Louisiana Act 143 (HB 119) lowered the front-side light-transmission minimum from 40% to 25%, effective August 1, 2025. Rear allowances depend on window position and vehicle class.
Read the official sources ↓Rules by window
| Window | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Windshield | Ordinary transparent strip: no more than five inches down from the top; neither red nor amber. |
| Front side | At least 25% light transmission, all tolerances included. |
| Rear side | Passenger-car baseline: at least 25%. Windows behind the driver in listed classes, including trucks and qualifying multipurpose passenger vehicles, are exempt from the transmission requirement. |
| Rear window | Passenger-car baseline: at least 12%. The listed behind-driver vehicle-class exemption also applies. |
Reflection and installation label
Sun-screening devices may reflect no more than 20%. The statute requires installer identification labeling and specifies the lower-right corner of the driver’s window. For ordinary, nonexempt vehicles presented for inspection, LAC 55:III.813(S)(5) also limits tint to smoke, prohibits material that alters transmitted-light color on the windshield or front side windows, and prohibits vehicle wraps on glass.
Medical exemptions
Use the Louisiana State Police affidavit and approval process. A Louisiana-licensed physician or optometrist must document the need; keep the affidavit in the vehicle and display the exemption decal. Photophobia requires additional explanation about sunglasses and night driving.
Windshield medical exception
The ordinary medical exception does not cover below the top six inches. R.S. 32:361.2 expressly provides a narrowly defined exception when a physician or optometrist specifically authorizes that area for light-sensitive porphyria. Confirm that authorization with State Police.
Application route
LSP provides the current application and mailing instructions on its transportation-safety page. A completed medical form alone should not be treated as an issued exemption.
Before you rely on this guide
This is general information, not legal advice, a vehicle inspection, or permission to install a particular film. Exceptions and enforcement procedures can depend on your circumstances.
- LSP’s general page says medical exemptions do not extend below six inches; the statute contains the specific porphyria exception. Confirm exceptional coverage before installation.
The research date shows when the sources were checked. It is not the date the law took effect, and it does not mean this page is monitored continuously. This research preview still awaits human editorial review; we do not claim attorney review.
Official sources
- Louisiana Legislature: R.S. 32:361.1 ↗
Legislative text includes 2025 Act 143 and the 25% front-side minimum; supports glass-and-film limits, reflection, labeling and vehicle-class exemptions. The 2026 enacted-law citator was checked separately for later amendments.
- Louisiana Legislature: R.S. 32:361.2 ↗
Medical affidavit, windshield exception, decal and transfer requirements.
- Louisiana State Police: Transportation Safety Services ↗
Current medical-application route and approval/sticker instructions.
- Louisiana 2025 Act 143 (HB 119): enacted amendment ↗
Amends R.S. 32:361.1(C)(1), replacing 40% with 25% for front side windows. Rear thresholds and 20% reflectance language are retained.
- Louisiana Legislature: HB 119 (2025) history ↗
Records Act 143 becoming law without the governor's signature and an August 1, 2025 effective date.
- Louisiana Legislature: 2026 Title 32 enacted-law citator ↗
Checked October 14, 2026. The enacted-law index lists no amendments to R.S. 32:361.1–361.3. This targeted check supplements the displayed code; it is not a claim that every part of Title 32 has been consolidated.
- Louisiana Division of Administration: Title 55, Public Safety ↗
Official September 2026 compilation, preserved October 14, 2026. LAC 55:III.813(S) supplies inspection-specific material restrictions and exceptions; the compilation month is not a uniform effective date.