What is the legal tinting of car front windows?

Permitted tinting of car windows according to GOST

Tinting is a special darkening coating on car windows designed to minimize the entry of light rays and visibility of the car interior..

Thanks to the tinting coating, it will be possible to reduce the light absorption of the glass, and this prevents heating of the interior.

However, excessively tinted vehicle windows directly contradict established laws of the Government of the Russian Federation, which will entail the imposition of a fine.

The law, which changed the standards for the use of tinting coatings for automobile windows, has already been in force in the country since January 1, 2017.

What is the essence of tightening glass tinting rules? What tinting is allowed according to GOST in 2019 and how will this affect ordinary motorists?

Glass tinting standards

The main innovation of this law is the change to GOST, which regulates the level of light transmission of tinted car glass.

The new GOST involves dividing all car glass into 2 categories:

Category No. 1 – glass that provides the driver with front visibility;
Category No. 2 – glass that provides the driver with rear visibility.

What percentage of tint is allowed? Permitted tinting of front windows (first category) according to GOST is determined by the following light transmittance coefficients:

windshield tinting according to GOST – 75%;
tinting on the side front windows – 70%;
According to GOST, tinting the rear windows of a car is not limited only if the car is equipped with side mirrors on both sides for rear view;
In the upper area of the windshield, tinting of any light transmittance is permitted, but the width of the tinting coating is limited to 140 mm.

It is worth noting that traffic regulations permit the use of curtains for buses, window blinds and blinds for the rear windows of a passenger car, which is equipped with two rear-view mirrors on both sides.

So, the new standard allows you to curtain or tint the rear window of a car with any type of tint.

Video: Tinting car windows. What tint is acceptable?

Features of proper tinting

For the first time, the very concept of car glass with a polymer coating was legalized! Therefore, it is now possible to tint vehicle windows yourself, not only by covering the glass with films specially designed for this purpose outside and inside the cabin, but also by spraying.

What kind of tint can be applied to front windows? In the latest GOST, almost everything is allowed, but the main thing is to adhere to the permitted percentage of light transmission on the front windows, and this, you see, is not difficult.

Mirror tinting

Is mirror tinting allowed on cars or not? The adopted State Standard does not directly prohibit it, however, the technical regulations of the vehicle provide for the inadmissibility of creating a mirror effect on auto glass.

This requirement is quite justified, since if the car in front reflects the light of the headlights, this can either distract the driver’s attention or completely blind him.

As a result, there is a high chance of an accident occurring, which means that the ban in the technical regulations is quite fair.

What should law-abiding drivers take into account in order to avoid violating this paragraph of the technical regulations of the vehicle?

When choosing a tint, you should know that a metallized film with a transmittance greater than 60% creates a mirror effect, so choose one that meets the above criteria.

Chameleon tinting

Is chameleon tinting allowed according to GOST? What is said about it in the technical regulations of the CU and the adopted GOST?

This type of tinting corresponds to the definition of “safe light-heat-protective glass”, which is found in the above documentation.

The fact is that most athermal films (another name is “chameleon”) have a high light transmission coefficient, which is equal to 80%, and this falls under the term of acceptable tinting of front windows according to GOST.

Despite this, when choosing a chameleon tint, pay special attention to the percentage of its light transmittance - a high-quality film will certainly comply with GOST. To be sure of this, you must request a certificate from suppliers that indicates this percentage.

Chameleon tinting has a number of important advantages:

The air conditioner runs less;
the interior heating level has been reduced;
light in the IR spectrum is reflected;
Car interior finishing materials do not fade.

So, is athermal tinting allowed according to GOST? In general, yes, but it may be prohibited if it creates a mirror effect.

Requirements for checking tint

Compliance of the tinting of the side front windows of a car with GOST is determined during the inspection process using a special device - a taumeter. There is a fairly extensive set of laws that law enforcement officers must follow when checking car windows.

If your car has tinted windows, remember the following rules:

Light transmission testing should be carried out exclusively at stationary police posts.
During rain or air humidity of 45-80%, testing should not be carried out.
Light transmission control is carried out only on dry and clean glass.
The test must be carried out at 3 different points on each glass being tested.
At the beginning of the inspection, the police officer must check the atmospheric pressure (atmospheric pressure must be between 645-795 mm).
The police officer conducting the check must have the appropriate mark on his certificate.
The taumeter must be certified and have a seal.
At what temperature can tint be measured? The temperature should be between +15 and +25 C.

Is it possible to measure tint at night? It is forbidden to take measurements in rainy or dirty weather, but there are no restrictions on the time frame - you can check the tint even late at night.

