Is mirror tinting of rear windows prohibited?

Is it possible to tint glass with mirror film?

Over the past decade, there has been a decline in the number of vehicles equipped with mirror-tinted front or rear windows. Many consider this phenomenon to be a modern fashion trend, but the true reason for what is happening is much more prosaic. This GOST clearly indicates which film can be used to cover glass and which cannot. According to the same GOST for tinting, the light transmittance of the front and side windows of a vehicle is very limited, but there is no limit for the rear windows.

The use of mirror film to cover the front or rear windows of a vehicle is completely prohibited. In this part of the law there are no “buts” and “cans” - everything is absolutely unambiguous and is not subject to double interpretation.

GOST standards on mirror tinting

Reasons for the ban on mirror film and loss of popularity

The mechanism of the negative effect of mirror film can be described by a simple diagram:

Bright sunlight on a fine day falls on the front or rear windows of a vehicle, on which a mirror film is glued.
Mirror film has no light-absorbing ability, so light simply reflects off it, creating a glare.
This very glare can seriously blind other road users.
A blinded driver cannot adequately assess the situation on the road, which most likely leads to an accident.

Fine for mirror tinting of car windows

Following the introduction of the law, there was a long period of fines and proceedings. Of course, law enforcement officials tried their best to punish violators who used mirror tinting. However, this did not always work out for them.

The thing is that the law does not clearly state how mirror film on a vehicle can be identified, as well as how an evidence base for this kind of precedent can be created.

Therefore, quite often attempts to punish violators simply ended in nothing. However, manufacturers of mirror films responded to this law quite quickly. They slowed down production rates, which increased the price of these products, and in return they put on the market more presentable films that fully met legal standards (color, polychrome, “metallic”, etc.). Many car owners decided that such tinting would be more presentable and cheaper, and therefore, over time, they gradually switched to new options.

Mirror Tint Law

What exactly does GOST say?

The requirements for the physical condition of the front and rear windows of a vehicle given in GOST clearly indicate the framework that must be observed by car owners.

For example, such frames are the light transmittance of the front window of the car, the light transmittance of the side windows, the size of the sun strip on the windshield, as well as the possibility of installing a specific type of tinting. According to GOST:

the light transmittance of the windshield should not be lower than 70%;
wind - not lower than 75%.

Tinting according to GOST

The document also states that the width of the strip intended for sun protection should not exceed 14 cm. In this case, the light transmission coefficient for the area in which it is located should be the same as that provided for the windshields of this vehicle . One hundred percent tinting of the rear and side windows is completely permitted for all types of vehicles, but none of the vehicle's windows should be covered with mirror film.

Thus, mirror tinting is not allowed in all its manifestations - this is the only case for all types of automotive films currently used in Russia. Sanctions for mirror tinting of any vehicle glass are provided for by law and are specified in GOST 5727-88.

It states that if mirror tinting is detected, the owner of the vehicle must pay a fine of 500 rubles. To determine the fact of specularity of a particular film coating, an independent examination is allowed.

To identify mirror film directly on the road, law enforcement officials are allowed to use photo and video recording equipment, however, provided that these equipment are certified and suitable for performing such tasks. If a law enforcement officer does not have such a means, he has the right to attract two witnesses who would confirm the information for the record.

The inspector may also demand that the source of the offense be eliminated as punishment for the illegal action, that is, that the tint be removed.

Sanctions for mirror tinting

It is also worth noting that mirror tinting of car windows was prohibited before, but no specific sanctions were provided for this kind of violation. As well as methods for identifying prohibited material. However, after GOST came into force in 2012, all drivers on whose cars mirror film was noticed are actively fined in the amount of 500 rubles.

Precautionary measures

Unfortunately, many motorists are still not aware of this issue. Therefore, they are often misled by both sellers of mirror film and representatives of workshops providing services for gluing it. They can very plausibly lie about whether such film is allowed in whole or in part.

You may also hear rumors that there are tricks in the law that allow the use of certain types of mirror film. All this information has nothing to do with the truth.

