New Louisiana Window Tint Law: VLT Limits, Exemptions & Fines

Under the Louisiana window tint law as amended by Act 143 of 2025, front side windows must now allow at least 25% of outside light through, down from the old 40% limit. The change took effect August 1, 2025, and brings the front sides in line with the 25% already allowed on rear side windows. Nothing else in RS 32:361.1 changed: the rear windshield still sits at 12%, the front windshield still can’t carry film on its main viewing area, and the fine structure for violations is unchanged.1Louisiana State Legislature. HB 119 – 2025 Regular Session

Current VLT Limits by Window

Visible light transmission (VLT) is the percentage of outside light that makes it through the film and glass together. Lower numbers mean darker windows. These are the thresholds under the amended statute:

Those percentages are measured on the finished product, meaning the film and the factory glass together have to clear the threshold. Most modern vehicles leave the plant with glass that already blocks some light, so a roll of film labeled 25% VLT may push you below the legal line once it goes on. A reputable installer will put a meter on the window before you drive off.

Reflectivity and Color Rules

Film on any window must stay at or below 20% luminous reflectance.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 This is measured separately from VLT, so a light-colored film can still fail if it has a mirrored or metallic finish.

Red and amber films are prohibited on every window.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 Standard charcoal, gray, and ceramic shades all stay within the allowed range.

Medical Exemptions for Darker Tint

RS 32:361.2 allows darker-than-legal tint when a medical condition requires it. The exemption covers the vehicle’s registered owner, their spouse, or a family member who is authorized to drive the vehicle.4Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.2 – Medical Exemption

You need an affidavit signed by a licensed optometrist or physician, including ophthalmologists and dermatologists. The form is prepared by the Louisiana State Police and lists the recognized conditions, which include albinism, lupus, porphyria, and photophobia, among others.5Louisiana State Police. Window Tint Medical Exemption Affidavit For a photophobia diagnosis, the physician has to explain why sunglasses alone are not adequate and why the darker tint will not impair the person’s ability to drive at night.4Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.2 – Medical Exemption

Once the application is approved, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections issues a decal that has to stay displayed on the vehicle. The exemption is reviewed every three years. A diagnosed light-sensitive porphyria exemption is the one exception; it lasts for the entire time you own the vehicle.6FindLaw. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 32 Section 361.2 Keep the affidavit and decal with the vehicle. An officer who can’t verify your exemption at the roadside will cite you.

Security and Professional Exemptions

Louisiana also allows exemptions for certain occupations with security concerns, including licensed private investigators, bail enforcement agents, railroad police officers, POST-certified peace officers, and elected or appointed public officials. These require a separate Window Tint Security Affidavit instead of the medical form. The paperwork has to travel in the vehicle and be produced on request.

Installer Certification Labels

Any vehicle with aftermarket film must carry an identification label placed between the film and the glass in the lower right corner of the driver’s side window. The label can be no larger than one and a half square inches and must show the installer’s name and city.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 Applying it is the installer’s responsibility. Check before you leave the shop.

Louisiana’s periodic safety inspections look for this label along with the VLT reading, so a missing or illegible label can cause a failed inspection even on film that measures within range. If you bought a used vehicle with aftermarket tint and no label, having a professional shop measure the film and apply a fresh label is worth the small cost.

Fines for Drivers

The statute sets maximums, which means a judge has discretion within these ceilings:

Court costs are added on top, so what you actually pay is higher than the fine alone. Officers carry portable meters that produce an instant VLT reading at the roadside. If the number falls below the legal threshold, the citation follows, no matter what the installer said.

Fines for Installers

Shops face steeper consequences. An installer who applies illegal film is subject to a $1,000 fine for a first offense, $2,000 for a second, and a permanent ban from the tinting business after a third conviction.3Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 A shop that offers to go darker than 25% on your front windows is putting its license on the line, which is useful context when a budget installer tells you “everyone does it.”

Driving Out of State

Tint that is legal in Louisiana may not be legal elsewhere. When you cross a state line, you are subject to the traffic laws of the state you are in, not the state where the vehicle is registered. There is no federal reciprocity rule for aftermarket tint. Many neighboring states use different thresholds for front side windows, so if you travel often to a particular state, checking its front side limit before you choose a shade can prevent an out-of-state ticket.

Insurance and Civil Liability

A tint ticket is a traffic violation on your driving record and can push your insurance premium up at renewal the way any other equipment or moving violation does. Coverage is a separate concern: an insurer may decline to pay for damage to tinted windows the company was never told about, especially when the film is illegally dark.

Civil exposure is the other side of the problem. If illegally dark tint contributed to a crash because you did not see a pedestrian or another vehicle, the fact that you were violating a safety statute at the moment of the accident can be used against you in the resulting lawsuit. Violating a law meant to prevent that exact kind of harm is strong evidence of fault. Removing illegal film is far cheaper than litigating whether it caused the collision.