Tinting is a trending thing to do these days especially if you are the kind who just does not look at your car as a vehicle to carry you from one place to another as you wish it but rather include to that aspects like the car being a way to express yourself.
That as it may, some people have tended to overly think about themselves thereby posing a threat to the greater good hence laws to regulate tinting cars have since emerged. In the United States, the duty to do this monitoring is left to each of the states and part of the way they go about it is pass laws. This is true elsewhere as it is with Louisiana.
The state first passed such a law in 1993 though there have been intervening modifications and amendments to the said legislation overtime. This article thus sets out to share with you the coherent picture that understanding all these leaves you with.
The details to expect include the regulations relating to the two broad branches of tinting law i.e. window tinting darkness and reflection, explanation of other important provisions of law, as well as some practical wisdom regarding what you should expect once you have decided that you are going to go ahead and tint your vehicle.
You will also realize as you read through that I compare the situation of Louisiana to that of other states everywhere. This is to help you appreciate just how the state is strict or otherwise in it approach to window tinting.
And always, I have used very simple language in the article for it has always been my desire to extend legal knowledge to all that are interested. So no, this article is not written for lawyers.
Louisiana Window Tinting Darkness Laws
Window tinting darkness is the branch of tinting that is most renowned i.e. when one talks about tinting, it is tint darkness that comes to mind for most people. The way it works is such that tint film is installed on a window so as to literally block part of the lighting that is coming its way.
Note however, that not all tint that is of this nature blocks the same amount of light. That goes back to the concept of Visible Light Transmission which is basically the unit in which tint darkness is measured. Also written as VLT, visible light transmission is captured in percentages with the highest figures indicating a car whose windows allow in much light. Occupants of a vehicle tinted 90% VLT will thus have more light on the inside than those seated in a car that is at 40% VLT.
When lawmakers are providing for the standards under tinting darkness thus, they capture it in the language of VLT.
This process is usually influenced by two major factors the first one being the car that one looks at. The question here would be both about the role that the car plays or its structure. If we are to stay with the first attribute for one moment, the illustration of law enforcement vehicles is a good one in driving the point home.
It is the case that these car are in some states allowed VLT levels that are much darker than the rest of the cars. The rationale in these instances is that because police officers often have to deal with difficult people, shielding their privacy helps guarantee the continued enjoyment of their private life uninterrupted.
The second factor is about the positions that different windows occupy on a car. Whereas they might be windows of the same car, it would be a mistake to allow them the same VLT since their roles are different. Often, laws will insist that the windshield has the least percentage if at all.
This comes about from the fact that it is through this window that the driver gets to direct see what is coming ahead (and the front is often the place that the car is headed towards).
Whether a state follows both factors however, is a question of fact. Some will do though others will either go with one or none at all. As for Louisiana, both are considered as indicated below.
- Sedans
Windshield: tint can be used only for the top 5 inches of the screen.
Front side windows: a minimum of 40% VLT must be used.
Backside windows: a minimum of 25% VLT must be used.
Rear window: a minimum of 12% VLT must be used.
- SUVs and Vans
Windshield: tint can be used only for the top 5 inches of the screen.
Front side windows: a minimum of 40% VLT must be used.
Backside windows: there are no restrictions on how dark the tint used should be i.e. you can use as low as 0% VLT.
Rear window: there are no restrictions on how dark the tint used should be i.e. you can use as low as 0% VLT.
Louisiana Window Tinting Reflection Laws
Winding tinting reflection is the less known aspect to tinting i.e. not many people think about it whenever they are told about tinting. This is not to say however, that tinting reflection is not effective. If at all, it is in fact better applied for some situations over tint darkness.
I would therefore highly recommend that you always ask a professional about the tint that fits your situation best prior to placing tint on your car rather than take for granted the fact that tint darkness is always the thing.
Rather than block the light coming towards it as we saw with tint darkness, tint reflection deflects part of it away instead. This very feature however, makes it even more salient to regulate tint reflection over and above tint darkness.
Take an illustration of bad tinting that culminates into an accident for example. Under tint darkness, the owner of the car is certainly going to share in this risk because it is their vision that is going to be blurred whilst behind the wheel.
With tint reflection however, it actually innocent third parties that are going to be affected i.e. those whose sight gets to be distorted when the light rays are reflected. This setting is the perfect set for disaster since actors have no direct incentive to behave unless they are good people.
And of course, that is not exactly the best way to formulate policy.
Like tint darkness, window tint reflection is also captured in percentages. The only difference here is that we are looking at the proportion of light coming towards the window that is reflected away.
The higher such a percentage is the more the amount of light that is reflected. Legislators will thus always want to keep these figures as low as possible.
The factors that were discussed under tint darkness i.e. the position of the windows on the car and then the kind of car in question still extend to tint reflection in regards to determining the percentage reflection that is to be allowed.
Again, different states take different routes when it comes to whether both of them are to be considered or not. In the situation of Louisiana, only the position of the windows counts.
