LEGALITIES

Rock Hill Window Tinting 

Legal Tint Limits in SC

How dark of a tint on vehicle is South Carolina law allowable on windows?

The amount of visible light that is transmitted through the windows of your vehicle is referred to as the Visible Light Transmission, or VLT. In the state of South Carolina, the proportion of light that can pass through your film and glass is highly particular and varies depending on whether you drive a sedan, an SUV, or a van.

The darkness of the tint for sedans:

• Windshield: A non-reflective tint may be applied above the AS-1 line specified by the manufacturer.

• Front and side windows must let in more than 27% of the surrounding light.

• Rear and side windows must let in more than 27% of the available light.

• The rear window must let in more than 27% of the available light.

Dark tinting for sport utility vehicles and vans:

• Windshield: A non-reflective tint may be applied above the AS-1 line specified by the manufacturer.

• Front and side windows must let in more than 27% of the surrounding light.

• Any blackness can be applied to the back side windows several inches down from the top of the glass. This distance is not prescribed. 

• For the Rear Window, you can select any darkness you like.

In South Carolina, what is the maximum amount of reflection that the tint can have?
Window tint can reflect incoming light, so reducing glare as well as the amount of heat in a room. The legislation in South Carolina authorizes a specific window reflection to be visible through a tinted glass, so it is important that you pay attention to this aspect as well.

Tinting to reduce glare for sedans:

The laws in SC are really unclear on the issue of reflection allowed, but we encourage you as a responsible driver to always remember your safety as well as other drivers on the road. 

• Front and side windows must not reflect light; nevertheless, the state law is not clear on what exactly this requirement entails.

• Rear and side windows must not reflect light; nevertheless, the state law is not clear on exactly what this requirement entails.

A blue mini cooper is parked in a parking lot.

Reflection reduction for SUVs and vans using tint:

• Front and side windows must not reflect light; nevertheless, the state law is not clear on what exactly this requirement entails.

• Rear and side windows must not reflect light; nevertheless, the state law is not clear on exactly what this requirement entails.

It is important to keep in mind that the tinting laws and regulations of South Carolina may be interpreted differently depending on the county or location in which you live, and it will depend on what local courts want to go with if you get ticketed for your reflective tints. We strongly suggest verifying the information that we provide with the Department of Motor Vehicles or other relevant authorities specific to your area, and these kind of rules change quite often. Our tint teams can suggest a “err on the side of caution” for the interest of all people on the road, not just our customers. 

Medical Authorization For Window Tint

Medical authorization for window tint is a topic you may not be too well-informed about, and most folks don’t give it a thought when it comes to tints, but people with sensitivities to sunlight often require safer driving conditions. While protection from the sun is always a smart idea when driving, darker window tints can protect your skin from sun exposure, as some medical conditions may result in severe, threatening and immediate health issues from UV rays.

We know — you love wearing your favorite pair of shades while you drive, and may have some level of tint on your windows, but for some, it isn’t enough.

For example, window tint authorization can protect you from skin cancer, melanoma and sunburn. Excessive sun exposure in your car is more dangerous than you may realize. Many people also may not know UV rays can affect your skin through the glass. If you’ve never experienced a sunburn after a long road trip with your arm positioned near your window, you’re luckier than the rest of us who have.

Whether you have a severe skin condition or another type of photosensitivity, darker window tinting can help regardless of your situation. If you are looking to pursue medical window tints to make your vehicle safer, you must have a waiver, and proper authorization requires a physician’s signed statement. In most cases, you will need to fill out a vehicle tint-waiver request form — or some form along those lines — depending on where you reside. However, vehicles exempt from window tints are as follows:


  • Ambulances
  • Buses
  • Church-owned vehicles
  • Hearses
  • Limousines

With a medical condition requiring protection from sunlight, darker window tints that exceed regulatory and general public limits may be necessary.

