windshield may be tinted. For most medical exemptions, ALEA determines the specific conditions and limitations, which may or may not include additional windshield coverage. The one clear exception written into the law is light-sensitive porphyria: for that condition, the exemption may apply to all areas of the windshield and windows the physician prescribes. If full-windshield coverage matters for your situation, confirm exactly what your exemption authorizes with ALEA before any film is installed.

How Dark Can Medical Tint Be in Alabama?

There is no single statewide medical tint percentage listed in Section 32-5C-4. For most medical exemptions, ALEA may issue the exemption with specific conditions and limitations. That means receiving an exemption does not automatically authorize 20%, 5% or any other particular tint level. Wait until ALEA approves your exemption and review exactly what it permits before having darker-than-standard film installed. Depending on what your exemption allows, a ceramic window tint can also provide strong solar-energy and UV performance without requiring the darkest-looking film.

Who the Exemption Can Cover

The exemption is not limited to the person behind the wheel. Under the law, it can apply to a vehicle owned by the qualifying person, the most common situation, or to a vehicle in which the qualifying person is a habitual passenger. So you do not necessarily have to be the vehicle primary driver. Because ALEA administers the exemption and decal process, ask the Medical Records Unit how the decal should be handled when the qualifying person is primarily a passenger.

The Proof: A Numbered Windshield Decal

Once an exemption is approved, ALEA issues a decal with a unique identification number identifying you as having an approved exemption, subject to any conditions or limitations ALEA places on it. That decal is placed on the windshield of each vehicle the exempt person operates. ALEA may charge a small fee to cover the cost of the program. It may also be helpful to keep a copy of your exemption documentation with your vehicle records, although the statute specifically requires the ALEA-issued decal rather than the paperwork itself.

How to Apply

The process generally runs like this:

• See your physician. You need a written statement from an Alabama-licensed physician documenting your medical need to be shielded from the sun.
• Submit the application to ALEA. The physician statement is submitted to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency as part of your exemption application.
• ALEA reviews and decides. If approved, ALEA issues the numbered windshield decal, sometimes with specific conditions or limitations.
• Have your tint installed to match. With the exemption in hand, you can have film installed that fits what your exemption allows.

What the Exemption Does Not Do

A medical exemption is a real legal accommodation, not a loophole. A few things worth being clear about: it does not let just anyone run darker tint by claiming a condition, it requires genuine physician documentation, and it is granted by ALEA, not by a driver or a shop. A tint shop cannot issue an exemption or make darker tint "legal enough" without one. If you get pulled over with dark tint and no approved exemption on file, standard tint ticket rules apply.

Where Solar Solutions Fits In

We are a tint shop, not a licensing authority, so we cannot approve exemptions, and we will not install illegal tint and call it exempt. What we can do is help drivers who already hold a valid ALEA exemption get a clean, professional install that fits what their exemption allows. If you are working through the exemption process and have questions about film options once you are approved, we are glad to talk it through. And if you are not pursuing an exemption, we will help you get the darkest legal tint in Alabama instead.

This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. Window tint rules and exemption procedures are set by the State of Alabama and ALEA and can change. Confirm current requirements with ALEA and consult your physician about your medical needs.

Alabama Medical Tint Exemption: Common Questions