This means that it does not matter whether one is driving a sedan, van, or SUV. Here are the specifics.
- Front side windows: a maximum of 20% reflection is allowed.
- Backside windows: a maximum of 20% reflection is allowed.
Other Louisiana Window Tinting Laws
Now that you know the laws that compose the bedrock of the tinting sphere in Louisiana, i.e. window tinting reflection and then window tinting darkness, we can now turn to a couple more important provisions which once learnt you will have the complete picture ready to be applied in your unique circumstances.
Obviously, I am not intending here to share about all the provisions there is (first, that would be impossible to reduce in one article and secondly, and perhaps most important, not necessary) but rather those that complement what has been shared already.
- Certificates and stickers: manufacturers must certify all tint sold out in the state. Certificates in the language of tinting refer to documentation that is issued by manufacturers indicating that the tint used complies with the laws applicable. They especially come in handy when there is need to apportion responsibility regarding a violation of law that is arising. If you were to be pulled over for too much tinting for instance, and you showed your certificate, it is possible to determine from it that you had no intent of breaking the law and that you were misled instead.
As for the stickers, they play a role close to what certificates do with the main difference being portability. This means that rather than worry about paperwork, a vehicle owner would in this case only have to place the stickers on their windows once and for all. Louisiana mandates that car owners use stickers too.
The situation of Louisiana is a little extreme since many state neither ask for certificate nor stickers to begin with. As for the ones that have mandates, they will usually ask for only one of these.
- Side mirrors: for instances in which it is possible use 0% VLT on the rear window, Louisiana has no asks in regards to side mirrors. Usually, the situation is that drivers opting to tint their cars this way go ahead to install two side mirrors on their cars, one for either side. States explain that this is necessary since the rear is meant to be the place where the driver interacts with the objects behind the car meaning that if it is blocked off then such view is completely lost unless an alternative is put in its place.
Louisiana can be considered to be not restrictive at all when it comes to this issue. That said, I would encourage you to still go ahead and have those side mirrors installed on your should you decide to tint your rare window in order to maximize safety. It definitely worth it.
- Restriction on colors: Louisiana does not allow the use of red and amber for window tinting. This is fairly the standard point for most states in America so we can say that Louisiana is right at the center on this issue. Of course there are states that allow usage of all colors like Maine and then those that ban more colors.
The reason as to why some colors are banned and not others goes back to the fact that the conjunction of different colors with light has varying effects. States are therefore more likely to ban the colors that are more likely to create distortions for those in view site upon this impact.
- Medical exemption: generally speaking, legislators across the States agree that there are certain people for whom it is desirable that they are allowed special treatment in regards to the VLT or tint reflection percentages expected of everybody else lest their health situation deteriorates. Often, these are persons that have eye defects or skin complications for example lupus and albinism.
In Louisiana however, things are a little complicated. For these cases to stand a chance of being permitted to tint their car in a particular way, they must be at least eighty years old. Upon approval, the permission granted lasts three years meaning you will need to ensure that you renew it in time if your condition persists in order to avoid getting into trouble with law enforcement.
Other states have restrictions on how to get a medical exemption in order to prevent the abuse of this procedure by selfish actors but again, Louisiana asks significantly more than the average local government would have.
If you are reading this and find that while you stay in Louisiana and need health protection the law has cut you out, it is possible for you to still tend to your health without giving up traveling in cars. For folks with skin problems, you can always wear sunscreen as well as clothes that cover the whole of your body whereas people with eye complications have the option of wearing sunglasses.
Yes, you now know everything legal but I thought I should share with you some information concerning tinting generally as I know for sure that the decision of whether to go ahead and tint your car or not cannot be made only on account of the legalese. By reading this section thus, you would not have to read yet more articles hereafter.
- More advantages: everyone appreciates the fact that tinting your car is a good way to maximize your privacy when traveling. What many do not realize however, is that there are even better reasons. Consider the health question. And I am not talking here about folks that require medical exemption but perfectly healthy people. We know for instance, that by reducing your exposure to UV light, tint lessens the risk that you will suffer from skin cancer.
Tint enhances safety too. If a tinted car gets involved in an accident as a case in point, it is less likely to have its windows breakings scatter.
- Tint Cost: how much you are going to pay for tint varies significantly depending on a number of factors. They include tint quality, they type of car you own, as well as the amount of money you are ready to spend. If money is not a problem, I encourage you to go for quality because of the benefits that comes with it e.g. the fact that it is long lasting.
To give you a feel of the extent to which variations can happen, tinting for a sedan can range anywhere from $150-$400.
Louisiana State Info
Louisiana makes one of the fifty states of America. It is located in the South and it covers approximately 135,000 km sq. This makes it the 35th biggest state in the country.
The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge though the biggest city in the state is New Orleans. Other cities to be found in Louisiana include; Leesville, Thibodaux, Abita Springs, Monroe, Lake Charles, and Morgan City.