Illegal tinting of car windows on windscreens and front side windows considered extreme (less than 30% light transmission) may result in a “prohibition notice” asking you to stop using the vehicle until it complies with UK window tint laws. It is a serious crime to ignore this notice and you are likely to be prosecuted if you drive a vehicle unfit for traffic. If you have a vehicle with heavily tinted windows at the front, you may be chased by the police. The windows that must have the correct tint are the windshield and the two panes on each side of the driver. When the police or the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) suspect a car has illegally tinted the windows, they use special equipment to measure the light passing through the window. If your windows break the rules, you might: The UK has very basic and simple rules for tinting the car or any other vehicle. If you are concerned about the law on tint and want to be sure that the color level of your car is below the limits, please read below. In addition, the whole of the United Kingdom has the same legislation. England, Scotland and British Wales, but also Northern Ireland, all have the same laws on window tinting. Low window tints can limit your ability to see the most vulnerable road users. This often includes cyclists and pedestrians in areas with low (or no light) lighting. UK dyeing laws (e.g. for cars, vans and lorries) contain several important safety regulations for tinted vehicle windows.

Drivers need clear visibility while driving, especially in bad weather. The intense darkness of hues could impair the driver`s vision, which can lead to serious accidents. Important: The actual legal requirements for tinted car windows vary depending on when the vehicle was first used (e.g. before or after April 1985). Simply put, the front side windows and windscreen are subject to all the glass tinting restrictions in the UK. Window tints limit your ability to see weaker road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, especially in low-light conditions. Visibility problems are especially severe at dawn and dusk, or the sudden onset of bad weather when lighting conditions change rapidly. In most modern vehicles, a slight tint is added to the windows during their manufacture. If you add more shades, it is likely that the windows do not meet the legal requirements. First of all, it should be noted that not only the owner of the car could get into trouble if he breaks the rules.

This is illegal: most car manufacturers produce modern vehicles with a slight tint of windows. It is added to glass as a standard process when they build cars and vans. There is no specific legal limit for the tint of car windows on rear passenger windows. Similarly, the Tinted Windows Act does not apply to the rear window of the vehicle. It is illegal to sell a vehicle with heavily tinted windscreens in the UK. Therefore, the police or commercial standards may prosecute you for selling a car with an illegal glass tint. In the UK, illegal dyeing is punishable. If police or the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) suspect that a car has dark windows as a permissible limit, they measure the level using a device called a photometer. The rules for tinted windscreens and front side windows depend on the date the vehicle was first used. There are no rules for tinting the rear window or rear passenger windows. These activities are said to be in violation of British car laws – in particular the tinting of car windows.

The rules on tinted windows do not apply to the rear window or rear passenger windows. The UK`s Tinted Window Act has several conditions. Therefore, it is illegal to install a vehicle in the UK with incorrect tinted glass content. It is also illegal to sell the false tint of the glass (or to sell a vehicle in which the illegal glass is already attached). The reason police enforce the UK`s window tint law is road safety. Therefore, heavy or dark tinted car windows can affect the driver`s vision. It is illegal to assemble or sell glass (or a vehicle already equipped with glass) that violates the rules on tinted windows. The UK has very clearly defined laws to tint windows. The windshield and front side windows can have up to 75% and 70% light transmission, respectively, and all the windows at the driver`s rear can have any dark shade.

Our information on UK colour protection laws was last updated and revised in 2022. The accuracy of our items is constantly checked by our UK traffic law experts, but if any of the information we provide is not up to date or accurate, please contact us so we can correct it. Thank you! Police and vehicle inspectors from the Driver & Vehicle Agency use photometers to measure window tints. What if your windshield (or front side windows) has illegally tinted windows? In short, they would break the law for the legal tinting of windows if they were too tinted. Therefore, adding an extra tint (e.g. with foil or spray) may mean that your car`s windows do not meet the legal requirements for window tint in the UK. The police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) enforce the rules on the tint of car windows. In some cases, you may be arrested by the police because you have tinted windows.

Your vehicle inspectors use photometers to measure window tint. They measure the light that falls through the vehicle`s window. British law states that there are no restrictions on the tint of the rear side windows or rear windscreen. In the UK, it is also illegal to sell a vehicle with a non-compliant window tint, and the police or commercial standards can legally prosecute you for this. Simply put, violations of window tint rules can also contribute to some of the most serious traffic accidents. To learn more about window tint and laws, read some of our articles! Late prohibition notices or correction notices are most often received from drivers whose car colours are prohibited. These are usually spent on dyeing, which is not legal but allows more than 30% of the light to pass through. These notices will allow you to drive (usually up to 10 days), but you will need to remove all illegal hues and provide proof to a police station.

If it turns out that the windows have illegal tints, you may also want to consider informing your auto insurance company of the tint of your windows, even if it is within the legal limits. Your future claims may be cancelled because insurance companies may consider it to be an automatic change. The reason for tinting the windows is to ensure that the driver`s vision is not affected by too dark shades. In some serious accidents, tinted windows are thought to contribute to this. The basic law for the application of tint in the UK depends on when the car was first used. If the car was first used on April 1, 1985, the percentage of dark tint for the windshield should be at least 75% of the light, and the front side windows must pass through at least 70% of the light. However, if the car was first used before 1 April 1985, the windscreen and front side windows must allow at least 70% light to pass through. Uninstrumented controls An agent without Tintman can make a subjective assessment by sitting in the driver`s seat with the doors closed.

If the blinds are very dark and limit visibility, they will be considered dangerous and the agent will issue an immediate ban (such as <30% VLT above). If the level of visibility is not manifestly dangerous, the driver will be warned that legal requirements may have been violated, so the owner will need to make further inquiries. Follow us on Facebook to be notified when your lens tint laws change. If your windshield or front side windows are too tinted, you can get: We`ve created a little infographic with UK window tint laws: The UK window film law states that front side windows (i.e. the windows on either side of the driver`s head) must have a VLT (visible light transmission) of more than 70%. This means that at least 70% of the light must pass through the window. Most modern car windows are made of glass with an 80-70% VLT, so even a very light film applied to windshields unfortunately takes the wrong side of 70% and is therefore not legal. According to the law, the windshield must have an ALV of more than 75%, even lighter than the sides, so even a very slightly tinted window film would not be legal. If you drive a vehicle with increased tint on the windshields, you may need to expect enforcement action.