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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70045</law_id><section_number>46.2-1053</section_number><catch_line>Equipping certain motor vehicles with sun-shading or tinting films or applications</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-69.48:1</reference><reference>46.2-1052</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Operation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="10">Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="6">Windshields and Windows</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Tinting films, signs, decals, and stickers on windshields, etc.; penalties" href="/46.2-1052/">46.2-1052</a>, a <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> operated by or regularly used to transport any person with a medical condition which renders him susceptible to harm or injury from exposure to sunlight or bright artificial <span class="dictionary">light</span> may be equipped, on its windshield and any or all of its windows, with sun-shading or tinting films or applications which reduce the transmission of <span class="dictionary">light</span> into the vehicle to levels not less than 35 percent. Such sun-shading or tinting film when applied to the windshield of a <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> shall not cause the total <span class="dictionary">light</span> transmittance to be reduced to any level less than 70 percent except for the upper five inches of such windshield or the AS-1 line, whichever is closer to the top of the windshield. Vehicles equipped with such sun-shading or tinting films shall not be operated on any <span class="dictionary">highway</span> unless, while being so operated, the <span class="dictionary">driver</span> or an occupant of the vehicle has in his <span class="dictionary">possession</span> a written authorization issued by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of <span class="dictionary">Motor Vehicles</span> authorizing such operation. The <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> such written authorization only upon receipt of a signed statement from a licensed physician or licensed optometrist (i) identifying with reasonable specificity the person seeking the written authorization and (ii) stating that, in the physician&#x2019;s or optometrist&#x2019;s professional <span class="dictionary">opinion</span>, the equipping of a vehicle with sun-shading or tinting films or applications is necessary to safeguard the health of the person seeking the written authorization. Written authorizations issued by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> under this section shall be valid so long as the condition requiring the use of sun-shading or tinting films or applications persists or until the vehicle is sold, whichever first occurs. Such written authorizations shall permit the approval of any such vehicle upon its safety inspection as required by this chapter if such vehicle otherwise qualifies for inspection approval. In the discretion of the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>, one or more written authorizations may be issued to an individual or a family. The Division of Purchases and Supply, pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Standardization of materials, equipment and supplies" href="/2.2-1112/">2.2-1112</a>, shall determine the proper standards for equipment or devices used to measure <span class="dictionary">light</span> transmittance through windows of <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span>. <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">Law</span>-enforcement officers</span> shall use only such equipment or devices to measure <span class="dictionary">light</span> transmittance through windows that meet the standards established by the Division. Such measurements made by <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers</span> shall be given a tolerance of minus seven percentage points.
		For any <span class="dictionary">summons</span> issued for a violation of this section, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may, in its discretion, dismiss the <span class="dictionary">summons</span>, where proof of compliance with this section is provided to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> on or before the <span class="dictionary">court</span> date.</p></section></text><history>1986, c. 67, &#xA7; 46.1-291.01; 1987, c. 391; 1989, cc. 65, 727; 1990, c. 161; 1993, cc. 800, 808; 1996, cc. 943, 994; 2017, c. 670.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
