LA · tint law reference
Louisiana window tint laws
Last verified September 14, 2026 · La. R.S. 32:361.1 (medical exemption at R.S. 32:361.2)
Legal tint limits at a glance
VLT is the share of light the window must let through — a lower number is darker film, and the reading includes the factory glass.
| Window | Sedans | SUVs, vans & trucks |
|---|---|---|
| Windshield | No film on the windshield except a transparent material, not red or amber in color, affixed to the topmost portion of the windshield and not extending more than 5 inches down from the top | Same as sedan |
| Front side | 25% VLT or lighter | 25% VLT or lighter |
| Back side | 25% VLT or lighter | No VLT limit |
| Rear | 12% VLT or lighter | No VLT limit |
Dual side mirrors required if the rear is tinted? Not stated in the sources we checked.
Is my tint legal here?
Film darkness and glass darkness multiply. Enter the film you are considering and the VLT of the bare glass to get the number a meter would read.
70 for tinted OEM glass, 80 for clear
Net VLT 14% 20% film × 70% glass
Pass/fail compares net VLT against the limits on this page only. Some states apply a measurement tolerance — see Measurement tolerance below — and none of this replaces a meter reading on your own glass.
The rest of the rule
Reflectivity
All sun screening devices: luminous reflectance not more than 20% (applies to every window, including windows behind the driver on trucks/vans/MPVs, which are exempt only from the light-transmittance requirement)
Colors
Red or amber, for the windshield strip only (R.S. 32:361.1(C)(2)); no color restriction stated for side or rear windows
Medical exemption
Yes, via R.S. 32:361.2: affidavit (form prepared by the office of state police) signed by an optometrist or physician, including but not limited to an ophthalmologist or dermatologist licensed in Louisiana, stating a sun-related physical/medical condition; affidavit lists WHO ICD-9-CM conditions with a section to describe an unlisted condition; photophobia claims must explain why corrective sunglasses are insufficient and why the tint will not affect night driving; notarized medical-records release; applicants must consent to a state and federal criminal history check and submit a full set of fingerprints (violent-crime or drug convictions disqualify); exemptions reviewed every 3 years, except diagnosed light-sensitive porphyria (valid for the duration of vehicle ownership); the exemption does not cover the windshield below the top 6 inches unless specifically authorized by the optometrist/physician for a light-sensitive porphyria patient; DPS issues a decal that must be prominently displayed at all times; affidavit must stay in the vehicle; on trade/sale the new owner must remove the tint unless they obtain their own exemption.
Stickers & certification
Mandatory: each manufacturer must certify compliance with the reflectance and transmittance requirements to the DPS office of motor vehicles by independent test laboratory data; each installer must provide a permanent label of not more than 1.5 square inches with the installer's name and city, installed between the film and the glazing, and affixed to the lower right corner of the driver's side window.
Measurement tolerance
This state does not state a measurement tolerance in the sources we checked.
Penalties
Operators of vehicles registered in Louisiana: fined not more than $150 (1st offense), $250 (2nd), $350 (3rd or subsequent). Sellers, installers, manufacturers, or distributors: $1,000 (1st), $2,000 (2nd), and prohibited from conducting the business upon a 3rd or subsequent conviction. Other violations of the section or its rules are fined per R.S. 32:57.
Notes
IMPORTANT CURRENCY NOTE: Acts 2025, No. 143 (HB 119, effective Aug 1, 2025) lowered the FRONT SIDE window minimum from 40% to 25%. As of this verification every secondary tint-law summary checked (IWFA 2021 chart, tinting-laws.com, windowtintlaws.us, cartintlaw.com) still publishes the repealed 40% figure; the current official text reads 25%. All three stated minimums (25%/25%/12%) are expressly 'all tolerances included,' i.e. the statute folds measurement tolerance into the published percentages rather than stating a separate tolerance figure, which is why vlt_tolerance is null. The LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE requirement (but not the 20% reflectance cap, and not the windshield rule) does not apply to windows behind the driver on trucks, buses, trailers, motor homes, and multipurpose passenger vehicles - this is the sole basis for suv_van back/rear being unrestricted; front side windows on those vehicles must still meet 25%. Publicly owned law-enforcement vehicles (including Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement vehicles) are fully exempt. The statute never mentions outside mirrors, so side_mirrors_required_if_rear_tinted is null because the law is silent, not because it is unresearched. The section applies to vehicles manufactured on or after Jan 1, 1994; vehicles tinted on or before Dec 31, 1993 under then-existing law are grandfathered if the owner obtains and carries a prior-tinting certificate.
Louisiana tint questions
What is the darkest legal tint in Louisiana?
For a sedan in Louisiana, front side windows must let at least 25% of light through, back side windows at least 25%, and the rear window at least 12%. Lower VLT means darker glass, so those percentages are floors, not targets, and the meter reads the film and the factory glass together. SUVs, vans and trucks are listed separately: front side 25%, back side no VLT limit, rear no VLT limit.
Is 20% tint legal in Louisiana?
No, not on the front side windows. Louisiana requires at least 25% VLT there and 20% is darker than that, before you even account for the factory glass, which makes the reading darker still. The back side windows have a 25% floor, so 20% is too dark there too.
Can I tint the windshield in Louisiana?
Louisiana's rule for the windshield: No film on the windshield except a transparent material, not red or amber in color, affixed to the topmost portion of the windshield and not extending more than 5 inches down from the top
Does Louisiana allow a medical exemption for darker tint?
What the source says: Yes, via R.S. 32:361.2: affidavit (form prepared by the office of state police) signed by an optometrist or physician, including but not limited to an ophthalmologist or dermatologist licensed in Louisiana, stating a sun-related physical/medical condition; affidavit lists WHO ICD-9-CM conditions with a section to describe an unlisted condition; photophobia claims must explain why corrective sunglasses are insufficient and why the tint will not affect night driving; notarized medical-records release; applicants must consent to a state and federal criminal history check and submit a full set of fingerprints (violent-crime or drug convictions disqualify); exemptions reviewed every 3 years, except diagnosed light-sensitive porphyria (valid for the duration of vehicle ownership); the exemption does not cover the windshield below the top 6 inches unless specifically authorized by the optometrist/physician for a light-sensitive porphyria patient; DPS issues a decal that must be prominently displayed at all times; affidavit must stay in the vehicle; on trade/sale the new owner must remove the tint unless they obtain their own exemption. Confirm the current process with the agency named before you have film installed.
Do I need a tint sticker or certificate in Louisiana?
Mandatory: each manufacturer must certify compliance with the reflectance and transmittance requirements to the DPS office of motor vehicles by independent test laboratory data; each installer must provide a permanent label of not more than 1.5 square inches with the installer's name and city, installed between the film and the glazing, and affixed to the lower right corner of the driver's side window.
Where this comes from
Statute cited: La. R.S. 32:361.1 (medical exemption at R.S. 32:361.2)
- legis.la.govhttps://legis.la.gov/Legis/law.aspx?d=88294
- legis.la.govhttps://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88295
Checked against the state's own statute or DMV page on September 14, 2026. Laws change; if you find a newer rule, email admin@getpeelboard.com.
Legal disclaimer: general information, not legal advice; verify with your DMV.