Vehicle Law · Window Tint
Window Tint Laws in Louisiana
The exact legal darkness allowed on every window of your vehicle in Louisiana, plus reflection limits, the medical exemption, and what a ticket costs.
How dark you can legally go
Visible-light transmission (VLT) allowed for each window.
Common tint shades, and whether they're legal here
What the shop sells, mapped to the Louisiana limit.
| Film shade | Front side | Back side | Rear window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% (light) | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| 50% | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| 35% (factory look) | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| 20% | Too dark | Too dark | Legal |
| 5% (limo) | Too dark | Too dark | Too dark |
The light transmittance limits do not apply to windows behind the driver on trucks, buses, trailers, motor homes, and multipurpose passenger vehicles (La. R.S. 32:361.1(D)).
Film is sold by its own VLT, but police measure the installed darkness: the film combined with your factory glass. Ask the shop for the net, as-installed VLT before you buy.
The full rules, with the statute
Every limit and where it comes from in the code.
| Rule / window | Legal limit in Louisiana | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Only a top strip is allowed: a transparent material, not red or amber, that does not extend more than 5 inches down from the top of the windshield. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(2) |
| Front side | At least 25% light transmission, with all tolerances included. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(1) |
| Back side | At least 25% light transmission on the side windows behind the driver, with all tolerances included. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(1) |
| Rear window | At least 12% light transmission on the rearmost windows, with all tolerances included. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(1) |
| SUV / van rear | The light transmittance limits do not apply to the windows behind the driver on trucks, buses, trailers, motor homes, and multipurpose passenger vehicles, so those rear windows may be any darkness. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(D) |
| Reflection | No sun screening device may have a luminous reflectance of more than 20%. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(1) |
| Banned colors | Red and amber, on the windshield strip. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(2) |
| Medical exemption | AllowedAvailable (details in the medical exemption section below). | La. R.S. 32:361.2 |
| Meter tolerance | The statute states its percentages "with all tolerances included" rather than giving a separate ±3% metering band. | La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(1) |
Penalties & how it's enforced
What happens if your tint is too dark.
Act 143 (HB 119, 2025 RS) (effective 2025-08-01): Act 143 of 2025 (HB 119) lowered the front side window minimum from 40% to 25% light transmission. It became law without the Governor signature and took effect August 1, 2025. The 25% side-behind-driver and 12% rearmost limits were unchanged.
The medical exemption: how to qualify
For drivers with a documented light-sensitivity condition.
What Louisiana drivers get wrong
Louisiana loosened its front-window rule in 2025. Act 143 dropped the front side window minimum from 40% to 25%, effective August 1, 2025, so the current steps are 25% on the front doors, 25% on the side windows behind the driver, and 12% on the rearmost glass, all with tolerances already folded in. The windshield gets only a strip, no more than 5 inches down from the top and never red or amber. Trucks, buses, motor homes, and multipurpose passenger vehicles escape the limits on the glass behind the driver, and a separate statute (R.S. 32:361.2) carries the medical exemption.
Common questions
What is the legal tint limit in Louisiana?
Since August 1, 2025 (Act 143), front side windows must allow at least 25% of light, the same as the side windows behind the driver, and the rearmost windows at least 12%, with all tolerances already included (La. R.S. 32:361.1(C)(1)). Before that, the front minimum was 40%.
Can SUVs and vans have darker rear windows in Louisiana?
Yes. The light transmittance limits do not apply to the windows behind the driver on trucks, buses, trailers, motor homes, and multipurpose passenger vehicles, so those rear windows may be as dark as you like (La. R.S. 32:361.1(D)).
How much does a tint ticket cost in Louisiana?
For a Louisiana-registered vehicle, up to $150 for a first offense, up to $250 for a second, and up to $350 for a third or later offense (La. R.S. 32:361.1(E)).
Does Louisiana allow a medical exemption for window tint?
Yes. A separate statute, La. R.S. 32:361.2, provides a medical exemption that lets a person with a qualifying condition run darker tint on certification. It is a different section from the main tint limits.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.