DOVER — Delaware’s Division of Motor Vehicles moved its medical waiver tint process fully online in August 2022.
Since then, the change has streamlined the process for both Delawareans and the division, as the elimination of the previous hard copy waiver has had a ripple effect on operation efficiency.
“It makes the process easier for everyone involved. It keeps the customer from having to make multiple trips to DMV and to their physicians,” said Kathryn Beasley, chief of communications for the Division of Motor Vehicles. “If (DMV is not) waiting on tint waiver customers, they can then wait on people who are trying to renew their registration, get title work done, get a new driver’s license; a new ID card.”
To kickstart the medical waiver process, individuals can visit the Division of Motor Vehicle website at dmv.de.gov.
From there, Delawareans can start an application and fill out their information.
The division will then send the applicant an email that contains the application and a web link, which can then be taken to a primary care physician to be signed and certified. Once those steps are completed, the documents can be sent back to the division for final approval.
If approved, individuals will receive a medical tint waiver and an updated registration card to certify their eligibility.
There are a number of conditions that would make someone eligible for a medical tint waiver, Ms. Beasley said, although that is up to the doctor to certify. While several conditions pertain to light sensitivity, the exemption extends to diagnoses like dermatitis, albinism and lupus.
It is unclear how many medical tint waivers are active in the First State, or further information like how many are denied and how application figures have changed since the process moved online.
The Daily State News made a Freedom of Information Act request to the Delaware Department of Transportation to obtain these statistics, which were not readily available because the Division of Motor Vehicle does not specifically monitor those figures in its Motor Vehicle Tracking System.
However, the trend in window tint usage has been on the rise since the move to online, according to the Delaware State Police,
Troopers issued 844 window tint violations in 2021; 1,472 violations in 2022 and 1,659 in 2023, per statistics provided by the state police. As of April 26, Delaware State Police have issued 504 violations in 2024.
Delaware State Police spokesperson Cpl. Amina Ali said the new online procedure “holds the physician more accountable,” and since the process has become more stringent, “there has been an increase in window tint violations.”
The basis for window tint violations is the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205, which requires 70% light transmittance in all passenger vehicle windows. For multipurpose passenger vehicles, motor homes and trucks, the 70% threshold is required in the windshield, the windows to the immediate right and left of the driver, and the rear windows if they are used for driving visibility.
The purpose of the federal standard is to “reduce injuries resulting from impact to glazing surfaces, to ensure a necessary degree of transparency in motor vehicle windows for driver visibility, and to minimize the possibility of occupants being thrown through the vehicle windows in collisions.”
While each state has different window tint laws, Delaware’s pertain to any car on its roadways.
Window tint violations can occur if a trooper spots an illegal tint percentage on the road, street or any public highway. Illegal tint can also be cited on a vehicle that is part of a crash or criminal investigation.
On the first offense, individuals whose car tint violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205 could be fined between $25 and $115. Repeat offenses can result in fines between $57.50 and $230, imprisonment between 10 and 30 days, or both.
Any obstruction to visibility could be considered a safety issue for troopers, the vehicle operator and its occupants, according to Delaware State Police.
Troopers conducting a traffic stop may not be able to clearly see inside of the vehicle, which is an issue because the driver could potentially be hiding other behaviors like not wearing a seat belt, phone usage while driving, or drug and alcohol consumption.
“Seat belt use has become a bigger issue in recent years because of the high lack of use in fatal collisions,” Cpl. Ali said. “From the driver’s perspective, a safety concern is the reduced visibility for the driver at night or during other low light conditions.”
There have been 48 traffic fatalities in the state this year, according to statistics in Delaware’s Fatal Crash Summary.
During the Department of Transportation’s capital budget request hearing May 1, cabinet secretary Nicole Majeski noted that 2024 fatalities were down 30% from 2023 numbers and 19% from 2022 – a year where 165 died on Delaware roadways, tying a state record.
Staff writer Craig Anderson contributed to this story.
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