New York expanded its medical tint-exemption rule in December 2017
In force · 2017 regulationA December 2017 regulation expanded the conditions recognized in New York’s medical tint-exemption process. Medical certification, protective-measure conditions and DMV review still matter.
Rule took effect: Published: Sources checked: (UTC)
By Window Tint Laws · Status reflects the sources checked on the date above.
Historical development. The event below predates this report’s publication. This is not a newly enacted change.
Rule effective:
A separate December 2017 development
New York published a proposed medical tint-exemption rule on August 16, 2017. The final adoption, identified as HLT-33-17-00022-A, was filed on December 5 and became effective on December 20, 2017. The December 20 State Register records the amendment to 10 NYCRR 69-7.1.
This article concerns that medical-regulation change, rather than the January 2017 addition of tint checks to safety inspections. It is a historical account reviewed on October 14, 2026.
Sources: New York State Register: August 16, 2017 proposal ↗ · New York State Register: December 20, 2017 adoption ↗
What the expanded rule covered
The proposal described an existing list covering porphyria, xeroderma pigmentosum and severe drug photosensitivity. The final rule added named conditions including albinism, chronic actinic dermatitis/actinic reticuloid, dermatomyositis and lupus erythematosus.
It also included photophobia associated with an ophthalmic or neurological disorder, plus a broader category for other conditions causing severe photosensitivity that medically require protection from direct sunlight. The rule required professional certification and inadequate protection from personal protective measures; a condition’s appearance on the list did not remove those requirements.
Sources: New York State Register: August 16, 2017 proposal ↗ · New York State Register: December 20, 2017 adoption ↗
The documented process today
DMV’s current tinted-window guidance still identifies December 20, 2017 as the expansion date and directs applicants to form MV-80W. The form available at review, revised June 2024, permits a request for a driver or regular habitual passenger.
The form separates the applicant’s information from a statement completed by a New York-licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner. It asks the practitioner to identify the condition, the medically required light transmission and why protective measures are inadequate. Its examples of protective measures include clear UV-protective film.
This history cannot diagnose a condition, establish anyone’s eligibility or replace DMV’s application review. Readers considering an exemption should use the official form and discuss their circumstances with an appropriate licensed medical professional.
Sources: New York DMV: Tinted Windows ↗ · New York DMV: MV-80W exemption application ↗
Before relying on this report
- Medical conditions and symptoms do not establish automatic eligibility or permission to install any chosen tint.
- The official State Register supplies the final rule. A separate Health Department PDF was unavailable during review; current DMV guidance and its form corroborate the continuing process.
- This is regulatory history and application context, not medical advice or an individual eligibility decision.
This report is general information, not legal advice or a vehicle-specific compliance decision. A news item does not authorize a film installation or add a rule to our calculator.
Sources and references
- New York State Register: August 16, 2017 proposal ↗
HLT-33-17-00022-P explains the prior list and proposed expansion; a proposal alone is not an adopted rule.
- New York State Register: December 20, 2017 adoption ↗
Printed page 5, PDF page 11: filing 1056, filed December 5, effective December 20, with the final rule.
- New York DMV: Tinted Windows ↗
Current agency page confirms the historical effective date, current conditions and application route.
- New York DMV: MV-80W exemption application ↗
Two-page form, revision 6/24; applicant instructions and medical practitioner’s statement.