Film is prohibited in any form, and this is clearly and without alternative stated in the relevant regulations. In addition, there are now a sufficient number of coatings for car glass on the market that can easily replace mirror film and make your vehicle even more presentable (while tinting will be legal).

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mirror tinting. is it prohibited?

by alexx » Apr 25, 2010 02:09 pm

Excerpt from traffic rules.
List of malfunctions and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited:
.
7. Other structural elements
.
7.3.
Additional items have been installed or coatings have been applied that limit visibility from the driver's seat, impair the transparency of the glass, and pose a risk of injury to road users. Note. Transparent colored films can be attached to the top of the windshield of cars and buses. It is allowed to use tinted industrial glass (except for mirror glass), the light transmission of which complies with the requirements of GOST No. 5727-88. It is allowed to use curtains on bus windows, as well as blinds and curtains on the rear windows of passenger cars if there are external rear-view mirrors on both sides.

in the sentence “It is allowed to use tinted industrial glass (except for mirror glass), the light transmission of which complies with the requirements of GOST No. 5727-88.” does the phrase “except for mirror glass” refer to the fact that you can’t tint mirrored glass – rear view mirrors, or can’t you apply a tint film with a mirror effect to the glass?

When deregistering a car with such a mirror-like “infinity” tinting, the inspector forced it to be removed, writing in the inspection report that the tinting did not meet GOST standards, which made me very angry, because what comes from tinted glass is such a film, from tinted glass with regular black film, and from untinted glass glass still has a reflection!
I went to remove the film from all the windows, including the rear side windows and the back door.
please tell us who is right and who is wrong. and if the inspector is wrong, is it possible to get a conclusion from you that this film with a mirror effect is not prohibited?
Thank you.

Re: mirror tinting. is it prohibited?

by VladimirVS » April 28, 2010, 2:08 pm

And again with mirror tinting

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And again with mirror tinting

Good afternoon, forum members!

Having wondered about the legality of mirror tinting on the rear windows, I tried to study the forums on this topic.

In general, all opinions boil down to two:

1. SLRs on the rear windows are prohibited
2. since GOST regulates only the light transmittance of the front windows, it is allowed (they say, at least cover the rear windows with plywood).

I asked the traffic police officers verbally, and they verbally said that DSLRs are prohibited in principle anywhere - be it on the front or rear windows.

I decided to get an official comment from the traffic police. To do this, I asked the following question on the regional traffic police website:

Please tell me whether the application of so-called “mirror” tinting film to car windows is regulated by any regulatory act (technical regulations, etc.)?

1. Is it allowed to apply a “mirror” film on the glass of the rear doors and the rear window itself?

2. If the application of such a film is not permitted, then what regulatory act prohibits this?

3. Who and how determines the degree of “specularity” of the film? After all, even ordinary glass can glare from a certain viewing angle.

4. In oral explanations from the traffic police officers, it was explained to me that applying a “mirror” film
is prohibited on any glass, i.e. prohibited IN PRINCIPLE. Is it so?

5. GOST 5727-88 regulates the application of the “correct” tint film only on the front windshield, driver’s door glass and
front passenger’s glass.
Do I understand correctly that the application of tint to rear windows is not regulated by any regulatory act, i.e.
provided the rear windows are intact, ANY tint can be applied to them, incl. "mirror"?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

To this request, I received a rather lengthy and vague response:

Dear Alexander Vyacheslavovich!

In response to your request received on the official website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, I inform you that in accordance with the basic provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers - Government of the Russian Federation of October 23, 1993 N 1090 transparent color films can be attached to the top of the windshield of cars and buses. It is allowed to use tinted glass (except mirror glass). In accordance with the requirements of the Technical Regulations on the safety of wheeled vehicles, the light transmission of the windshield, front side windows and front door windows (if equipped) must be at least 70 percent

With the rules and methods of research (tests) and measurements approved by the Government of the Russian Federation of October 12, 2010 No. 814, necessary for the application and implementation of the Technical Regulations on the safety of wheeled vehicles and the assessment of the conformity of individual objects of technical regulation in respect of which such rules and methods research (testing) and measurements are completely or partially absent from documents in the field of standardization; accordingly, a visual assessment of the object of technical regulation is carried out. Mirror tinting has a mirror effect, the surface of which is capable of forming optical images of objects (including light sources) by reflecting light rays. During the operation of vehicles with tinting that has a mirror effect, the number of traffic accidents increases due to dazzling other road users.

