Shreveport Times

An effort to keep deputies and drivers safer on area roadways is behind a Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office crackdown on vehicles with windows that are too dark.

Sheriff Steve Prator said starting Aug. 1, patrol deputies will begin issuing citations to drivers whose vehicles are in violation of the state’s window tint law.

“Vehicle windows that are darker than the law allows is a mask and hides criminal conduct that occurs inside the vehicle, and that’s extremely dangerous for a deputy or an officer who is approaching that vehicle in a traffic stop,” Prator said. “It also poses a safety risk for the driver whose vision is impaired because their window is too dark."

“Think of it as a D.U.I.,” he said. “It’s dangerous, it’s unsafe, and it’s intimidating.”

Deputies will be checking front driver and passenger windows which must allow at least 40 percent light transmission, according to law. The fine for a tint violation is $213.

If unsure about whether a vehicle's tint is legal, it can be checked at any of the CPSO substations, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Substations are located at 4910 North Market in Shreveport, 11141 Hwy. 1 North in Oil City, and 9956 Mansfield Road in Keithville.