Tinting and fines

Please note the following features of the application of penalties for improper tinting of vehicle windows:

A fine can be imposed only upon violation of the relevant GOST. Therefore, the degree of this violation (although it is only 1%) does not matter.
Various options for “removable” tinting - double glass or window curtains on the front side windows - cannot exempt you from liability for violating the “tinting” GOST.
According to the law adopted in 2016, if the fine is paid within 20 days from the date of the decision, it is subject to a 50% discount. This law also applies to those fines that are associated with violations of GOST on tinting.
The light transmittance coefficient of tint is usually indicated in its “pure form”, however, after gluing the tint film to the glass, its light absorption will noticeably deteriorate. This factor is important to consider when choosing the appropriate tint. In addition, over time, tinted windows can be rubbed off by wipers and become cloudy, and this also contributes to a drop in the level of light transmittance.

Tinting that did not meet the requirements of GOST and technical regulations of the vehicle, until recently, was punishable by removal of license plates from the car. This prevented the vehicle from being used until the fine was paid.

Today, such punishment has been abolished, but this does not eliminate the need to adhere to the norms of the State Standard. Only special cars have the right to full tinting and can legally drive with it on the roads of the state.

It is also worth knowing about the frequency of imposing a fine allowed by law . So, in the protocol drawn up by a police officer on the fact of violation of the “tinting” GOST, the date and time must be indicated.

According to the law, the next protocol can be drawn up no earlier than 24 hours after the previous one is completed.

Therefore, if one day has not yet passed, and you are stopped by another policeman, be sure to show him the previous protocol drawn up, indicating the time and date of its signing.

Only the court can determine punishment in the form of imposing a repeated fine or arrest, but not traffic police inspectors (they do not have the authority to do so).

Perhaps in the future, driving a car with a tinted film on the side and windshield will result in your driving license being revoked.

Today, the maximum punishment for violating GOST, which defines the rules for tinting, is arrest.

Simple "tricks"

The first fine for tinted front windows will be 1,500 rubles. For subsequent violations, you will have to pay the amount of 5,000 rubles.

Is it possible to avoid it? Yes:

When a traffic police inspector stops you to check the tint, you can simply remove it in front of him - with such a simple action you will save yourself a considerable fine.
If, during the control of light transmittance, a representative of the authorities fails to comply with at least one of the above rules, it is necessary to tell him about it. Then you will be able to challenge the results in court - they may be declared invalid and the fine cancelled.
The device that records light transmittance is connected using a cigarette lighter. If your car's cigarette lighter is broken or does not produce the required 12 volts of power, the inspector will have to connect it to his car.
If you notice that when drawing up the protocol, the law enforcement officer made a mistake by writing down the wrong car number, last name, etc., tell him about it after completing the document. Perhaps the inspector will not want to re-issue the protocol and will let you go.

Some activists oppose the new GOST, putting forward a demand to weaken the tinting parameters. In particular, they insist on setting the light transmittance coefficient for the windshield to 60%, and for the front door glass to 40%.

In addition, activists are demanding an end to the ban on mirror tinting. Of course, it is impossible to say with certainty what such a campaign will lead to and whether they will achieve the desired result.

Therefore, a law-abiding citizen should now comply with all the requirements of the law.

Fine for tinting in 2019

Good afternoon, dear reader.

This article will talk about the features of car tinting in 2019 and 2020, as well as possible penalties for applying tinting film to the glass.

In addition, we’ll talk about permitted tinting, which can be used legally without fear of fines.

Allowed tint in 2020?

So, first, let’s look at what kind of car window tinting is allowed in 2019:

Width of tint strip on windshield

The first question that quite often interests drivers is the maximum width of the tinting strip on the top of the windshield. For passenger cars it is 14 centimeters .

Using film with 70% light transmittance

The second popular question is whether the driver will be fined for tinting if a film is applied to the windshield and front side windows, the light transmittance of which is exactly 70 percent.

To answer this question, one should take into account the fact that the light transmission of glass even in a new car does not reach 100 percent.

Let's look at an example. If the light transmission of the new glass is 95 percent, and the tinting film is 70 percent, then the final light transmission is calculated by the formula:

0.95 * 0.7 = 0.665 i.e. 66.5%

In practice, it does not matter whether a film is glued to the glass that transmits 70 percent or transmits 5 percent of light. Both options are the same violation and carry the same penalty.

Permitted tinting of front windows

Tinting the windshield and front side windows in itself is not prohibited. In this case, the only condition that must be taken into account is that the light transmission of tinted glass must be more than 70 percent .

In this case, you can try using a film with a light transmission of 85 to 95 percent.

