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Houma & Terrebonne Parish · 2026 law changeNo More Brake Tag in Houma: Does Your Cracked Windshield Still Matter?
Louisiana is ending the yearly inspection sticker for most personal vehicles. For years, that sticker is what sent people in to fix a cracked windshield. Here is what changed, what didn’t, and how to tell if your glass needs a repair or a new windshield.
TAGSticker gone, rules stayEquipment laws still apply after the brake tag ends.
Personal vehicles in most of Louisiana stop needing an inspection sticker.
Cost of the QR code sticker tied to your registration that replaces the brake tag.
Parishes that drop the sticker, Terrebonne included.
The brake tag is on its way out
House Bill 1085, by Rep. Larry Bagley, was signed by Gov. Jeff Landry in June 2026. It ends the annual safety inspection sticker for most personal vehicles.
- June 2026
Bill signed
HB 1085 becomes law after years of attempts to drop the brake tag.
- June 30, 2026
No more sticker tickets
Louisiana State Police stop citing drivers for an expired or missing inspection sticker during the transition.
- Jan 1, 2027
QR code replaces the tag
A $6 QR code sticker linked to your registration takes the place of the brake tag.
- State Police say all other traffic laws and vehicle equipment requirements remain in effect.
- Commercial vehicles, school buses and certain farm vehicles still get safety inspections.
- East and West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Iberville and Ascension parishes still need emissions testing.
Sources: KALB and KATC coverage of HB 1085 (June 2026), and the Louisiana State Police statement reported by the Lafourche Gazette (June 10, 2026).
Would your windshield have passed?
Pick where the damage is and what it looks like. You’ll see how the old brake tag standard treated it, and whether it is usually a repair or a new windshield.
1 · Where is the damage?
2 · What does it look like?
Brake tag column based on the windshield standards inspection stations used: no crack in the driver’s line of sight, no crack longer than 8 inches anywhere, no star over 2 inches in the driver’s wiper sweep. Repair or replace is our general rule of thumb; we confirm on site.
Nobody checks it anymore. That’s the problem.
The brake tag forced a yearly look at the glass. Without it, a chip can sit for months. Here is what we see happen in south Louisiana.
Small chips grow
Hot afternoons, a cold A/C blast on the glass and rough roads all put stress on a chip. A quarter-size chip is a quick repair; a crack running across the glass is a new windshield.
Cameras look through the glass
Many newer cars have lane and braking cameras behind the windshield. A crack in front of the camera, or a replacement without calibration, can affect how they work.
The law still covers your view
Equipment rules stay in force. An officer can still stop a vehicle for unsafe equipment, sticker or no sticker.
What can still get you a ticket
Louisiana’s window law did not change with HB 1085. It covers anything placed on or attached to your windshield and front windows.
Nothing blocking the view
No object or material placed on or attached to the front windshield, outside the exceptions the law allows.
The 5-inch strip
A tinted strip is allowed only on the top of the windshield, no more than 5 inches down, and never red or amber.
The fines
For the driver: up to $150 for a first offense, $250 for a second and $350 after that.
Brake tag and windshield questions
Do I still need a brake tag in Houma?
Not for long. Under HB 1085, personal vehicles in 59 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, Terrebonne included, stop needing an inspection sticker on January 1, 2027, when a $6 QR code sticker tied to your registration replaces it. Since June 30, 2026, State Police have not been citing drivers for an expired or missing sticker.
Can I still get a ticket for a cracked windshield?
The sticker goes away, but equipment laws stay. Louisiana State Police said all other traffic laws and vehicle equipment requirements remain in effect, so a windshield that makes the vehicle unsafe can still be a problem at a traffic stop.
Can a windshield chip be repaired instead of replaced?
Usually, if the chip is about the size of a quarter or smaller and short cracks have not reached the edge of the glass. Damage right in the driver’s line of sight, or a long crack, usually means a new windshield. We look at it before we quote.
Will a new windshield affect my car’s safety cameras?
On many newer vehicles the lane and braking cameras sit behind the windshield. After a replacement they may need calibration so they read the road correctly. We check your vehicle’s equipment when we quote the job.
Do you come to me in Houma?
Yes. We do mobile repair and replacement across Houma and Terrebonne Parish, including Bayou Cane, Gray and Schriever. The price is confirmed with you before we start.
Fix it before it spreads
Chip on the glass?
Send us a photo or give us a call. We’ll tell you if it’s a repair or a replacement.