Deputy Chief
of Police Colonel D.V. Zhdanov

Not satisfied with this answer, I sent a second request:

On July 10, 2012, I contacted your website with questions regarding the legality of using mirror tinting on the rear windows of cars.

On July 23, 2012, I received response No. S-55s signed by Colonel D.V. Zhdanov, which did not provide answers to the specific questions I asked.

In connection with the above, please clarify:

Is it permitted (or prohibited) by law to apply mirror tint film to the REAR window and glass of the REAR doors of cars?

If there is a legal prohibition, please provide a link to the relevant regulation prohibiting the application of mirror tinting on the REAR windows of cars.

Thanks in advance for your answer.

After some time I received the following response:

Dear Alexander Vyacheslavovich!

In accordance with clause 7.3 of the List of faults and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited “Basic provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the responsibilities of officials to ensure road safety”, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of October 23, 1993 N 1090, operation is prohibited vehicles if additional objects are installed or coatings are applied that limit visibility from the driver's seat. It is allowed to use tinted glass (except for mirror glass), the light transmission of which complies with GOST 5727-88. Therefore, the use of tinted mirror glass on vehicles is not permitted.

Chief of
Police Colonel S.V. Shtelmakh

Question: What is your opinion about the DSLR on the rear windows?

That's right, it's written.
But there is a nuance: in the first answer, the Gays themselves indicate that “transparent colored films can be attached to the upper part of the windshield of cars and buses. It is allowed to use tinted glass (except mirror glass)"

There is a period between sentences.
The second sentence is a continuation of the general thought about all glass.

PySy just to get toned.

For persistence and for the nickname - TS credit.

Shtelmakh - come to your senses, maybe everyone should drive scratched cars so that they don’t “blind” your eyes!?

Well, you see, you are interpreting this normative act broadly.

And I'm taking it literally. And it seems to me that the regulations only regulate front windows.

There is, of course, an option - to create a judicial precedent. But for this it is necessary that the guys force, for example, to remove the tinting from the rear windows just because, in their opinion, it is mirror-like.

Again, QUESTION: the degree of specularity is a purely subjective opinion. And the transparent glass mirrors and glares.

I really don’t need a mirror

Law on tinting

As such, there is no law regarding car tinting. How it is allowed to tint a car is stated in 3 documents. Below are excerpts from these documents, comments on them and a summary:

Traffic rules (traffic rules).
GOST 5727-88.
Technical regulations on the safety of wheeled vehicles.
To summarize
The first document in the law on tinting is the traffic rules

Traffic Laws.

We look at the section: “List of malfunctions and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited.” We read:

This List establishes malfunctions of cars, buses, road trains, trailers, motorcycles, mopeds, tractors, and other self-propelled vehicles and the conditions under which their operation is prohibited.
Methods for checking the given parameters are regulated by GOST R 51709-2001 “Motor vehicles. Safety requirements for technical condition and verification methods.” The following lists the reasons for prohibiting the operation of the vehicle. See clause 7.3. this section:

7.3.
Additional objects have been installed or coatings have been applied that limit visibility from the driver's seat. Note. Transparent colored films can be attached to the top of the windshield of cars and buses. It is allowed to use tinted glass (except for mirror glass), the light transmission of which complies with GOST 5727-88.
It is allowed to use curtains on the windows of tourist buses, as well as blinds and curtains on the rear windows of passenger cars if there are external rear-view mirrors on both sides. We get the following output. According to traffic rules:

Tinting, as such, is permitted.
Mirror tinting is prohibited. The light transmission of glass must comply with GOST 5727-88.
The second regulatory document on car tinting is GOST 5727-88
GOST 5727-88.
Safety glass for ground transport. General technical conditions. Valid from 01/01/90.