Note. If you want to be sure that the tinting complies with current legislation, then after gluing the film, check the light transmission with a special device. Car service centers that specialize in working with car glass usually have such devices.

How to get permission to tint?

There is a common myth among drivers that in Russia it is possible to obtain a special permit for tinting , which allows you to tint your car with any film you like. The legislation does not provide for anything like this.

Note. If you see a tinted car on the street, this does not mean that its driver has a special permit. Most likely, the driver simply did not have time to get caught by the traffic police.

Fines for car tinting

In 2020, for illegal tinting of car windows, a driver can only be fined in the amount of 500 rubles (Part 3 1 of Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code).

Note. The specified fine can be paid with a 50 percent discount.

The size of the fine for tinting does not depend on how much light transmission the car’s windows have, nor on how many glasses the tinting film is applied to. In any case, it is 500 rubles.

In addition to the fine, traffic police officers may issue an order to remove the tint.

Note. Until November 15, 2014, traffic police officers could remove license plates from a car for tinting, but in 2020 this type of punishment is not used.

What happens if.

. remove the tint immediately after being stopped by a traffic police officer.

If you remove the tint film immediately after the car is stopped by a traffic police officer, a fine for tint will still be imposed on the driver, because The fine is a punishment for driving a car with insufficient light transmission. In this case, driving takes place until the moment the car is stopped.

. remove the tint immediately after the fine is issued.

If the driver removes the tint immediately after the traffic police officer draws up a resolution to impose an administrative fine, then he will be able to avoid repeated penalties for the same violation. If the tint is not removed, then the next time the traffic police stops the driver will receive a new fine. The number of fines is not limited.

. use removable window tinting.

Removable window tinting does not protect the driver from fines. However, its use will allow you, if necessary, to quickly clear the glass and avoid repeated fines for the same violation.

Finally, I suggest you watch a video in which the tint film is removed using water vapor:

If you wish, you can repeat this procedure and clean the film from your car windows yourself.

What glass tinting is allowed in Russia? Types of car tinting

Many owners prefer to tint the windows of their cars to create a comfortable environment inside the cabin without the need for sunglasses and improve visibility while driving. Tinting allows you to protect your eyes from blinding sunlight and glare, ensure privacy of the interior from the outside, and also maintain the required temperature conditions inside the car.

Unfortunately, some drivers are too keen on darkening their windows, which increases the number of accidents on the roads. Therefore, legislators were forced to develop boundary standards for tinting car windows.

The legislative framework changes regularly and drivers often wonder what kind of tinting of front and rear car windows is allowed in Russia at the current time.

Permitted tinting of front windows in 2019 according to GOST

Tinting of the windshield is allowed only in the upper part. It is designed to protect the driver from the negative effects of ultraviolet rays. According to GOST, no more than 25% of the total window area can be tinted. You can stick a reflective film on the windshield, the width of which should not exceed 15 centimeters.

Since 2015, new, softer GOST 32565-2013 standards have been in force regarding the question of what kind of tinting is allowed on the windshield. They specify a windshield light transmittance of 70%. Previously, the lower threshold should not exceed 75%.

This was due to the fact that compliance with previous standards was only possible with new film and glass in perfect condition. Achieving a light transmittance higher than 70 percent was almost impossible for long-life vehicles. The wear and tear of the film and windows did not allow achieving the required result, which was often used by traffic police officers when drawing up protocols based on measuring the light transmission of the windshield + tinting system.

Since 2017, fines for violations of regulations have increased significantly. Today they are regulated by Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, part 3.1. The maximum sanction is 500 rubles. You can avoid a fine, even a minor one, by removing the reflective protection from the surface of the glass in front of a police officer right on the spot.

Previously, there was a rule according to which such a violation could result in the loss of registration license plates. But today, if a film that does not meet the standards is discovered, the owner will only receive a written warning indicating the period within which he is obliged to bring the car windows to the permitted tinting. Otherwise, the fine will be 1000 rubles.

Permitted windshield tinting in 2019 must also comply with the standards prescribed in the technical regulations of the Customs Union. GOST and technical regulations of the vehicle do not contradict each other and require car owners to ensure the light transmittance of the front glass at the level of 70%. The maximum permissible width of the shading film should be no more than 140 mm. With such indicators, the driver sees the full picture without color distortion, and tinting does not in any way interfere with high-quality visibility.

Is rear window tinting allowed?

New GOSTs do not prohibit tinting the rear windows of a car, including side windows. The available level of dimming can even reach 100%, but only on the condition that the driver retains the opportunity to clearly see the road behind the car through the external side mirrors. If complete blackout prevents full rear visibility, then you can tint the windows up to 20-30%, no more.

