Bill would make medical exemptions for advanced vehicle window tinting permanent for chronic conditions

Delegate Penny Monique's designee presented House Bill 4 36 to the Environment and Transportation Committee to remove the mandatory two‑year renewal for medical exemptions that allow advanced window tinting for drivers with permanent medical conditions.

Andrea Ulloa, presenting for the sponsor, told the committee "this bill would remove that requirement for those with chronic medical conditions, ensuring that they do not have to repeatedly prove what their doctors have already identified as a permanent need." Ulloa said the Maryland State Police reviewed the bill language and the sponsor adopted a clarifying amendment that would allow indefinite validity where a licensed physician determines the condition is permanent.

Virtual testimony from Adam Windham, a parent of a child with Rett syndrome, described the practical burden: repeated certifications, coordinating with already‑busy doctors' offices and an enforcement process that requires submitting paperwork to the Motor Vehicle Safety Enforcement Division. Windham said tinted windows are a necessity for his daughter’s health and safety because sunlight can trigger medical symptoms, and the two‑year recertification requirement imposes an unnecessary administrative burden.

Ulloa and Windham noted Maryland is among a small number of states that have medical tint exemptions but that Maryland’s two‑year recertification is among the strictest; other states either require less frequent recertification or none at all. Ulloa said there is no fiscal note for the bill and asked for a favorable report.

Ending: Proponents argued indefinite certification for permanent conditions aligns Maryland with other states and reduces administrative burden for families with chronic medical needs.