In this document in clause 2.2.4. said:

The light transmission of glass providing visibility to the driver must be at least:
75% - for windshields;
70% - for glasses that are not windshields and are included in the standard field of view P, which determines forward visibility (see Figure 1a).
The light transmission of other non-window glasses is not standardized.

Windshields painted in the paste and tinted must not distort the correct perception of white, yellow, red, green and blue.
Here, in general, everything is clear, if you do not go into detail about the “normative field of view P”, for which GOST provides a drawing that is obscure to the average person. In practice, this is no longer important, because Subsequently, the Government of the Russian Federation approved the “Technical Regulations on the Safety of Wheeled Vehicles,” which actually replaced GOST 5727 in terms of light transmission of the windshield and front windows.

The third document is the Technical Regulations on the Safety of Wheeled Vehicles
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 10, 2009 No. 720.
With the latest changes.

This, one might say, is the third law on tinting. Here we are interested in paragraphs 3.5.2. and 3.5.3.

3.5.2.
The light transmission of the windshield, front side windows and front door windows (if equipped) must be at least 70 percent. (clause 3.5.2 as amended by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 10, 2010 N 706)

3.5.3.
At the top of the windshield of vehicles of categories M1, M2 and N1, it is allowed to mount a strip of transparent color film with a width of no more than 140 mm, and on vehicles of categories M3, N2 and N3 - with a width not exceeding the minimum distance between the upper edge of the windshield and the upper border zones for cleaning it with a windshield wiper. In this case, the light transmission requirements established in paragraph 3.5.2 must be met. As a result, we get that, regardless of any “field of view P”, the light transmission of all front windows - the windshield (windshield), side windows (if any) and front door glass must be at least 70%. You can do it with film, you can do it without film. The main thing is to ensure sufficient light transmission.

As for the strip at the top of the glass, the text of the Technical Regulations can be interpreted in two ways. On the one hand, it seems possible. On the other hand, “in this case, the light transmission requirements established in paragraph 3.5.2 must be met.”

If you stick any colored strip, the light transmission will certainly be less than 70%. Those. requirements are not met. So you mean that the requirements must only be met in the rest of the windshield (under the strip)? According to logic and common sense, this is exactly the case, otherwise why write about this strip at all? Moreover, it is present on some factory glasses initially. But in accordance with the letter of the law, especially zealous guardians of order here can find fault and begin to spoil the blood. This is worth remembering.

As for the categories M1, M2 and N1, then, in simple terms, these are cars, minibuses (up to 4 tons) and light trucks (up to 3.5 tons). M3, N2 and N3 are respectively buses, trucks (from 3.5 to 12 tons) and heavy trucks (more than 12 tons).

Let's summarize
As a result, we get that the law tells us the following about tinting:

Tinting, as such, is allowed, including with the use of films.
Any mirror tinting is prohibited.
With or without film, the light transmission of the windshield, side front windows (if any) and front door windows must be at least 70%.
Tinting of all other side windows and rear windows is not standardized in any way.
You can tint them however you like. It is also allowed to use blinds and curtains. An indispensable condition here is the presence of external rear-view mirrors on both sides of the car. A transparent colored stripe with a width of no more than 140 mm is allowed at the top of the windshield.
True, the issue of its light transmission is not clearly described in the law. Practice shows that a strip can be applied without worrying about the degree of its light transmission. In conclusion, we note that according to the traffic rules, verification of compliance of tinting with the requirements of the law must be carried out in accordance with GOST R 51709-2001 “Motor vehicles. Safety requirements for technical condition and verification methods.”

Penalty for mirror tint

Nowadays, any car enthusiast who decides to decorate his vehicle in this way will receive a fine for mirror tinting. That is why the number of cars with mirror films is decreasing year by year.

What the law says

What is the penalty for mirror tinting? You will have to fork out 500 rubles. This is a small amount. However, it cannot be ruled out that in the near future the punishment for such liberties will be more severe. Everything will depend on statistics. If the number of accidents associated with the blinding of drivers from the “DSLR” increases, then we can expect anything.

The legislation provides for the following norms:

The light transmittance of the windshield should not be less than 70%;
The light transmittance of the side windows is not lower than 75%.

