Driving with light sensitivity
Kansas window tint medical exemption
Kansas lets a doctor or optometrist approve clear UV-blocking film. It does not let a doctor approve dark tint. Here is what the statute says.
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A doctor's note does not unlock dark tint in Kansas. I have seen posts that say "ask your doctor about a tint waiver" and show a DMV form. That is how some other states work. In Kansas the statute covers one thing: clear, colorless UV-blocking film, with a signed statement from a physician or optometrist. Anything darker than 35 percent light transmission is still a violation. Read the film rules before you buy.
What the exemption actually is
One narrow exception to the tint law, for clear film only.
- It is Kansas law, not a VA benefit. It does not touch your rating.
- It lets you put clear, colorless, UV-blocking film on any window, windshield included.
- You need a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist.
- There is no state form in the statute. It describes a statement.
Clear film with a doctor's statement. Not dark tint.
What Kansas allows and does not
From K.S.A. 8-1749a, subsection (a).
- AllowedSide and rear window tint that lets 35 percent or more light through, counting any other sun screening on the glass
- AllowedWindshield tint only along the top, above the AS-1 line, non-reflective, and not red, yellow or amber
- StatementClear UV film on any window, with the signed statement
- Not allowedTint darker than 35 percent, even with a doctor's note
- Not allowedReflective film on side or rear windows
- Not allowedHighly reflective or not transparent film over the headlamps
The 35 percent limit has no medical override.
What the clear film must be
The exception covers film that meets all of these.
- Clear, colorless and transparent.
- At least 78 percent visible light transmittance.
- With the film on, the glass meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205, which includes a 70 percent minimum.
- Designed to block ultraviolet A or B rays.
- Replaced if it tears or bubbles or wears so it blocks your view.
Ask the installer to confirm the 78 percent and FMVSS 205 numbers in writing before you pay.
Buy from an installer who can show the specs.
What the signed statement must say
Signed by a licensed physician or licensed optometrist.
- It identifies the driver or passenger "with reasonable specificity."
- It says, in the provider's professional opinion, the film is necessary to safeguard that person's health.
- The driver or passenger must possess it. The statute does not say it has to stay in the car, though many tint shops say so. Keeping it in the glove box is smart.
No official form. Your own doctor's statement.
Four steps
Do the paper before the film.
- Talk to your doctor or optometrist. Describe what you feel. They decide whether the film is medically necessary.
- Get the signed statement covering the two points in the paper panel above.
- Have clear UV film installed that meets the film rules.
- Keep the statement with you.
VA providers: I found no verified source on whether VA clinicians sign these. Ask your own provider.
Statement first, film second.
The 60-day rule
Written for a missing statement only.
60 days. If you are cited only because you did not have the signed statement, you have 60 days to show the court a statement or show the film is off. Do either and the court must dismiss the citation.
This protection does not make illegal dark tint legal. A violation of the statute is a misdemeanor. The statute lists no fine, so I do not give one here.
Get the statement before the film goes on.
Pages that promise more than the law
Check who is selling what.
Compare sources. Sites that quote the statute agree: clear film only. One company that sells doctor consultations said a Kansas exemption allows darker tint. The statute does not say that.
- Ask which line of K.S.A. 8-1749a allows it.
- Do not pay for a letter until you know what it can and cannot do.
The statute decides, not the sales page.
How this connects to VA
A state vehicle rule that matters to a lot of veterans.
- Getting a statement does not change a VA rating.
- Many veterans live with migraines or light sensitivity and drive every day, so it is in the Binder.
- The statement is a medical record. Tell your provider accurately what you feel.
Be honest with your provider.
Check before you act. Rules change. Read the statute, and ask the Kansas Highway Patrol or your installer before you buy film. I read the statute text on October 19, 2026. The page shows its last amendment as L. 2019, ch. 61, § 4.