What Conditions Typically Qualify for Medical Window Tints

Although many light sensitivity conditions exist, some states only qualify specific ones to receive darker window tints. Make sure to adhere to the regulations of your area and read up on certain specifications you may or may not be eligible for. Here’s what you need to know about common photosensitive medical disorders.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease where patients suffer from marked photosensitivity. Also known as SLE or lupus, the condition becomes more problematic when a person’s skin becomes exposed to UVB and UVA rays. Sunlight can cause flares in lupus, including:


Because minor sun exposure can aggravate symptoms such as skin rashes, it can lead a patient to feel an increase in itching and burning sensations. Protecting your skin from the sun when you suffer from SLE is vital in monitoring the conditions. While people can take several measures to protect themselves by wearing sun-protective clothing and applying sunscreen, the simplicity of installing window tints on your car can avoid said examples.

Cockayne Syndrome

Known as a genetic disease, Cockayne syndrome causes delayed development and neurological dysfunctions in babies and children at a young age. Doctors classify the illness by Types I, II or III, depending on a patient’s age and the severity of their symptoms. Cockayne is a rare form or dwarfism including other indications such as accelerated and premature aging and sensitivity to light. 
About 80 to 99 percent of people with the condition have the following symptoms.

  • Abnormal sense of smell
  • Ataxia
  • Dental cavities
  • Photosensitive skin
  • Skin blistering
  • Sun sensitivity like sunburn is caused by a defect in a child’s genes involved in the normal repair of DNA. When the genes become damaged from UV rays, the DNA becomes impaired, but the cell can’t repair the damage to grow back healthy skin. As the body’s natural defense against sunburn, it increases your chance of skin cancer, sunburn and skin blistering.
  • It’s imperative for people with the disorder to wear sunscreen and dark sunglasses, but window tints in your car can also help avoid skin and retinal damage from the sun.

 
It's possible that you don't know much about medical authorization for window tint, but drivers who are sensitive to sunlight typically need to have their vehicles outfitted with additional protection from the sun. Darker window tints can shield your skin from the sun's rays, which is important considering that some medical conditions can result in serious, life-threatening, and urgent health problems when exposed to UV rays. This is true even if it is always a good idea to protect yourself from the sun when driving.

We know that you enjoy putting on your go-to shades whenever you get behind the wheel and that your car probably has some degree of tint on the windows, but for some people, that just isn't enough sun protection.

For instance, being granted permission to install window tint can protect you against sunburn, melanoma, and skin cancer. It's possible that you're not aware of how hazardous prolonged sun exposure in your car might be. Additionally, many people are likely unaware that UV rays may penetrate glass and have an effect on the skin. If you've never gotten a sunburn during a lengthy car ride while keeping your arm near the window, consider yourself more fortunate than the rest of us who have had that experience.

Darker window tinting can be beneficial for people in a variety of situations, including those who have severe skin conditions or other types of photosensitivity. If you are interested in obtaining medical window tinting for your vehicle in order to increase its level of safety, you are required to have a waiver, and the right authorization requires a written declaration from a physician. Depending on where you live, the majority of the time you will be required to fill out a vehicle tint-waiver request form or another form that is analogous to this one. However, the following types of cars are excluded from having their windows tinted:

• Ambulances
• Buses
• Hearses
• Limousines
• Vehicles owned by the Church
• Limousines 

In the case of a medical condition that calls for protection from sunshine, it's possible that darker window tints that go beyond the limits set by regulations and the general public will be required.

In General, What Kinds of Conditions Are Eligible for Medical Window Tints?

Even though there are many different light sensitivity conditions, some states will only allow residents with certain conditions to have darker window shades. Be careful to abide by the rules that are in effect in your region, and do some research into the many criteria for which you may or may not meet the requirements. The following information will provide you with the knowledge you need to understand common photosensitive medical problems.

The erythematous systemic form of lupus

Patients who have the autoimmune condition known as systemic lupus erythematosus often struggle with extreme photosensitivity. When a person's skin is exposed to UVB and UVA rays, the symptoms of a condition that is also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or lupus grow more severe. Lupus flares are characterized by a worsening of symptoms, including but not limited to the following: arthritis, extreme exhaustion, fever, internal organ swelling, joint pain, kidney issues, and painful skin rashes.

The National Resource Center on Lupus estimates that there are around 1.5 million persons in the United States who have lupus, and that approximately 90 percent of those diagnosed with the condition are women.