The presence of external side mirrors allows the car owner to use not only protective film, but also blinds or removable curtains.

Permitted car tinting in the Russian Federation in 2019

A new concept has been introduced into the standards for permitted car window tinting in 2019 - “polymer coating”. Thus, legislators have legalized the possibility of applying not only a special film to car windows, but also a polymer tinting material.

In addition to the fact that this coating provides maximum protection from the penetration of sunlight, it also has shockproof properties. Most often, spraying is applied to the inner surface of windows. Such a polymer coating is produced on a colorless basis, or combines two functions: tinting and protecting the glass structure from destruction from the outside. The application thickness for tinting purposes usually does not exceed 100-115 microns.

Also, in addition to conventional films, car drivers can darken the rear windows by applying a special athermal coating.

Is chameleon windshield tinting allowed?

Chameleon protection for car glass is one of the varieties of popular athermal films. They are used to tint the windows of cars with climate control installed. Without additional tinting, this system works much weaker. This leads to the car interior overheating on hot days, despite the air conditioning running.

As a result of the application of special metal inclusions that reflect ultraviolet radiation, a comfortable temperature regime is ensured in the cabin and fuel consumption is reduced by reducing the operation of the climate control system to a minimum.

The standard light transmittance of athermal films varies in the range of 80-82%, which corresponds to established standards. An important advantage of such protection is the ability to keep the interior in excellent condition, since the fabrics do not fade when exposed to direct sunlight, and the car acquires additional gloss.

Tinting with a chameleon effect is also allowed if the light transmission coefficient complies with GOST.

Is mirror tinting allowed or not for cars?

In practice, protective mirror film is not prohibited by law. But its use is unacceptable by GOST 1993 and clause 4.5 of the technical regulations of the CU. This is due to the fact that the mirror surface reflects artificial and sunlight, creating interference for the car driving behind while driving. The mirror effect blinds the driver and can lead to an accident.

It is noteworthy that low-quality films with a light transmission level below 60% can mirror. Therefore, when tinting a car, it is better to use transparent films with additional curtains for the rear windows, or adhere to the established standard of 70%.

Features of choosing tinting

When dealing with the question of what tinting is allowed on the front windows, you must also take into account an important nuance. The new GOST has two definitions for car windows (categories 1 and 2). The first group includes glass that provides the driver with forward visibility, and the second - rear visibility. The manufacturer in the technical documentation of the machine indicates the so-called “point R”, from which you should start when choosing a tinting method and its maximum permissible level. Car service specialists will help you determine the categories of glass for the correct application of protection.

Typically, the glasses of the first group are tinted from 25 to 30%, or the film cannot be applied at all if there are no rear-view mirrors. Windows of the second category, located behind the plane defined by point R, can be darkened to a maximum (100 percent). The only important condition is the mandatory presence of two external mirrors, providing the driver with ideal rear visibility.

According to the traffic rules, in cars, jeeps or minibuses equipped with outside rear-view mirrors on the right and left, it is permissible to use curtains or blinds on the side and rear windows.

It is worth considering that an additional violation is considered to be gluing a colored film to the side and front windows of a car, which distorts the color rendition: yellow, green, red and white.

Thus, car owners must adhere to the following tinting regulations in 2019:

The permitted percentage of tinting on front windows in 2019 is 70%;
You can darken the rear side windows without restrictions if you have side mirrors;
The rear window can be protected either with a tinted athermal film or with blinds or curtains;
The front glass can be tinted with a transparent colored film in its upper part with a tinting height of no more than 140 mm.

What glass tinting is allowed in Russia? Types of car tinting

The legislative framework changes regularly and drivers often wonder what kind of tinting of front and rear car windows is allowed in Russia at the current time.

Permitted tinting of front windows in 2019 according to GOST

Is rear window tinting allowed?

The presence of external side mirrors allows the car owner to use not only protective film, but also blinds or removable curtains.

Permitted car tinting in the Russian Federation in 2019

Also, in addition to conventional films, car drivers can darken the rear windows by applying a special athermal coating.

Is chameleon windshield tinting allowed?

Tinting with a chameleon effect is also allowed if the light transmission coefficient complies with GOST.

Is mirror tinting allowed or not for cars?

Features of choosing tinting

According to the traffic rules, in cars, jeeps or minibuses equipped with outside rear-view mirrors on the right and left, it is permissible to use curtains or blinds on the side and rear windows.