A fine for mirror tinting in 2019 is inevitable. There can be no compromise here. The law directly prohibits the use of such film.

Driver Tricks

You don't have to worry about penalties for mirror tinting only if it is on the rear window.

By the way, there is another loophole in our law. Some models of modern cars are equipped with mirror film at the production stage. It is not possible to remove such tint. Therefore, there will be no fine for using a DSLR.

It is important to remember that not a single traffic police inspector is able to accurately determine whether the car has factory tinting. Many car owners use this trick.

If you do not want to enter into unnecessary disputes with representatives of the relevant regulatory authorities, then mirror tinting can always be replaced with alternative options that are absolutely legal. Any shades are at your service: you can find black, brown, and blue materials on the market.

Important Tips

If you are not afraid of fines, and you really want to apply mirror tint, check out the following tips:

Do not purchase materials of this kind in the markets. There are a lot of goods of dubious origin here. It is possible that your purchase will become unusable after just a couple of months of use;
There are countries that impose much harsher penalties for mirror tinting. If you often travel abroad, familiarize yourself with local laws;
At night, mirror tint can blind drivers. This is fertile ground for emergencies to occur.

Our offers

Do you need a high-quality mirror film for your car ? Contact us at +7 (343) 207-53-27. Our team consists of the most experienced craftsmen who are ready to solve the most complex problems. We will select for you the material that will ideally suit your car. All applications are processed in a matter of minutes. Consultations are provided free of charge.

The expert explained why rear window tinting should not be prohibited

Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region Vladimir Petrov sent a proposal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to completely ban tinting of cars. In his opinion, such a measure will increase the level of anti-terrorism security. Experts do not agree with this interpretation.

Tinted windows, behind which evil terrorists or at least bad people who have something to hide are certainly hiding, is an ancient stereotype that firmly lives in the minds of “particularly law-abiding” citizens. Alas, some people still don’t realize that tinting is a way to protect the body from the scorching rays of the sun, and personal belongings from prying eyes. Where are the boundaries of what is permitted at present and what do ordinary citizens and experts think about the initiative?

What is possible and what is not possible at present

Tinting is regulated by GOST, which allows any degree of darkening of the rear side and rear windows. Moreover, traffic police officers almost never check the hemisphere, since its opacity is not considered something illegal. Front window tinting options are a different story. They are strictly regulated, and the key in GOST is the light transmittance, which should not be lower than 70%. The requirements for light transmission of the windshield are higher - it should not be less than 75%.

Non-compliance with GOST tinting is punishable in accordance with Part 3.1 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation: “Driving a vehicle on which glass is installed (including those covered with transparent colored films), the light transmission of which does not meet the requirements of the technical regulations on the safety of wheeled vehicles, entails the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount five hundred rubles."

Shutterstock/VOSTOCK Photo

It's time to ban ban

The high terrorist threat of tinted cars raises many questions. In fact, we have before us yet another prohibitive initiative that advocates for world peace, but at the same time excludes common sense and forgets about the mass of possible inconveniences for ordinary citizens who do not tint their windows in order to transport terrorists, hostages and explosives.

“The State Duma must finally learn to allow it because all of their bills lately have been prohibitive in nature. In a society of prohibitions and restrictions, even for the sake of some good intentions, there will be depression and a lack of growth in life satisfaction and well-being. In this life, there is not only a stick, but also a carrot, and regulation can be carried out not only through prohibitions, but also through permits and a wiser approach,” says Petr Shkumatov, coordinator of the Blue Buckets motorists movement.

In his opinion, tinting does not affect anti-terrorism security in any way. Terrorism itself contains more myths than numbers—there are orders of magnitude fewer casualties in terrorist attacks than in man-made disasters. “Tinting is a deterrent to thieves who can't see what's in the back seat. It protects from the sun and improperly adjusted headlights. If I didn't have tint on the back of my car, I could have gotten into an accident many times because there was a person in the back with spotlights burning out my eyes. In addition, our country is large and diverse. Try driving in the south without tinting now. There it is a means of driver safety, because without it the sun is so intense in the summer, the brains literally “melt”,” concluded Shkumatov.