A patient may experience an increase in itching as well as burning sensations if they have been exposed to even a small amount of sun, which can aggravate symptoms such as skin rashes. When you have SLE, it is essential to take measures to prevent sunburn on your skin by applying sunscreen and wearing protective clothing. Even while people can protect themselves from the sun in a variety of ways, such as by applying sunscreen to their skin and wearing sun-protective clothes, one of the easiest ways to avoid the situations described above is by tinting the windows of their vehicles.

Symptoms of Cockayne Syndrome

Cockayne syndrome is a hereditary condition that manifests in infants and children at an early age with symptoms including impaired neurological function and delayed physical development. The age of the patient as well as the degree to which they are experiencing symptoms determines the type of the sickness a patient has, I, II, or III. Cockayne syndrome is an extremely rare form of dwarfism that also causes additional symptoms, such as accelerated and premature aging as well as sensitivity to light. The following symptoms are exhibited by between 80 and 99 percent of those who are affected by the illness.

• An abnormal capacity for smelling
• A case of ataxia
• Skin that is photosensitive • Cavities in the teeth
• Blistering of the skin
•A flaw in a child's genes that are normally involved in the regular repair of DNA might lead to sun sensitivity, which manifests itself as sunburn. The DNA gets degraded when the genes are broken as a result of exposure to UV rays, but the cell is unable to repair the damage in order to generate back healthy skin. In spite of its function as the body's natural protection against sunburn, it actually raises the risk of developing skin cancer as well as sunburn and skin blistering.

•People who have the condition should always be sure to protect their skin with sunscreen and wear dark shades, but installing window tints in your vehicle is another way to reduce the risk of skin and retinal damage caused by the sun.

  A Case of Bloom Syndrome

• Those who have Bloom syndrome have a family history of the condition. It's been linked to having a low birth weight, being short, and being sensitive to light. People who have Bloom syndrome typically have a lower average height and weight than 97 percent of the population, and they rarely grow to be more than five feet tall by the time they are adults. Patients may experience the development of a butterfly rash on their face that extends across their nose and cheeks when they are subjected to sunlight. In addition, after being exposed to the sun, a rash may appear on the back of their hands and on their forearms. It also causes the appearance of light and dark spots on the skin, as well as clusters of enlarged blood cells. When you have Bloom syndrome, your likelihood of developing cancer is significantly increased due to the most severe symptoms of prolonged sun exposure. People are able to get any sort of cancer, and it typically manifests itself at an earlier age in comparison to the general population. And to make matters even worse, you are typically able to obtain more than one form. Due to the fact that exposure to sunlight can make the skin redder and induce blood vessels to expand, the average person's risk of developing melanoma is higher than it would normally be. Installing window tints in your vehicle can assist you in maintaining control of your condition and so reducing the severity of certain symptoms.

Urticaria from the Sun
Solar urticaria is also referred to as "sun allergy" because to the fact that your skin may break out in persistent hives when it is exposed to UV radiation. It usually takes less than half an hour for the welts, also known as hives, to appear after exposure to sunlight, and their symptoms include intense itching, burning, and stinging sensations. Patients may also experience lightheadedness, headaches, and a nauseating feeling as a side effect of the medication. Other symptoms include: trouble breathing, low blood pressure, and difficulty swallowing.

• Throwing up

This skin ailment manifests itself on parts of your body that are covered by clothing, but only in locations where the fabric is too thin. Additionally, it can cause damage to exposed areas that are not typically seen by the sun, such as your back. It's possible that the face and hands, which are frequently exposed to the sun, have developed a tolerance to the sun's effects and won't break out in rashes or hives.

Solar urticaria is an allergic reaction that manifests as when a substance in a patient's body reacts to UV rays and causes skin irritation. It can strike at any time of the year, but those around the age of 35 are the ones who are most likely to be affected. The illness could be chronic or it could only manifest itself sporadically throughout the year.

Window tinting can be used on a car's windshield and glass to protect occupants from the sun's potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation and reduce the risk of solar urticaria.

Protoporphyria of the Erythropoietic System


There is a hereditary component to the condition known as erythropoietic protoporphyria. It is one of the most common varieties of porphyria, despite the fact that it is a rare condition. In the United States, around one in 50,000 to one in 75,000 people have this form of the disease. One of the most uncomfortable symptoms of EPP is severe photosensitivity.

