An important bill authored by Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) passed in the Senate with unanimous bipartisan last week. The bill provides a simple fix updating statute that currently requires those with prescriptions for window tint to renew that prescription every two years.

Under current law, there are restrictions on how dark window tint can be on cars, but there are medical exemptions for those with prescriptions explaining the driver’s condition and need for the level of tint. Due to legislation passed in 2008, it is required that drivers have these prescriptions updated every two years. This bill makes a simple change allowing those with a permanent prescription to be exempt from these burdensome requirements.

“One of my constituents brought this issue to me, because she suffered a significant traumatic brain injury in 2021, and received a lifetime window tint prescription. Unfortunately, she was pulled over in 2024 and was told her prescription was no longer valid, despite it being a ‘lifetime’ prescription,” said Howe. “Not only did it take her six months to get the appointment needed to update the prescription, but it cost her time and money, and created a lot of heartache for her family. This is a commonsense bill that simply reduces bureaucratic hurdles for those in need of permanent prescriptions.”