Starting next month, Louisiana residents will be allowed to have darker tint on the front side windows of their vehicles than has been allowed in decades.
Louisiana lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to reduce the amount of light that tinted front side windows allow inside a vehicle from 40% to 25% through Act 143, sponsored by Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Marksville.
The 25% light transmission level is already allowed on rear side windows, and 12% is allowed on back windows. No tint is not allowed on most of the front windshield.
Deshotel said earlier this year he brought the bill because his daughter was taking medication that made her sensitive to sunlight, and he wanted to put a darker tint on her vehicle windows.
Current state law allows for an exemption to tint restrictions for medical conditions, which require a written explanation and diagnosis from a medical doctor or optometrist. A vehicle owner must also get Louisiana State Police approval for the exception and place a special decal on their car.
Restrictions
Restrictions on window tints have typically been put in place at the request of law enforcement groups, which worry that dark windows can make officers vulnerable when they approach drivers and passengers.
Deshotel’s legislation only garnered tepid opposition from public safety organizations.
Kevin Hayes, a lobbyist for the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, submitted written opposition to the bill when it first came up for a hearing in the Louisiana House of Representatives. But he did not push back against the proposal when it moved to the Senate for its final votes.
The Louisiana Sheriffs Association didn’t oppose the legislation.
States surrounding Louisiana have similar tint restrictions on front side windows to the one taking effect next week. The allowed tint is 25% in Arkansas, 28% in Mississippi and 25% in Texas, according to Rayno Window Film, a tinting company.
A person driving a vehicle that violates the state’s current or future window tinting restrictions can face a $150 fine for a first offense and a $350 fine for a third or subsequent offense.
