The legal tint in Louisiana is 25% visible light transmission (VLT) or lighter on all side windows, 12% VLT or lighter on the rear window, and no full-windshield tint beyond a clear, non-reflective strip along the top five inches. The front side window minimum dropped from 40% to 25% on August 1, 2025, so drivers can now go noticeably darker up front than they could a year ago. A lower VLT number means a darker film.
Tint Limits by Window
Louisiana Revised Statute 32:361.1 sets the baseline for every passenger vehicle on the road.
- Windshield: only a transparent, non-reflective strip along the top five inches. No film across the main viewing area.
- Front side windows: at least 25% VLT.
- Rear side windows: at least 25% VLT.
- Rear window: at least 12% VLT.
Each percentage is written into the statute “all tolerances included,” meaning the number is final after any variation from the officer’s tint meter. A front side window reading 24% VLT is out of compliance.1Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 – View Outward Or Inward Through Windshield Or Windows; Obscuring Prohibited
Trucks, SUVs, Vans, and Motor Homes
Larger vehicles get a real break behind the driver. The statute exempts the windows behind the driver’s seating position on trucks, buses, trailers, motor homes, and multi-purpose passenger vehicles from any light transmission requirement.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 – View Outward or Inward Through Windshield or Windows; Obscuring Prohibited On an SUV, van, or pickup, the second-row, third-row, and rear windows can go as dark as you want, including full blackout.
Front side windows on these vehicles still need to hit 25% VLT, and the windshield rule does not change.
Reflectivity and Color
Any sun-screening film on any window must have a luminous reflectance of no more than 20%.1Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 – View Outward Or Inward Through Windshield Or Windows; Obscuring Prohibited Heavily mirrored or chrome-look finishes that exceed that threshold are illegal.
The windshield strip must be transparent, and it cannot be red or amber. Those colors can mimic emergency lighting or wash out traffic signals, which is why the statute names them specifically.
What a Violation Costs
Officers typically pull out a handheld tint meter during a traffic stop and read the window on the spot. Fines increase with each offense:
- First offense: up to $150
- Second offense: up to $250
- Third or subsequent offense: up to $350
Installers face much larger penalties. A shop that sells, installs, or distributes non-compliant film can be fined $1,000 for a first offense and $2,000 for a second. A third conviction bars the business from doing tint work at all.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 – View Outward or Inward Through Windshield or Windows; Obscuring Prohibited
Medical Exemption for Darker Tint
Louisiana Revised Statute 32:361.2 lets drivers with light-sensitive medical conditions apply for an exemption that permits tint darker than the standard limits. The process has more hoops than most applicants expect.
You need a signed affidavit from a licensed optometrist or physician (ophthalmologists and dermatologists qualify) confirming a diagnosed condition that warrants the darker tint, verifiable in the World Health Organization’s ICD-9-CM classification system. If the diagnosis is photophobia, the doctor also has to explain why prescription sunglasses would not be enough and why the darker film would not impair night driving.3Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.2 – Medical Exemption
Applicants must also submit fingerprints and consent to a state and federal background check through the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division. Anyone with a conviction for a violent crime or drug offense is ineligible.3Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.2 – Medical Exemption Once approved, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections issues a decal that has to stay prominently displayed on the vehicle. Driving with darker-than-legal tint and no decal in view can still get you cited, regardless of the underlying medical condition.
The Installer Label
Every professional tint job in Louisiana has to carry a certification sticker. The installer places a label no larger than one and a half square inches between the film and the glass on the lower right corner of the driver’s side window, showing the installer’s name and city.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 – View Outward or Inward Through Windshield or Windows; Obscuring Prohibited
No label can mean a citation even if the tint itself is within the legal limits. Before you leave the shop, check that the sticker is in place.
Commercial Vehicles Follow a Stricter Rule
If you drive a commercial motor vehicle, federal law overrides Louisiana’s more permissive limits on the front glass. Under 49 CFR 393.60, the windshield and the two windows immediately to the driver’s left and right must allow at least 70% light transmission.4eCFR. 49 CFR 393.60 – Glazing in Specified Openings That is dramatically lighter than the 25% Louisiana allows on a personal vehicle. The 70% federal rule covers only the windshield and the two windows beside the driver; windows further back fall under the state rules for that vehicle type.
What Changed in 2025
Before August 1, 2025, front side windows had to allow at least 40% VLT. Act 143, sponsored by Rep. Daryl Deshotel, lowered that floor to 25%, matching the limit already applied to rear side windows. The 12% rear window minimum and the 20% reflectivity cap did not change.1Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-361.1 – View Outward Or Inward Through Windshield Or Windows; Obscuring Prohibited If your current tint was installed under the old rule and you are thinking about going darker, any new film has to meet the current 25% standard up front and carry an updated installer label.