Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB707 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 03/13/2025

                             
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
         Underlining indicates amendments to bill. 
         Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by 
amendment. 
          *sb0707*  
  
SENATE BILL 707 
R6, R5   	5lr3210 
    	CF HB 436 
By: Senator Zucker 
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2025 
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings 
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments 
Senate action: Adopted 
Read second time: February 24, 2025 
 
CHAPTER ______ 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Vehicle Laws – Medical Exemption for Enhanced Tinted Windows – Repeal of 2 
Time Limitation 3 
 
FOR the purpose of repealing the 2–year time limitation on medical exemptions for 4 
enhanced tinted windows on certain vehicles for vehicle owners with certain 5 
permanent medical conditions; and generally relating to enhanced tinted windows. 6 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7 
 Article – Transportation 8 
Section 22–406(i) 9 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 10 
 (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13 
 
Article – Transportation 14 
 
22–406. 15 
 
 (i) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, a person may 16 
not operate a vehicle registered under § 13–912, § 13–913, § 13–917, or § 13–937 of this 17 
article on a highway in this State if: 18 
  2 	SENATE BILL 707  
 
 
 (i) In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–912 of this article, 1 
there is affixed to any window of the vehicle any tinting materials added to the window 2 
after manufacture of the vehicle that do not allow a light transmittance through the window 3 
of at least 35%; and 4 
 
 (ii) In the case of a vehicle registered under § 13–913, § 13–917, or § 5 
13–937 of this article, there is affixed to any window to the immediate right or left of the 6 
driver any window tinting materials added after manufacture of the vehicle that do not 7 
allow a light transmittance through the window of at least 35%. 8 
 
 (2) If a police officer observes that a vehicle is being operated in violation 9 
of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the officer may stop the driver of the vehicle and, in 10 
addition to a citation charging the driver with the offense, issue to the driver a safety 11 
equipment repair order in accordance with the provisions of § 23–105 of this article. 12 
 
 (3) A person may not install on a window of a vehicle any window tinting 13 
material that does not comply with the light transmittance requirements specified in 14 
paragraph (1) of this subsection. 15 
 
 (4) (i) A person who must be protected from the sun for medical reasons 16 
is exempt from the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection if the owner has, in the 17 
vehicle at the time the vehicle is stopped by a police officer, a written certification in the 18 
manner and format required by the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division of the 19 
Department of State Police that details the owner’s medical need for tinted windows with 20 
a light transmittance of less than the allowed 35%, from a physician licensed to practice 21 
medicine in the State. 22 
 
 (ii) 1. A EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSUBPARAGRAPH 2 OF 23 
THIS SUBPARAGRAPH , A written certification under this paragraph shall be valid for a 24 
period of time that the licensed physician determines the owner needs the enhanced tinted 25 
windows[, not to exceed 2 years]. 26 
 
 2. IF THE LICENSED PHYSI CIAN DETERMINES THAT THE 27 
OWNER’S MEDICAL CONDITION IS PERMANENT , A WRITTEN CERTIFICATION UNDER 28 
THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE VALID INDEFINITEL Y.  29 
 
 (iii) This subsection does not apply to tinting materials that: 30 
 
 1. Are affixed in such a manner so as to be easily removed; 31 
and 32 
 
 2. Are being used to protect a child less than 10 years of age 33 
from the sun. 34 
 
 (iv) Nothing in this subsection may be construed to: 35 
   	SENATE BILL 707 	3 
 
 
 1. Allow any tinting materials to be added to the windshield 1 
of a vehicle below the AS1 line or below 5 inches from the top of the windshield; 2 
 
 2. Prohibit a person from operating the vehicle while the 3 
person for whom the written certification is required is not present in the vehicle, provided 4 
that the written certification is in the vehicle; or 5 
 
 3. Alter or restrict the authority of the Administrator to 6 
adopt regulations regarding vehicle windows, except with respect to the light transmittance 7 
requirements specified in this section. 8 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9 
October 1, 2025.  10 
 
 
 
 
Approved: 
________________________________________________________________________________  
 Governor. 
________________________________________________________________________________  
         President of the Senate. 
________________________________________________________________________________  
  Speaker of the House of Delegates.