Sunlight's ultraviolet (UV) rays have the potential to inflict extreme discomfort and a burning feeling on the skin of a patient, in addition to causing swelling, itching, and redness of the skin. The symptoms could go away within 12 to 24 hours, although there is a chance of scarring.

Rashes on the skin can be caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight, even if it is only through window glass. These rashes can present as early as infancy.

Since ultraviolet light is able to go through your car's glass, including the windshield and windows, it is important to protect your skin by having a dark tint applied to the glass of your vehicle.

Albinism (n.)

The inability of a person's body to create the appropriate quantity of melanin is the underlying cause of albinism, which is an inherited condition. Melanin is a pigment that gives skin its color and helps protect it from the damaging effects of the sun by absorbing ultraviolet rays. Because their skin, eyes, and hair contain very little or no pigment, an albino's skin is extremely sensitive to the sun. They can have difficulty seeing and an overall aged appearance.

If you have albinism, your primary care physician may be willing to write you a note allowing you to get your windows tinted. Patients are at a much elevated risk of developing sun damage and skin cancer due to the fact that their eyes and skin are extremely photosensitive. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two forms of skin cancer that affect albino persons more frequently than any other.

People who have this skin ailment may also have irregular eye movements. Their eye sensitivities are typically not treatable with eyeglasses, but some people with this condition have vision that is good enough to allow them to drive a car. As there are approximately 18,000 to 20,000 people in the United States who have some kind of albinism, applying window tints can assist control the symptoms that albinos experience. This is because albinos can drive cars despite having sensitive skin and eyes.
 
Xeroderma Pigmentosa

When a person with the genetic skin condition xeroderma pigmentosa is exposed to UV radiation, the condition causes their eyes and skin to become discolored. Other complications of the condition include issues with the neurological system and an increased likelihood of developing skin cancer. Patients diagnosed with xeroderma pigmentosa have an increased risk of developing numerous types of cancer throughout the course of their lives, particularly on their eyelids, lips, and facial skin.

People afflicted with the skin ailment are more likely to have severe sunburn after spending even a short amount of time outside, which manifests as blistering and reddening of the skin. Freckles may begin to appear on their skin if they are exposed to the sun for an extended period of time. Patients' eyes are susceptible to the sun's rays in the same way that their skin is, and if they don't wear eye protection, they run the risk of their eyes becoming bloodshot, irritated, and cloudy.

According to Genetic Home Reference, the extremely rare illness of xeroderma pigmentosa affects around one in one million persons in both the United States and Europe. Although it affects thousands of people in the United States, the skin ailment is much more prevalent in other parts of the world, such as Japan, North Africa, and the Middle East.

How to Discuss the Benefits of Tinting with Your Family Physician

If you suffer from any of the medical illnesses listed above, as well as others, you may be able to acquire a written statement from your doctor that details your specific medical requirements. Either the driver of the vehicle or the owner of the vehicle can acquire a medical authorization to have darker window tinting fitted on the car if the affidavit is provided by a registered physician.

On the other hand, the requirements for submitting an affidavit change based on the state in which you live. For instance, the state of New York only exempts certain medical problems, and the state most likely won't give you approval if sunglasses or some other solution may cure the problem. They take into consideration patients who have porphyria, xeroderma pigmentosa, and high photosensitivity to drugs.

Although the procedures may vary from state to state, the majority of states demand an application, in addition to a photocopy of the vehicle registration, and a window tint medical waiver. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issues medical authorizations to people who are looking for protection from the sun; therefore, the DMV in your area is likely a good starting point for obtaining a form.

The percentage that is mentioned on the form reveals the quantity of light that is able to pass through the film and is indicated when your dermatologist signs the statement that indicates the requirements for your skin condition. For instance, if the part specifies a value of 30 percent, this indicates that the tint material must let 30 percent of the light to flow through the tint.

Medical authorizations for window tinting are good for the duration of your condition or until you sell the vehicle, whichever comes first.
 
What Percentage of Tints Are Permitted by the Doctors?

Window films for your vehicle can decrease the amount of ultraviolet radiation, heat, and glare from the sun that enters your vehicle through the windows and impacts your health. How much light is allowed through the tint can be determined by looking at the percentage of the film. The smaller the proportion, the more muted the overall appearance of the film will be. There is a wide variety of legislation in place across the states that governs the windshield, windows, and rear window.

Share by: