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S. B. No. 2453 *SS08/R730* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Public Health and
Welfare
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Hopson
SENATE BILL NO. 2453
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-59, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
AUTHORIZE AN OPTOMETRIST LICENSED TO PRACTICE OPTOMETRY IN THE 2
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI TO ATTEST THAT A PERSON HAS A DIAGNOSED 3
PHYSICAL CONDITION OR DISEASE THAT IS SERIOUSLY AGGRAVATED BY 4
MINIMUM EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT AND THAT ENTITLES SUCH PERSON TO A 5
CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXEMPTION FROM THE PROVISIONS OF LAW 6
REGULATING MOTOR VEHICLE WINDSHIELD AND WINDOW TINTING; AND FOR 7
RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 63-7-59, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
63-7-59. (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle 12
required to be registered in this state upon the public roads, 13
streets or highways in this state with any sign or poster, or with 14
any glazing material which causes a mirrored effect, upon the 15
front windshield, side wings or side or rear windows of the 16
vehicle, other than a certificate or other paper required or 17
authorized to be so displayed by law. No person shall drive any 18
motor vehicle required to be registered in this state upon the 19
public roads, streets or highways in this state with any tinted 20
film, glazing material or darkening material of any kind on the 21
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windshield of a motor vehicle except material designed to replace 22
or provide a sun shield in the uppermost area as authorized to be 23
installed by manufacturers of vehicles under federal law. 24
(2) From and after July 1, 2006, no person shall drive any 25
motor vehicle required to be registered in this state upon the 26
public roads, streets or highways in this state with any window 27
tinted or darkened, by tinted film or otherwise, unless: 28
(a) The windshield of the vehicle has affixed to it a 29
label as provided under subsection (6) of this section certifying 30
that all the windows of the vehicle have a light transmittance of 31
twenty-eight percent (28%) or more; or 32
(b) The owner or operator of the vehicle has a 33
certificate of medical exemption issued under subsection (4) of 34
this section. 35
(3) The prohibitions of subsection (2) of this section shall 36
not apply to: 37
(a) School buses, other buses used for public 38
transportation, any bus or van owned or leased by a nonprofit 39
organization duly incorporated under the laws of this state or any 40
funeral home services vehicle, any limousine owned or leased by a 41
private or public entity, or any government-owned law enforcement 42
or fire department vehicle or any volunteer fire department 43
vehicle; 44
(b) Any window behind the front two (2) side windows, 45
including the rear window, of any pickup truck, van, motor home, 46
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recreational vehicle, sport utility vehicle or multipurpose 47
vehicle that has been tinted or darkened after factory delivery to 48
the extent that the light transmittance of the window meets the 49
minimum light transmittance requirements authorized to be 50
installed for that window and for that vehicle under federal law 51
or regulations before factory delivery; or 52
(c) Any other motor vehicle the windows of which have 53
been tinted or darkened before factory delivery as permitted by 54
federal law or federal regulations. 55
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2) of this 56
section, it shall be lawful for any person who has been diagnosed 57
by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State of 58
Mississippi or by an optometrist licensed to practice optometry in 59
the State of Mississippi as having a physical condition or disease 60
that is seriously aggravated by minimum exposure to sunlight to 61
place or have placed upon the windshield or windows of any motor 62
vehicle which he or she owns or operates or within which he or she 63
regularly travels as a passenger tinted film or other darkening 64
material that would otherwise be in violation of this section. 65
However, any vehicle, in order to be exempt under this subsection 66
(4), shall have prominently displayed on the vehicle dashboard a 67
certificate of medical exemption on a form prepared by the 68
Commissioner of Public Safety and signed by the person on whose 69
behalf the certificate is issued. The special certificate 70
authorized by this subsection (4) shall be issued free of charge 71
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to the applicants through the offices of the tax collectors of the 72
counties. Each applicant shall present to the issuing official: 73
(a) An affidavit signed personally by the applicant and 74
