DRIVERS are now allowed to have more tint in their front windows thanks to a new law.
The change means that a rule in place for around 30 years has been relaxed.
There were strict rules in place regarding tinting rules for front-side windows.
Front-side windows had to allow 40% of outside light to pass through, but this threshold has since been relaxed to 25%.
This aligns rules for front-side windows and rear-side windows.
The bill calling for the rule to be relaxed was passed by state lawmakers in May and came into force on August 1, as per the Louisiana Illuminator.
And, such a change was championed by lawmakers who had battled cancer.
Heather Cloud, a Louisiana state senator, called the loosening of the rule a common sense measure.
“As someone who’s had a few bouts with basal cell skin cancer—a condition that’s unfortunately quite common — I’m especially thankful for this bill,” she wrote on Facebook.
“It’s a commonsense measure that provides greater protection from harmful UV exposure while still balancing safety and visibility concerns.”
Changes to the rule was passed by Louisiana state senators on a 38-0 basis.
But, it’s not the only state that allows drivers to have darker windows.
Driving laws taking effect August 1, 2025
Seven new traffic‑law measures taking effect on August 1, 2025:
- North Dakota drivers face a new speeding fine structure: the greater of a $20 minimum or $5 per mph over the limit, with extra penalties for exceeding by 16+ mph, alongside an increase in highway speed limits to 80 mph
- Florida now requires teenage drivers aged 15 and over to complete 50 hours of driver education, a four‑hour traffic-law and substance abuse course, vision/hearing tests, and parental consent before getting licensed
- In Louisiana, a new “clogged‑up” law penalizes drivers traveling even 1 mph under the speed limit in left lanes, with fines starting at $150, increasing to $250‑$350, and up to 30 days in jail for repeat violations
- North Carolina mandates ignition interlock devices for drivers convicted of DWI, so the vehicle won’t start if alcohol is detected by breath samples
- Louisiana also implements a hands‑free law banning handheld phone use while driving—fines reach $250 in school or construction zones
- Minnesota begins installing speed enforcement cameras in Minneapolis and Mendota Heights; repeat offenders face fines of $40 to $80, depending on speed over the limit
- In Newport, Oregon, police may now tow vehicles that have a single unpaid parking ticket older than 45 days or four unresolved citations
In Texas, the top five inches of a car’s windshield can have a darkness up to 25%.
Front-side windows must allow more than 25% of light to pass through.
Drivers in Michigan must follow strict rules when it comes to tinting, according to state law.
There are no restrictions when tinting back doors and windows.
“The front doors are the controversy,” John Pavlik, the manager of the tinting service Electronic Outlet, told the NBC affiliate WILX-TV.
“In Michigan you’re only allowed the top four inches of the front door, and if you want to do anything on the windshield, just the top four inches on a windshield.”
More than 800 tickets for tint rule violations have been issued to drivers since the start of this year.
Tinting rules in Hawaii have also been relaxed after more than 40 years, according to the CBS affiliate KGMB-TV.
Rear windows of trucks and SUVs can allow as little as 5% of light through under the rules.
But, officials in Bristol, Connecticut, are cracking down on illegal tints.
If drivers tint their front windshields, then they risk being slapped with a $136 penalty, according to city police.
Cops are cracking down on tinted windshields as part of an effort to improve the safety of others.
Drivers caught with illegal tints must remove them within 60 days as part of the city’s crackdown.