Thus, car owners must adhere to the following tinting regulations in 2019:

The permitted percentage of tinting on front windows in 2019 is 70%;
You can darken the rear side windows without restrictions if you have side mirrors;
The rear window can be protected either with a tinted athermal film or with blinds or curtains;
The front glass can be tinted with a transparent colored film in its upper part with a tinting height of no more than 140 mm.

What does 70 percent tint look like and is it legal to use in 2020?

For many years, car window tinting has been widely popular among drivers. But in 2016, most types of tinting films became “outlawed”, as new requirements for visibility of car windows came into force, which are still relevant today.

However, it is important to know that not all blackout film is prohibited by current legislation. If it complies with all established rules, namely, it transmits a sufficient amount of light and does not impair visibility, its use is legal. One of these films is tinting with a coefficient of 70 percent, but to decide whether it is worth gluing, you need to understand how it looks and whether it protects the interior well.

Requirements for auto glass according to traffic regulations and GOST

Not a single regulatory document of the Russian Federation puts forward a complete ban on covering auto glass with darkening films. Only coatings that do not meet established light transmittance standards are prohibited.

According to the rules established by Section 7 of the Traffic Regulations of the Russian Federation, namely clause 3, it is prohibited to apply coatings to glass that limit the driver’s visibility. The only exceptions are tinting films, which fully comply with GOST 32565-2013, which came into force in 2015.

Light transmission standards

This standard puts forward the following requirements for auto glass:

Light transmittance of windshield and side windows from 70%.
The degree of shading of the rear windows can be any, provided that there are external rear-view mirrors on both sides.
The use of mirror film is not allowed.
The width of the protective transparent light strip located on the top of the windshield should not exceed 14 cm.
It is not allowed to cover glass with multi-colored films.

But, despite the existence of the standard, many car owners continue to drive with almost zero-tinted windows, which impairs the driver’s visibility and increases the risk of collision with other road users.

What does 70 percent permitted tint look like?

The tint coating helps protect the car interior from prying eyes, as well as from overheating in the summer. However, this coating also has disadvantages, the main one of which is the deterioration of visibility for the driver. It was this factor that led to the ban on excessively dark vehicle windows.

If you want to tint the windows of a land vehicle, its owner must be guided by existing legal standards.

If they are fully observed, no problems with the law will arise, and the car owner will not incur any financial costs.

In order not to make a mistake in choosing a coating, you need to know what the tinting permitted by GOST looks like, as well as its characteristics. According to Russian law, it is allowed to tint the windows of a land vehicle with a film with a coefficient of 70 percent or higher. This coating practically does not darken car windows, transmits light well and does not have a negative effect on visibility.

Fines and punishments for exceeding standards

The presence of tinting that does not comply with GOST is an offense, which, if detected, will result in penalties in the form of penalties. If previously the car owner had to pay a fine of 500 rubles for prohibited coverage, then in 2020 the amount of the penalty was increased by 1 thousand rubles. Thus, this year, a motorist who excessively darkens the windshield or side windows of his vehicle will be punished with a fine of 1 thousand 500 rubles.

In case of repeated violation, the fine will be 5 thousand rubles. It is important to understand that a repeated fine cannot be imposed more than 12 times in 1 year. After exceeding this limit, the car owner will be held administratively liable and will be forced to pay a larger fine. Punishments such as administrative arrest and deprivation of a driver’s license may also be applied to him.

What you need to know about the rules for checking tinting and how to respond to the inspector

Despite the existence of clear standards that tinting must meet, it is quite difficult to prove that it does not meet them, even for an experienced inspector. This is because there are certain coverage inspection rules that every law enforcement officer must adhere to.

When checking, the following conditions must be met:

Tinting is measured by the inspector using a certified and sealed “taumeter” device.
The test is carried out at 3 different points on each sample. In this case, the measurement results at these points must be identical, and the glass must be clean.

Auto glass check

Air humidity from 40 to 80%. If there is precipitation, this procedure cannot be carried out.

Atmospheric pressure is 645–795 mm Hg.

Air temperature is above 10 degrees.

The time of the procedure is daytime. In the absence of natural light, measurements are not taken.

The procedure is carried out in the presence of witnesses or recorded on a video camera.

However, in practice, quite often the driver’s requirements are not taken into account, and the light transmittance of the tint is determined “by eye”. At the same time, it is almost impossible to prove a violation of the verification methodology. For this reason, many car owners pay a fine, even if they are completely sure that they are right.

However, some drivers do not give up trying to prove their innocence in court. In this case, it is necessary to record in the protocol all violations that were noticed during the inspection, including the absence of a device or its non-compliance with standards. Without this, the chances that the fine will be canceled are minimal. Witnesses who confirm the unlawful actions of a traffic police officer can also influence the outcome of the appeal.