signed and attested by a physician or optometrist which states the 75
applicant's physical condition or disease which entitles him or 76
her to an exemption under this subsection (4); and 77
(b) Proof of ownership of the motor vehicle by the 78
applicant, or a signed affidavit by the owner of a motor vehicle 79
operated for the use of the applicant, for which he or she is 80
obtaining the certificate. 81
(5) The windshield on every motor vehicle shall be equipped 82
with a device for cleaning rain, snow or other moisture from the 83
windshield, which device shall be so constructed as to be 84
controlled or operated by the driver of the vehicle. 85
(6) The Department of Public Safety shall issue labels to 86
official tint inspection stations for affixing to the windshield 87
of every motor vehicle required to be inspected in this state with 88
a window therein which has been tinted or darkened with any tinted 89
film or other darkening material after factory delivery. The 90
label shall be affixed to the lower left corner of the windshield, 91
shall be legible from outside the vehicle, and shall indicate the 92
label registration number, a certification of compliance with 93
Mississippi law, and such other information as the Commissioner of 94
Public Safety deems appropriate. The labels shall be of a type 95
which is pressure-sensitive, self-destructive upon removal, and no 96
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larger than one (1) inch square in size. Before affixing the 97
label, the inspection station shall conduct a test to determine 98
that the window complies with the light transmittance requirements 99
prescribed under subsection (2) of this section. The test shall 100
be conducted using such methods or devices as may be approved and 101
certified not less often than annually by the Department of Public 102
Safety. For conducting such tests, tint inspection stations shall 103
charge and collect a fee of Five Dollars ($5.00). Two Dollars 104
($2.00) of the fee shall be retained by the inspection station, 105
and Three Dollars ($3.00) of the fee shall be remitted to the 106
Department of Public Safety and may be expended, upon legislative 107
appropriation, for the operational expenses of the department. No 108
fee shall be charged unless a test is actually performed under 109
this subsection (6). The presence of a label upon the windshield 110
of a motor vehicle shall indicate that the person who affixed the 111
label certifies that the windows of the vehicle meet the 112
restrictions of subsection (2) of this section as to light 113
transmittance. 114
(7) No person shall install any tinted film, darkening 115
material, glazing material or any other material upon the 116
windshield or any window of a motor vehicle which, after the 117
installation thereof, would result in such vehicle being in 118
violation of subsection (2) of this section. 119
(8) No label shall be issued for a vehicle on which the 120
windshield or any window of the vehicle has been darkened by the 121
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installation of tinted film or by other means, except as 122
authorized under this section. 123
(9) It shall be unlawful for any person to alter or 124
reproduce any label or certificate of medical exemption approved 125
by the Commissioner of Public Safety under this section for the 126
purpose of misleading law enforcement officers or motor vehicle 127
inspection stations, or to knowingly use any approved label or 128
certificate except as authorized by this section. 129
(10) Any person violating subsection (7), (8) or (9) of this 130
section, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more 131
than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or imprisonment in the 132
county jail for not more than three (3) months, or by both such 133
fine and imprisonment. 134
(11) Any violation of this section other than a violation of 135
subsection (7), (8) or (9) of this section shall be punishable 136
upon conviction as provided in Section 63-7-7. 137
(12) Violations of this section shall be enforced only by 138
law enforcement officers of the Mississippi Department of Public 139
Safety and municipal law enforcement officers of municipalities 140
having a population of two thousand (2,000) or more on the public 141
roads, streets and highways under their jurisdiction. 142
(13) The Department of Public Safety shall initiate a public 143
awareness program designed to inform and educate persons of the 144
provisions of this section. Funds for such public awareness 145
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ST: Motor vehicle window tinting; allow MS
licensed optometrists to diagnose for purposes
of a medical exemption authorizing.
program shall be available through the office of the Governor's 146
representative for highway safety programs. 147
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 148
and after July 1, 2026. 149