State tint law
Louisiana window tint law
Laws change and enforcement varies by area. Confirm with the Louisiana DMV before you install.
How dark can window tint be in Louisiana?
Darkness is measured as visible light transmission (VLT): the percentage of light that gets through. A lower number means darker tint.
| Window | Cars | SUVs and vans |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | Non-reflective tint that isn't red or amber is allowed on the top 5 inches of the windshield. | |
| Front side windows | Must let in at least 25% of light (all tolerances included). | |
| Back side windows | Must let in at least 25% of light (all tolerances included). | Any darkness is allowed. |
| Rear window | Must let in at least 12% of light (all tolerances included). | Any darkness is allowed. |
Picked a legal shade? You can tint it yourself with a precut car tint kit from SnapTint, our DIY kit partner.
How reflective can tint be?
- Front side windows
- Must not be more than 20% reflective.
- Back side windows
- Must not be more than 20% reflective.
Other Louisiana tint rules
- Restricted colors
- Red and amber are not allowed on the tint strip at the top of the windshield. The law names no colors for the other windows.
- Side mirrors
- No side-mirror requirement.
- Film certification
- Film manufacturers must certify the film they sell in the state. Ask your installer for certified film.
- Sticker
- A sticker identifying legal tint is required between the film and the glass on the driver's side window.
- Medical exemption
- Get the State Police affidavit signed by a Louisiana-licensed optometrist or physician (including ophthalmologists and dermatologists) for a listed condition; for photophobia, they must explain why sunglasses aren't enough. Keep a copy in the vehicle and display the state's decal. Exemptions are reviewed every 3 years (R.S. 32:361.2). Official form or instructions (opens in a new tab)
Enforcement and penalties in Louisiana
- Enforcement
- Installers must put a label with their name and city in the lower right corner of the driver's window. Tint done before 1994 needs a certificate kept in the vehicle.
- Penalties
- Drivers: up to $150 for a first offense, $250 for a second and $350 for a third or later. Sellers, installers, manufacturers and distributors: $1,000, then $2,000, then a ban on the business after a third conviction.
How the Louisiana tint law has changed
The changes we could document, newest first, each with its source. Where we only know that our older records differ from today's law, we say so rather than guess a date.
-
Law change Front side windows lowered from 40% to 25%
Act 143 of 2025 (House Bill 119) let the front side windows go to 25% light transmission, the same as the side windows behind the driver. The 12% limit on the rear window didn't change.
Source: Louisiana Legislature, Act 143 (2025), enrolled HB 119
Films of 25% VLT or lighter: legal on every window of a car in Louisiana. Darker films for the rear windows are in the full collection. All car window film.
Where to find the Louisiana tint law
These are the laws, rules and other sources we found for Louisiana. We list all of them rather than picking one, so you can read them yourself and decide. Laws change, so check the current text before you install.
Sources disagree: Older tint charts list 40% for Louisiana's front side windows. That was the law until Act 143 of 2025 lowered it to 25% on August 1, 2025.
- Statute Louisiana Revised Statutes § 32:361.1 (opens in a new tab) Justia
- Statute Louisiana Revised Statutes § 32:361.1 (opens in a new tab) FindLaw
- Law change Act 143 of 2025 (House Bill 119) (opens in a new tab) Louisiana LegislatureFront side windows lowered from 40% to 25%, effective August 1, 2025.
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