3 min read
Some drivers need more protection from the sun than the Georgia limits allow. Lupus, certain skin cancers, light sensitivity after eye surgery, and a long list of other conditions can make direct sunlight a real medical problem. Georgia law has a path for that, and here is how it works.
What the law says
O.C.G.A. 40-8-73.1 allows the Georgia Department of Public Safety to issue an exemption from the tint limits to a person who, for medical reasons, needs to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun. The application has to be supported by a written attestation from a person licensed to practice medicine in Georgia or a certified optometrist. The exemption applies to any vehicle the person owns or in which the person is a habitual passenger, and DPS can attach conditions and limits to it.
Who signs
A licensed physician or an optometrist. Chiropractors, nurse practitioners without a supervising physician's signature, and out of state providers generally do not meet the statute's wording, so start with your primary care doctor, dermatologist, or eye doctor.
How to apply
The application goes to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, which publishes the current form, fee, and renewal period on its website. Those details change from time to time, so we point you to the DPS page rather than quoting figures that may be out of date. Plan on a few weeks for processing and keep the approval in the vehicle.
What it changes at the shop
With an exemption on file we can install darker film on the front doors and, depending on the conditions DPS attaches, on the windshield. Without it, we will not take a front door below the 28 percent limit, because installing out of spec film is a misdemeanor for the installer as well as the driver. Bring the DPS approval to your appointment and we keep a copy with your warranty record.
A note on heat versus darkness
If the goal is less heat and UV rather than privacy, you may not need an exemption at all. Every film we install blocks 99 percent of UV, and a 70 percent ceramic blocks more infrared heat than a dark dyed film while staying legal on every window. We are glad to meter both and let you feel the difference before you decide.
This is general guidance, not legal or medical advice. See our Georgia tint law page for the current limits.