NATCHEZ &045; High noon is coming for drivers trying to hide from the sun.

Friday a new Mississippi state law restricting the level of window tint to 35 percent or more light transmittance will start being enforced.

Drivers with store-bought window tint marked zero to 34 will be in violation and can be fined up to $1,000. Factory-installed tint will not be in violation.

Solar Bay Window Films owner John McBride said he’s already seen an increase in business because of the law.

&uot;Anybody with illegal film is having it re-tinted,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s great for our business.&uot;

McBride, who is already backed up on orders, said he expected the boom to continue for a few months.

&uot;Films are going to have to stay in compliance,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s a stricter law. But legal looks better because light is in style.&uot;

In the business for 12 years, McBride said a film rating of 35 percent was his biggest seller and that most factory-installed SUV tints are around 18 percent. Those SUVs will not be in violation of the law, something McBride said was unfair.

McBride said drivers often opt to have their windows tinted by a local store instead of paying the factory fee, which can be nearly $1,000 more.

In Louisian, the window tint law is set at 40 percent visibility.

Vidalia Police Department Captain Frank Webb said windows tinted any lower are dangerous to all parties.

&uot;If it’s overcast or rainy, they can’t see out of it as well,&uot; he said. &uot;And if an officer walks up to a car and can’t see what’s going on in it, that’s not safe. The tint can restrict a law officer from trying to make a legal stop.&uot;

At Solar Bay, drivers have the option of what tint they want to purchase, and price depends on the darkness of the film.

&uot;We tell them the law, and they can still purchase it,&uot; McBride said. &uot;But I understand how law officers feel. I wouldn’t want to walk up to a vehicle and see limo black tint.&uot;

Films as dark as limousine windows are only a small margin of Solar Bay’s business, he said.

Window films keep cars cooler, McBride said, and can in turn save on gas by eliminating the need for some air conditioning. They also offer UV protection.

Solar Bay, the only authorized tint shop in the area, applies tint to about eight to 10 vehicles a day.

Starting Friday, all window tint inspections prior to that day will be null and void. The 35 percent law applied to all windows, fixed or rolled down. Each window must have a certified decal number on it and each vehicle must have a certificate of compliance.

Inspection decals will cost $5 in addition to the standard $5 yearly inspection. Not all inspection stations are required by law to furnish decals.